Data Management Concepts
Explaining Data Management Concepts
Build a single source of truth: master data, governance, integrity, integration, lineage, data dictionaries, and entity relationship models.
Data Management & the Single Source of Truth
Data management supports data quality and integrity by helping an organization establish trusted, consistent data. It is especially important in large organizations and regulated industries.
Master data management (MDM) uses tools and processes to create a trusted “golden record” for critical organizational data. MDM is part of the broader data governance effort.
Essential Terms
Tap each card to review the vocabulary that anchors this module.
Data Integrity Rules
Constraints protect accurate and consistent data. The module identifies four types of integrity rules.
MDM vs. Data Warehouse
Both improve data quality and work with multiple sources, but they serve different purposes and are designed to work together.
Master Data Management
Establishes the master record for business operations. It primarily manages relatively stable dimension data and sends trusted master data to other systems.
Data Warehouse
Stores dimension data governed by master data along with transactional data from source systems. MDM can pull from and update the warehouse.
Creating a Golden Record
MDM consolidates records from multiple systems and standardizes fields so the organization can rely on one trusted representation.
Management Processes & Documentation
Explore the supporting practices analysts use to understand, integrate, validate, and explain organizational data.
Data Models Explorer
Compare the three model levels and the role of entity relationship diagrams (ERDs).
Key Takeaways
Review these high-yield distinctions before the knowledge check.
MDM creates and maintains trusted master records; governance defines the rules; constraints protect integrity; dictionaries define the data; integration connects sources; lineage traces origins; ERDs show relationships.
Do not treat MDM and a data warehouse as the same thing. MDM governs trusted master/dimension data; the warehouse also contains transactional data and consumes the master data.
Knowledge Check
Check your understanding of the major data management concepts covered in this study map.