subject: Oracle PIM Data Hub Vs. Item Master [print this page] Thisquestionis often asked by the Oraclecustomers usingItem Master "Why do you need a dedicated MDM solution now when all this time IT has been able to help businesses with product attributes as descriptive Flexfields, custom designed tables or other stitched up solutions?"
Well, most of us who have been working with Item Master in the past have been forced to utilize the application's unintended features creatively to store product attributes in Categories, Cross References, DFFs etc. Finally, when it becomes unmanageable, custom tables provided refuge of the last resort. Think of if, MDM is the natural progression step for the organizations at the higher end of the maturity spectrum.
I beg to differ with the opinion that MDM is just another application to store additional data. There is no disputing that the products are both the bread and butter and the key ingredient to success for any organization. Now that most companies in the marketplace are past the struggle of implementing Enterprise Resource Management systems, they are paying attention to software that provides them deeper insight into the products, improve supply chain efficiencies and help them connect to the customers better. Internet based purchasing has added fuel to the fire where online retailers do need to provide more than just the name and description of the product and the customer across the globe are rightfully demanding more information to make better buying decision. UCC and other standardization concepts that have been around for a while are finally shaping up and the retailers in turn are collecting hundreds of product attributes from the manufacturers about the product that define:
Product Dimensions
Key properties
Composition
Quality Information
Packaging
Regulatory and Compliance Information
To easily sum up, the following matrix provides the key reasons for implementing PIM Data Hub as opposed to simple Item Master:
Features
Product Information Management Data Hub(PIM)
Item Master (IM)
Centralized Data
PIM centralizes all product data in hierarchical catalogs with unlimited attributes in addition to the ERP Operational attributes. PIM Product Workbench provides 360 degree view of:
Product Attributes
Attachments (capability to display pictures and schematic diagrams etc.
BOM
Product Lifecycle and changes during phases
IM focuses mainly on operational and some transactional attributes.
Functional area categories can be utilized for reporting.
Extended Attributes
Extended attributes can serve as storage and validation of the important product related data such as marketing, sales, cost management and product research etc. Such data is usually stored in spreadsheets on individual laptops in most organizations making is costly and error prone to extract
Limited capability with Descriptive Flexfields(DFF) and Item Catalog attributes to store additional information
Flexible Attributes
PIM provides amazing flexibility in defining various types of attributes that can be keyed in by the user or derived from other attributes using dynamic functions.
Data must be static in nature and user entered.
Display Flexibility
PIM provides flexibility to create your own page layout. This feature provides easy means to displaying attributes on item pages by business area thus facilitates role-based attribute maintenance. Excellent productivity feature!
Predefined attribute arrangement-
Live with it :(
Advanced Search Capabilities
Customizable advanced searches provide highly flexible searching capabilities that can easily help identify the duplicates parts thereby saving cost in creating new parts, procurement and wastage
Item Master focus is simply in keep the ERP running. Good luck searching if you do not have all the attributes embedded in the Product description.
Display Formats
PIM Display formats are equivalent to Folder Functionality' on Steroids
Folder functionality is limited to only operation attributes: DFF and catalog attributes can't be displayed in folders
Excel Export and Import
Any data displayed on the search results can be exported to excel and imported back after mass updates. Self-service capabilities of the PIM application greatly reduce IT work making information available to right people at the right time!
Limited excel export capabilities and NO excel import capabilities are available from Item Master
Accelerate New product development
PIM provides the most extensible and configurable workflow to automate the New Product Introduction'
Workflow capabilities are next to none and workflow customizations can easily add to the implementation cost
Synchronize data with trading partners
Workflow based events make it easy to synchronize data. Latest releases also provide capabilities to use out-of-the-box Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) integration services
Still relies on old trigger based functionality to facilitate the data export and synchronization
Data Governance
Product data governance can be handled via automating processes and rule-based validations. Additionally, PIM data security in addition can help achieve the governance objectives
Governance is achievable with process changes and form customizations but is a sticky situation
Change Control
Lifecycle phase based change control of attributes, attachments, BOM and Routings
No lifecycle controls are available in the Item Master. ECOs functionality is very inflexible in terms of workflows
Security
Highly granular role based Security available at the attribute group level
Item Master has old menu/function based security
Workflow based Productivity
Flexible and highly configurable workflows for product, attachment, BOM, Routing and other attribute changes enhance productivity without adding to the cost of implementation
Low to no workflow flexibility unless workflow is customized
Conclusion
A company's survival depends on its products and services. Therefore implementing a robust and scalable MDM system in order to stay competitive is an obvious choice. Whether a company starts the MDM effort with standardizing the marketing data or streamlining processes like new product introduction and change management, it makes good business sense for Oracle customers to embark on the PIM Data Hubbandwagon.
