DAMA - SAP MDG: Concept #7

❗️The Problem

You clean the data.
You approve it.
You govern it.

But one system doesn’t receive the update.
Another applies the wrong mapping.
And a third has its own “master record” that ignores yours.

Result?
Chaos in sync.
And no one knows where the truth is anymore.

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🧠 What DAMA Means by Integration & Interoperability

This isn’t about just connecting systems.
It’s about ensuring that data moves, translates, and means the same thing everywhere it goes.

Interoperability = shared understanding.
Integration = technical delivery.

One without the other = garbage in a nice package.

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DAMA Key Concepts in Integration

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🔧 How SAP MDG Handles It

Integration in MDG is a full-time concern.
You don’t “set it once”. You maintain it always.

Here’s where it shows up:

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⚠️ Red Flags in Real Projects

• Same customer appears 3 times in downstream systems

• No one owns mapping logic — it lives in one Excel from 2022

• Data arrives, but in the wrong format or field

• Integration works… until a silent failure stops updates for a week

And nobody notices — until a factory stops, or a compliance issue hits.

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🧠 Key Integration Questions

• What systems consume master data — and how often?

• Who owns mapping logic and interface specs?

• What happens if replication fails — is it tracked, escalated?

• How is key mapping maintained — and who checks consistency?

Without answers, integration becomes a point of failure, not a feature.

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💬 Bottom Line

Governance means nothing if data doesn’t reach the systems that use it.
And data is useless if its meaning gets lost in translation.

Integration isn’t a plug. It’s a commitment.
Without it, you don’t have a master — just masters in conflict.