The key to a successful MDM initiative isn't technology or methods, it's people: the stakeholders in the organization and their complex ownership of the data that the initiative will affect. Master Data Management equips you with a deeply practical, business-focused way of thinking about MDM-an understanding that will greatly enhance your ability to communicate with stakeholders and win their support. Moreover, it will help you deserve their support: you'll master all the details involved in planning and executing an MDM project that leads to measurable improvements in business productivity and effectiveness. * Presents a comprehensive roadmap that you can adapt to any MDM project. * Emphasizes the critical goal of maintaining and improving data quality. * Provides guidelines for determining which data to "master." * Examines special issues relating to master data metadata. * Considers a range of MDM architectural styles. * Covers the synchronization of master data across the application infrastructure.