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# Master Data Management

> The management discipline that defines, governs and maintains an organisation shared core data, supported where useful by technology, so that key entities are described consistently across systems.

## Definition

The discipline of defining, governing and maintaining the shared core data an organisation depends
on, so that entities such as products, suppliers, locations and materials are identified and
described consistently everywhere they are used. It is a management capability, which technology
can support but cannot replace.

## Expanded Explanation

Master data and master data management are different things. Master data is the data itself: the
stable, widely shared descriptions of the entities a business operates on. Master data management is
the set of practices applied to that data, covering the definition of each attribute, the
designation of authority, the rules for creating and retiring records, matching and survivorship,
quality measurement, and the stewardship roles that keep all of it working.

An MDM platform automates parts of that capability. It can match records, apply survivorship rules,
enforce validation and distribute results. It cannot decide which system should be authoritative for
recycled content, agree what "product weight" includes, or resolve a disagreement between
engineering and commercial teams. Programmes that buy the platform and skip those decisions
typically end up with a well-integrated copy of an unresolved problem.

Implementation styles differ. Some organisations operate a central hub that stores mastered values;
others operate a registry that links records held elsewhere; many combine the two by domain. All
three can be legitimate, because the defining feature of MDM is governed consistency rather than
physical centralisation.

## Why It Matters

Digital Product Passport obligations apply per product, and they assume the product can be
identified unambiguously and described consistently. Organisations that already manage product
master data can extend that capability to passport attributes. Organisations that do not usually
discover that the same product exists several times under different codes, which prevents reliable
publication long before any passport technology is involved.

## Common Misconceptions

#### MDM is a software category

MDM is a discipline. Tools accelerate it, but the definitions, authority decisions and stewardship
roles that make it work sit with the business rather than the platform.

#### MDM means one central database

Registry and hybrid styles govern data that remains in its originating systems. Consistency is the
objective; centralisation is only one way of reaching it.

## Related Terms

* [Product Master Data](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/product-master-data)
* [Golden Record](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/golden-record)
* [System of Record](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/system-of-record)
* [Product Data Governance](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/data-governance)
* [Product Data Stewardship](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/data-stewardship)

## Related Knowledge Base Articles

* [What is Master Data Management (MDM)?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-master-data-management)
* [What is Product Master Data?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/what-is-product-master-data)
* [ERP vs PIM vs PLM: What's the Difference?](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/erp-vs-pim-vs-plm)

## Related Articles

* [Golden Record](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/golden-record)
* [Product Master Data](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/product-master-data)
* [Authoritative Source](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/authoritative-source)
* [Product Data Governance](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/data-governance)
* [Product Data Quality](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/data-quality)
* [Product Data Stewardship](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/data-stewardship)
* [Source of Truth](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/source-of-truth)
* [System of Record](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/system-of-record)

## See Also

* [Enterprise Systems and Data Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/overview)
* [Implementation](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/overview)

## References

* ISO 8000, data quality: [https://www.iso.org/standard/81745.html](https://www.iso.org/standard/81745.html)
* ISO/IEC 11179, metadata registries: [https://www.iso.org/standard/78914.html](https://www.iso.org/standard/78914.html)

## About This Article

About This Article

<dl>
  <dt>
    Last Reviewed
  </dt>

  <dd>
    2026-08-09
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Next Scheduled Review
  </dt>

  <dd>
    2027-08-09
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Article Version
  </dt>

  <dd>
    1.0
  </dd>
</dl>

tieback Knowledge is a continuously maintained reference library covering Digital Product
Passports, product traceability, product compliance and related regulations. Articles are
reviewed regularly as legislation, standards and implementation guidance evolve.

## Related Docs

* [Enterprise Systems and Data Architecture](/docs/knowledge-base/enterprise-systems-and-data-architecture/overview)
* [Implementation](/docs/knowledge-base/implementation/overview)
* [Digital Product Passports](/docs/knowledge-base/digital-product-passports/overview)
* [Glossary](/docs/knowledge-base/glossary/overview)