Data stewardship in SimpleData Management


Johannesburg, 12 May 2020

SimpleData Management (SDM) is a comprehensive SAP master data management product developed by GlueData that provides the following key benefits:

  • Validate data at point of entry
  • Report on data quality
  • Cleanse data systematically
  • Improve productivity by reducing errors

“We have had great success with SDM version 1 in the South African market and are now driving for the release of version 2 in mid-2020,” states Brett Schreuder, Managing Director of GlueData.

At the core of SDM version 2 is the concept of Stewardship which enables building customised data team roles into SAP to provide role-based screen simplification and validation as well as role-based reporting. Stewardship provides the baseline for other role-based features in SDM, including the Sprint Cleansing Solution and KPI Reports.

“When users assigned to stewardship create or change a master data record in SAP, the fields that they see on the screens will be tailored according to their role; ie, fields will be highlighted, hidden or greyed out based on their area of responsibility.” continues Schreuder.

The diagram below shows the concept of stewardship using two users and their roles as examples:

Mary: Supply chain steward and Joe: procurement data steward.

SDM stewardship aims to drive the data organisational structure into SAP by controlling data responsibilities and highlighting ownership of data. It bases itself on DAMA DMBOK principles, so organisations can recognise familiar terms, roles and structures. (https://dama.org/content/body-knowledge)

Stewardship in SDM provides flexibility in creating business roles and segmenting designations that suit that organisation and industry without being prescriptive. Organisations can create any business roles through free text entry, and those business roles can then be linked to DAMA DMBOK familiar stewardship roles, such as data steward, domain steward, line-of-business steward. Again, these are free text, so the organisation can define as required, keeping the DMBOK principles in mind.

Each stewardship role will have a unique area of responsibility and validity and each user will be assigned to a stewardship role.

The area of responsibility is the set of fields they are responsible for. The area of validity determines the scope of responsibility (or the areas within the data record that are valid for that data steward). For example, a role could be limited to certain material groups, or product hierarchies, regions, specific plants, etc.

When SAP users are assigned to stewardship roles, this closes the loop so that the user working in the record is responsible for the quality of data for key fields in key areas of the SAP system, and this is mimicked in the SAP organisational structure.

To find out more, contact GlueData.

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GlueData is an SAP Silver Service Partner and an SAP Special Expertise Partner in Enterprise Information Management (EIM). The company is founded on the principle of achieving quality data, knowing that data drives process and process drives profitability.

GlueData has proven rich methodologies, skilled consultants and the relevant implementation experience to rapidly deliver sustainable value for our customers. The company started in 2010 and has offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. GlueData provides SAP Data Solutions and Products to customers of all industries within South Africa and across the globe.

Editorial contacts

Kathy Carrick
GlueData Master Data Solutions
(+27) 82 442 7322
kathy.carrick@gluedata.com