DAMA - SAP MDG: Concept #1

❗️The Problem

Everyone says “data is a strategic asset.”
But in real projects, data is:

• copied into spreadsheets

• owned by nobody

• fixed manually

• lost in migrations

That’s not asset management. That’s survival.

Until you manage data with the same discipline as money, people, or machines — it’s just background noise.

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🧠 What DAMA Teaches — The Core Principles

DAMA starts with a simple message:
Good data doesn’t happen by accident.

Here are the core principles — the mindset behind real data management:

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🔹 1. Data is a valuable asset

You don’t own data just because you have access to it.
You own it when you’re responsible for its quality, structure, and use.

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🔹 2. Data must be managed

Like finance, HR, or IT — data needs roles, rules, processes, and measurement.

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🔹 3. Data has a lifecycle

Created, changed, archived, deleted.
Every step needs governance — not just creation.

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🔹 4. Data needs accountability

If nobody is responsible, everyone assumes someone else is.
Result: chaos, duplication, rework.

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🔹 5. Data must be fit for purpose

“Correct” is not enough. It must be useful.
Right level, right format, right time.

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🔹 6. Data must be understood

If people don’t know what a field means, it’s a liability, not an asset.
Metadata, definitions, business context — non-negotiable.

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🧩 Why It Matters for SAP MDG

SAP MDG is often implemented as a workflow tool.
But DAMA reminds us: workflows are just plumbing.
If you skip the principles:

• your CRs will be clean, but your data dirty

• your roles will exist, but no one will care

• your validations will work, but the model won’t fit reality

Without the principles, MDG becomes a shell.

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💬 Bottom Line

DAMA isn’t a book of rules — it’s a shift in mindset:
You manage data like any other asset — or you lose control.

Governance without ownership is noise.
Quality without purpose is waste.
Data without context is risk.