tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post2755653695228405539..comments2024-03-11T00:24:38.244-07:00Comments on INFORMATION ACTION: actionable ideas for evidence-based decision-making: Dispelling the MDM Myth, Part 2Alan D. Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12790847883038860673noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-47043914041811205202014-08-18T04:31:09.437-07:002014-08-18T04:31:09.437-07:00Thanks Mark. Yet another "define your terms&q...Thanks Mark. Yet another "define your terms" challenge... <br /><br />I've seen the words "Enterprise Data Management" used to describe everything from tiered storage to database systems, and from data migration to archiving.<br /><br />*sighs*Alan D. Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12790847883038860673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-39160658304932537412014-08-17T16:49:13.786-07:002014-08-17T16:49:13.786-07:00Hi Alan - great work. (Lots of work!) How about ...Hi Alan - great work. (Lots of work!) How about MDM vs Enterpise Data Management (EDM)? Vendor-speak big time EDM capability! Cheers, MarkMark Bandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11089066152073539281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-79500068443368406472014-08-08T04:10:47.362-07:002014-08-08T04:10:47.362-07:00To answer Martin's point, I'd say that as ...To answer Martin's point, I'd say that as an industry, we're certainly guilty of having multiple terminologies for the same thing, which leads to confusion at best, obfuscation at worst. It's up to those of us who have the temerity to define our terms before proceeding to try to hold the line, continue to raise awareness, and hold the industry at large to account. It's an uphill task, I have no doubt!<br /><br />Bad enough that we don't know whether to call something a spade or a shovel. But there's also something even more pernicious. Time and again, we see vendor companies actively invent (ugly) new language to try and give the impression that what they're doing is fresh, innovative and exciting (I'm accusing both product vendors and systems integrator/consulting services business here!). Whereas more often that not, they're just re-badging existing ideas to fit with the latest round of Bullshit Bingo hype. "Manually operated excavation device", anyone?<br /><br />"Big Data" and "Data Governance" are just the latest in a long line of bandwagons that every vendor is trying to jump on right now.<br /><br />The latest example of this hit my desk only this morning - some bright sparks are now re-badging Service Oriented Architecture as "API Governance" (on the pretext that SOA is dead and a bad idea, but APIs are the way forward and the greatest thing in integration since electronic sliced bread).<br /><br />I died a little inside today...Alan D. Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12790847883038860673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-28631175335570725792014-08-08T04:10:03.562-07:002014-08-08T04:10:03.562-07:00From Martin Renhackkamp on LinkedIn:
"Alan, ...From Martin Renhackkamp on LinkedIn: <br />"Alan, most definitely there is not a common understanding and agreement on terms such as "Business Intelligence" (BI), "Enterprise Architecture", "Cloud Computing", "Big Data", not to mention "X-as-a-service". And yes, to a lesser extent, but some clients are even confused about what a "data warehouse" is supposed to be too... <br />So I agree totally with your point that we should always define the terms we use and continuously educate the client base."<br />Alan D. Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12790847883038860673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-73640410056712051042014-07-20T23:35:11.802-07:002014-07-20T23:35:11.802-07:00Thanks Ram. Your own situation is exactly the kind...Thanks Ram. Your own situation is exactly the kind of example that gives me hope that this can be done! People are always the problem - but they don't need to be, if they're the heart and soul of things. <br /><br />Sadly, it is seldom thus... (Although at least it ensures there's gainful employment for those of us who think and work that way!)<br /><br />Yours aye<br />ADDAlan D. Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12790847883038860673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-28940307342184705472014-07-20T21:48:26.741-07:002014-07-20T21:48:26.741-07:00Alan, the approach we used for Information managem...Alan, the approach we used for Information management is "human first" which won us the DQ Asia Pacific award. To me, process, technology and tools supporting an IM initiative are the easy bit, dealing with humans and the associated culture is the biggest challenge of all!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06528258299705395415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-91332350616018399602014-07-15T03:45:39.255-07:002014-07-15T03:45:39.255-07:00Thanks Doug - seeking confirmation of a predetermi...Thanks Doug - seeking confirmation of a predetermined outcome is a classic challenge within information management. As well as the philosophical angle, it's also well-documented as a psychological phenomenon. (Being married to a Psych major means that I more-or-less get to claim a psychology degree by osmosis!) <br /><br />Information Management & Knowledge Management are certainly complementary (and closely-related) disciplines and I agree that an approach founded in KM principles is helpful when examining and conveying the utility, narrative and value of information.Alan D. Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12790847883038860673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-16922739352600179142014-07-14T20:23:55.676-07:002014-07-14T20:23:55.676-07:00Studying philosophy (that great introduction to KM...Studying philosophy (that great introduction to KM) - I loved the concept of phenomenonology, where our own cultural or inherent biases or conditioning would lead to a predictable outcome.. the potter views a Rorschach pattern as a vase, and the gardener sees a flower. The common phrase 'If you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail' - Who could say that Individuals working primarily working with machine based solutions don't see humans as inherently a little bit messy and unpredictable, so it'smuch easier to exclude them from the equation? I would like to think my KM hat can be worn simutaneously with my IM one, and I can cconsider not only how to source, store, categorise, manipulate, display and transmit those bits and bytes, but how people might need, interpret, and want to use them to meet a real need. Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13866756432233805848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-28015180050321174352014-07-09T03:39:41.242-07:002014-07-09T03:39:41.242-07:00I completely agree and love the cartoon. It is dow...I completely agree and love the cartoon. It is down to us to use a pragmatic definition based on the situation.Stuart Squireshttp://uk.linkedin.com/in/stuartsquires/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-3752425147579809172014-07-09T02:16:00.549-07:002014-07-09T02:16:00.549-07:00Thanks Stuart. All of the industry fora that I men...Thanks Stuart. All of the industry fora that I mentioned (DAMA, MIKE2.0, IAIDQ) have some form of position on what "Master Data Management" means, as do all the tech vendors, as do all the Systems Integrators. It's them "buyer beware" to navigate all that and get the best outcome you can.<br /><br />I'm also reminded of this cartoon: http://www.mbird.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/standards-1.png Alan D. Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12790847883038860673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969035329941726644.post-20100749667493458942014-07-08T23:46:12.665-07:002014-07-08T23:46:12.665-07:00I have often thought it ironic that there are many...I have often thought it ironic that there are many different definitions in use for MDM. Surely we need a golden record for the piece of reference data that is the term 'MDM'. Out of interest I tend to use MDM to represent the technical side of the people, process, technology triangle with other facets of data/information governance covering the other 80% (I also do not claim to be 'right'). This aligns with your point about vendors: most are MDM (technology) vendors and not purveyors of the human element. If you wanted a new garden wall they (the vendor) would sell you the bricks and mortar and deliver them to your house; you then have the choice of designing and building it yourself or bringing in professionals. I'll leave it to you to complete the metaphor.Stuart Squireshttp://uk.linkedin.com/in/stuartsquires/noreply@blogger.com