In most companies, supplier and item master data is entered and maintained in one or more ERP instances, procurement, maintenance, PLM, inventory, and other legacy systems. Consistency and synchronization among the various instances of the data are typically nonexistent as each system, location, and user group uses different data standards, naming conventions, and classification taxonomies. The problem grows exponentially over time as underlying systems and users change and evolve. Duplicate entries, incomplete records, and out-of-date information become all too commonplace. As a result, it is difficult or impossible to manage inventory effectively, compare alternate sources of supply , analyze spend, ensure Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, integrate new company acquisitions, and implement or upgrade ERP systems such as SAP and Oracle. It requires a coordinated effort to address handling this kind of scenario, which many companies are unprepared to handle on their own.
IMM Suite
The Item Master Management (IMM) Suite is core to all of PartsRiver's service offerings. It consists of the following proprietary PartsRiver components:
- Grader
- Taxonomy manager
- Reference DB manager
- Data classifier (VMRS codes, industry solutions)
- Collaborative workflow manager
- Data normalizer
- Ongoing data quality management services
- Supplier manager
- Knowledge transfer
Taxonomy Development Services
A taxonomy is a structured way to organize item master data. A well-defined taxonomy has several advantages: a subject matter expert always knows where to put a part; a buyer always knows where to find a part and has the ability to do a quick, detailed comparison of similar parts; and it is the most efficient search structure for the part. PartsRiver has deep taxonomy development expertise across various industries.
The PartsRiver Taxonomy Development Service builds client-specific taxonomy for data classification and search. We develop an optimum taxonomy based on reference industry taxonomies, sourcing data analyses to identify the key areas to which the products belong (e.g., electronics, furniture, computers, or office). We then decide which elements of the item master data are fields, category-specific attributes, or hierarchies. Finally, we provide a collaborative technology platform to enable SMEs, buyers, and data content experts to build and maintain a taxonomy on an ongoing basis.
Reference Database Development & Subscription Services
A well-defined reference database will significantly reduce the time and effort required for ongoing data quality management. PartsRiver routinely develops reference databases for clients. With this service, we develop an industry-specific reference database for data cleansing and subscription use, including the following data quality management components:
- Updates to pricing and dynamic pricing
- Cross-referencing of one-to-many and many-to-one
- Definition of business rules
Collaborative Data Quality Services
With PartsRiver's Collaborative Data Quality Services, clients receive what we call "End-to-End" data quality management services. We cover the following components of data quality management for clients with this service offering:
- Supplier / manufacturer rationalization / normalization
- Taxonomy adjustments
- Database configuration and organization
- Governance
- Database configuration and organization
- Relationships / cross-references, including supercedes, obsoletes
- Customer-specific business rules
- Primary reports
- Cleansed descriptions
Custom Solutions Development
Custom Custom Solutions configuration is conducted for clients who need to deploy, manage, and maintain very large data quality initiatives. PartsRiver functions as both the team lead and strategic advisor to clients requiring custom PartsRiver solutions, often deploying teams on-site to support client requirements for extended periods of time.
