Master Data Management Takes on Content

In many ways, content is beginning to look a lot like data, especially with the rise of XML and component-based authoring and publishing. XML transforms content from flat and monolithic to multidimensional, granular and richly defined — the sort of granular definition that used to be reserved for the information sitting between columns and rows in a database.

And many organizations are reorienting content authoring practices — from creation of monolithic documents to discrete, reusable and centrally managed content chunks designed to be combined and recombined to create a variety of documents and deliverables. Finally, organizations can create, maintain and control their documents and other unstructured content in a truly scalable way.

As content inherits data-like qualities, traditional data management concepts start applying to this world. A great example of this is master data management, which aspires to turn distributed arrays of duplicate and conflicting data into trusted and authoritative versions of the truth.

The goal of master data management is to provide consistent, comprehensive core information across an enterprise. This is a longstanding concern for organizations, particularly those that grow by acquisition and inherit data sources. With multiple silos of the same data, determining which data element is the master in the relationship becomes a real challenge.

For example, companies often have multiple permutations of the same customer data — entries that include and exclude the customer’s middle initial, entries with different addresses due to changes in residence, etc. Master data management, then, is about mapping that data and establishing a single, authoritative source of the truth.

Mastering content. Content faces that same challenge, but the distributed, monolithic nature of legacy content has made it difficult or impossible to effectively tackle the problem. When working with monolithic documents, knowledge workers frequently copy and paste elements of one document into another, eventually creating a cascading array of out-of-sync documents —none of which is clearly authoritative. As a result, content isn’t trusted like data.

The solution is master content management. Now that content is being authored as finely grained components, these pieces can be centrally managed and controlled for reuse across multiple documents. Central management establishes a single, authoritative source of content, which is included by reference in documents, deliverables and applications. At change time, revisions to individual components are made centrally and propagated to all consuming documents. The result: content that’s always consistent, authoritative and drawing on a single source of the truth.

For many organizations, master content management might solve a more pervasive, pressing problem than its data-oriented counterpart. Conventional wisdom holds that 80-90 percent of all information in the enterprise is unstructured. This information doesn’t fit neatly between the rows and columns of a database. Typically, it’s found in documents. And as more content winds up in the hands of customers, partners, regulators, and other external parties, organizations face higher costs — fines, penalties, brand erosion — for publishing inconsistent or inaccurate content.

Reaping rewards. Not unlike its data-centric progenitor, master content management has the potential to transform the trustworthiness and reusability of information, ensuring:

• Dramatically improved content reuse, resulting in better knowledge sharing and faster time to market for documentation- and content-dependent products and services
• Improved customer loyalty, retention, and profitability as customers receive consistent information — and are treated consistently — across all touch points
• Lower risk operations, as content can be counted on to speak from a single version of the truth

The convergence of XML and component-based content management has all the potential to transform how we think about content. Suddenly, content is highly accessible, reusable and trusted as a key enterprise asset that can be counted on for authoritative answers. Additionally, the rich description provided by XML makes this content semantically discoverable, not only by end users, but also by applications and processes. In this new context, content becomes a free-flowing knowledge currency. Imagine: authoritative answers automatically rendered based on the context of the task you’re performing. This has the potential to transform business processes ranging from call centers and customer self-service applications to research and development.

Organizations can achieve the promise of master content management by expanding their component-based structured authoring and publishing initiatives. Enabling more users to create and reuse structured content instead of monolithic documents is the foundation to an environment where content is trusted, authoritative and highly accessible.

Jake Sorofman is senior vice president of marketing and business development North America and EMEA for JustSystems, the largest ISV in Japan and a worldwide leader in XML and information management technologies. Learn more about JustSystems at www.justsystems.com, and contact Jake at jake.sorofman@justsystems.com.