What Is Master Data?

Most software systems have lists of data that are shared and used by several of the applications that make up the system. For example, a typical ERP system as a minimum will have a Customer Master, an Item Master, and an Account Master. This master data is often one of the key assets of a company. It’s not unusual for a company to be acquired primarily for access to its Customer Master data.

In the current IT portfolio asset management project I am involved in, the master data are:

1) Hardware assets: these include data center machines, mainframe, mid-range, virtual machines, etc. Large corporations with many data centers have a need for a master data repository of these assets .

2) PC and peripheral assets, and the software installed on these assets.

3) Portfolio Applications. These are enterprise or departmental applications, such as an ERP, a CRM system, or a sales management system, a billing system. The server components of these applications are installed on server machines located a a data center.

4) Software installation and license or contract data

5) HR data