CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
18 May 2005
Product News
New Master Data Management Capabilities From SAP Accelerate Enterprise Adoption of Services-Oriented Architectures
SAP AG introduced new capabilities of SAP NetWeaverT in the area of master data management (MDM) that will help companies achieve master data consistency and accuracy across a set of heterogeneous systems and databases within and across enterprise boundaries. SAP NetWeaver MDM allows business applications to work from a common master data foundation, leading to superior business decisions based on clean, synchronized and integrated master data across the globe. SAP's latest Unicode-enabled SAP NetWeaver MDM solution is used by a growing number of companies as a key step on their way to evolve their IT infrastructures into Enterprise Services Architectures. It introduces capabilities that enable consolidation, aggregation and interactive distribution of rich information using a newly developed syndicator module that is tightly integrated with the messaging capabilities of SAP NetWeaver.
In addition, SAP has delivered on its promise of providing high-performance parametric search capabilities that reduce the time needed to locate records. The announcement was made at SAPPHIRE® '05, SAP's international customer conference being held in Boston, Massachusetts, May 17-19.
Whirlpool Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, has successfully deployed SAP NetWeaver MDM for global data synchronization (GDS) across and beyond technical and organizational boundaries. The deployment of GDS for synchronizing product item information with UCCnet is powered by the common SAP NetWeaver foundation. UCCnet is the global leader in building the foundation for clean, secure and fast electronic commerce and a provider of data pool services. Whirlpool is successfully collaborating with its distribution partners by publishing global trade item information (GTIN) utilizing the SAP UCCnet-certified GDS solution.
"SAP's comprehensive SAP NetWeaver MDM solution seamlessly integrates with our existing investments in solutions such as mySAPT ERP," said Dave Cosgrove, director for North American eBusiness, Whirlpool. "SAP NetWeaver MDM has enabled us to bring new products to market faster and significantly reduce the time spent maintaining trade partners and items. By improving processes such as collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment, it is helping us to reduce costs and to optimize our supply chain operations."
Global data synchronization is one manifestation of the complex problem of managing master data today. The inability to effectively deliver a consistent view of critical data indirectly affects many other business processes, from purchasing, marketing and sales to human resource management, new product development and introduction and inventory management. Point products only manage specific master data object types or data that does not reflect a deep understanding of the customer's business. SAP NetWeaver MDM is pre-loaded with best practices and embeds seamlessly into the customer's business processes while allowing customers to retain control and flexibility.
"SAP NetWeaver MDM is a key step in an organization's evolution toward Enterprise Services Architecture," said Peter Graf, executive vice president of Solution Marketing, SAP AG. "As business processes cross the boundaries of systems, departments and organizations, SAP NetWeaver MDM is the way to complete, clean and correct master data. As such, SAP NetWeaver paves the way to better business decisions, no matter which enterprise system or database you are leveraging. It is for exactly this reason that organizations are choosing SAP NetWeaver MDM to address the ubiquitous master data challenge today."
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