Themes from the 2009 MDM Summit in NYC

For the third year in a row, I attended the MDM Summit in NYC with teammates from Fitzgerald Analytics and with clients whose interests dovetail with the subject matter at hand. As usual, the event was thought-provoking and at times, even inspiring.


For those of us who are passionate about the challenges, but also the opportunities in the emergent field of data management, the event reminds us that "the wind is at our back." A mixture of technology trends and business imperatives means Data Management will continue to grow as a field, and the quality of solutions will continue to mature.


This year I was struck by several "highlight themes":

1. Emphasis on doing "first things first," which means for example:
   
   ...doing enough data profiling before data integration...
   
   and
   
   ...establishing viable data governance before rolling out major solutions or change programs...
   
   This realism was positive, and a sign that more "real cases" are leading to more consensus around "preconditions to success" in the MDM realm.
   
   
2. Linking strong Data Management with revenue upside.
   
   John Fleming, Head of Strategy & Governance for Client Data at MERRILL LYNCH, was especially impressive in articulating the connection between better integrated and managed data, and better customer retention, more innovative revenue capture, etc.

Posted By:
Jaime Fitzgerald