What is consolidation process in Informatica MDM?

In Informatica MDM (Master Data Management), the consolidation process is a fundamental and crucial step in managing and maintaining master data. The consolidation process aims to identify and merge duplicate or redundant records within a master data domain, such as customer, product, or supplier data. This process is essential for ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and reliability across an organization's various systems and applications.

Here are the key aspects and steps involved in the consolidation process in Informatica MDM:

• Data Source Integration: The consolidation process begins with the integration of data from various source systems into the MDM hub. These source systems might have their own data structures and formats.

• Data Matching: Once data is integrated into the MDM hub, the system performs data matching to identify potential duplicate records. Data matching algorithms and rules are used to compare and evaluate data attributes to determine if records are similar enough to be considered duplicates.
• Data Survivorship Rules: Data survivorship rules are defined to specify which data values should be retained or prioritized during the consolidation process. These rules help determine which data elements from duplicate records should be merged into the final, consolidated record.
• Record Linking: The consolidation process creates links between duplicate or related records, essentially establishing relationships between them. This linkage allows the system to group similar records together for consolidation.
• Conflict Resolution: In cases where conflicting data exists between duplicate records, conflict resolution rules come into play. These rules specify how conflicts should be resolved. For example, a conflict resolution rule might prioritize data from a certain source system or use predefined business rules.
• Data Merge: Once the system identifies duplicate records, resolves conflicts, and determines the survivorship rules, it consolidates the data from duplicate records into a single, golden record. This golden record represents the best and most accurate version of the data.
• Data Enrichment: During consolidation, the system may also enrich the data by incorporating additional information or attributes from related records, ensuring that the consolidated record is as complete as possible.
• Data Validation: After consolidation, the data is subject to validation to ensure it adheres to data quality and business rules. This step helps maintain the integrity of the consolidated data.
• History and Audit Trail: It is essential to keep a history of consolidation activities and changes made to the data. An audit trail is maintained to track who made changes and when.
• Data Distribution: Once consolidation is complete, the cleansed and consolidated master data is made available for distribution to downstream systems and applications through the use of provisioning tools or integration processes.

The consolidation process is a continuous and iterative process in Informatica MDM because new data is constantly being added and existing data may change. Regularly scheduled consolidation activities help ensure that the master data remains accurate and up-to-date, providing a single source of truth for the organization's critical data.

By implementing a robust consolidation process, organizations can reduce data duplication, improve data quality, and enhance their ability to make informed decisions based on accurate and consistent master data.

 

Learn more about Informatica MDM consolidation process here