The digital-first world is evolving rapidly and is placing greater demands on businesses to control and harness their data effectively. Master data, the most important business objects that are essential core entities before they provide you with a reliable source of information is the foundation on which the enterprise processes, data analytics and decision-making are laid out. Master data is an important part of every industry and efficient master data management (MDM) ensures accurate, quality business information that flows consistently across all departments within the organization.
When companies move to cloud computing, migrating Master Data Solutions can bring several benefits that a company would not previously have had. This blog looks at the prime drivers for MDM transition to the cloud, how it helps or serves as leverage and key factors that businesses should keep in mind when migrating.
Scalability & Flexibility
Nowadays, every business is data-driven. However, with data volumes growing exponentially, most on-premises solutions find it hard to scale. In contrast, by definition, cloud-based master data solutions enable the user to scale the number of resources up or down without the need for expensive hardware investments. The surge in the number of new customers and the volume of recorded data or the company’s expansion to new regions may require quick responses, with MDM Cloud making it possible.
Cost Efficiency
Costs of maintaining an on-premises master data solution like hardware or software licenses, maintenance etc. are very high. On top of that, your IT team has to keep up with regular updates, backups and security patches. Cloud MDM is a consumption-based (subscription/pay-as-you-go) model, changing CapEx (Capital Expenses) to OpEx (Operational Expenses). This means companies can avoid upfront charges and instead pay for the services as per usage.
Improved Data Accessibility
We are in a globalized and highly mobile world, and data accessibility is very crucial for businesses with distributed teams or those who are embarking on a digital transformation journey. So, today’s businesses must operate in that environment, and they demand real-time and 24/7 access to their master data from any location of the globe. Timely and seamless access across devices and geographies through cloud-based master data solutions allows teams to collaborate more efficiently.
Enhanced Data Security & Compliance
Cloud platforms offer more robust security features than on-premises solutions. And many cloud providers implement security measures such as data encryption, access controls, and real-time monitoring. All these protocols help in protecting organizations’ sensitive master data. Moreover, cloud platforms have built-in compliance tools and regular audits that comply with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) regulations.
Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity
On-premises data centers are prone to cyberattacks and hardware failures. Cloud MDM has integrated disaster recovery (DR) solutions that automatically back up master data and provide recovery options when the system fails. This minimizes downtime and ensures business continuity, which is very important for any organization using its master data for day-to-day operations.
AI-driven Data Analytics
Cloud platforms have Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and advanced analytics tools built within the platform itself. These tools can help to further improve master data management through automated data cleaning, detecting duplicates and improving accuracy of the data. Through AI and Data analytics, the use of master data ensures that companies can make advanced decisions through a predictive decision-making process which is important for deriving richer insights into their business.
Faster Deployment & Reduced Time-to-Value
Migrating master data solutions to the cloud is faster than traditional on-premises systems can do. Because, the cloud helps customers reduce the process of procuring and installing physical hardware, it ensures faster implementation timelines. In addition, with the help of cloud solutions, organizations can collaborate in real-time to integrate and test products, thereby reducing time-to-value.
Seamless Integration
Cloud-based master data management solutions can be integrated seamlessly with CRM, ERP, and data analytics tools. This synchronizes all master data across all business applications. This creates a unified data ecosystem that reduces data silos and ensures data consistency
Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Cloud master data management solutions free organizations from maintaining on-premise infrastructure thus reducing the total cost of ownership. They can save on software, hardware, and labour costs associated with ongoing maintenance and upgrades. Apart from saving operational expenses, these cloud-based solutions are energy-efficient which helps them to meet sustainability goals.
Increased Collaboration & Productivity
With the MDM cloud, accessing and managing data from any location will be hassle-free. Employees can work on the updated and real-time data which improves collaboration across departments and locations and overall productivity. Thus, it eliminates delays due to challenges associated with data inaccessibility and inaccuracies.
Enhanced Data Governance
Data accuracy, consistency, and compliance with industry standards are guaranteed by built-in data governance features in cloud-based master data management solutions. These solutions include automated data quality checks, extensive audit trails, and role-based access controls. MDM cloud centralizes the data governance process so that master data can be a single source of truth throughout the organization.
Although migrating MDM to the cloud offers many benefits, it also has notable challenges. So, organizations must ensure that they plan and select vendors with care.
Data Migration Complexity
It is usually challenging to move the massive volume of master data from on-premise systems into the cloud. Ensuring data integrity during migration often results in organizations conducting extensive pre-migration data harmonization, cleanup, and validation.
Data Security and Compliance challenges
Yes, cloud platforms come with certain levels of security but to comply with specific compliances and regulations in different industries (such as HIPAA), organizations need more assurance that their data is securely stored. Cloud providers that maintain compliance certifications and security guarantees are key to ensuring your infrastructure remains compliant.
Change management & training
Transitioning to the cloud also involves translating internal process flows against new-system compatibility. So, organizations must invest in providing training to their employees to adapt to this new cloud environment and help them learn new tools and technologies for handling master data.
Moving your Master Data Solutions to the cloud will provide plenty of benefits - scalability and cost savings due to reduced maintenance costs. Deployed in the cloud, Master Data Management further enables organizations to benefit from state-of-the-art technologies such as conversational AI and integration with other business systems while increasing collaboration and productivity. However, this process is fraught with risk and failure if not managed properly from careful planning to lean data governance, through change management in its entirety.
Data-driven innovation and decision-making are key drivers of business success, so migrating master data solutions to the cloud is a strategic imperative for businesses seeking agility, efficiency and resiliency in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
