Enterprise Master Data
Definition
Enterprise master data is the identified authoritative data about a business ‘thing’ that is required to be shared
across the university to support the daily operational and strategic activities of the University. The classification and
description of master data identifies the authoritative source of truth and supports the appropriate sharing across
the organisation.
Strategic Objectives
 Single enterprise view of shared data
 Authoritative source of truth for shared data
 Support a reliable, flexible and scalable delivery of data to meet business needs
 Support ‘one university’ view
 Support for a knowledge based organisation
Purpose
 To provide the University with a catalogue of the core business data within the organization, including
description and the identified authoritative source of truth.
 Provide visibility to core business data sets from a broader enterprise view, to support sharing and ‘one
university’ view.
 Facilitate the ability to share authoritative data across the organization.
 Assist CSU Organisational Units and Staff in identifying and obtaining the correct data required to support
strategic and operational activities.
Other Related Terms
Enterprise Master Data Domain
An enterprise master data domain describes an area of activity within the organisation that contains related
business processes, eg. Student Administration Domain. Enterprise master data is classified as belonging or
primary to a particular enterprise master data domain to assist understanding and context of data.
Enterprise Master Data Catalogue
A detailed description of enterprise master data to support the ability to accurately select and access required
data. Also referred to as Enterprise Master Data Definitions.
Data Custodian
Each master data attribute has a trustee accountable for data quality, availability and security according to
relevant University business requirements, policy and legislative compliance. A more detailed description of the
responsibilities of a Data Custodian and data governance is currently under review, with a reference link
available soon.
Master Data Repository (MDR)
This is a database that stores a copy of master data for the primary purpose of supporting business continuity
and integration with legacy applications (older technologies). The available data is described in the Master Data
Catalogue. The database is populated with data extracted from applications that are the authoritative source
for master data.
WebMethods
Also known as middleware, this is the software that provides the ability to share master data between
applications. It provides a number of ways data can be shared, as described within the IT Integration Standard.
Available Enterprise Master Data
CSU Staff can access the Enterprise Master Data Catalogue, currently located on S drive - MD_Definition_Library.htm
There is an ongoing effort to identify and expand the master data set in alignment with the University’s strategic and
operational goals. As a result, over time updated versions of the Enterprise Master Data Catalogue entries are
released.
Accessing Enterprise Master Data
The Enterprise Master Data Catalogue is readily available to inform discussions on initiatives or improvements,
identifying required data, supporting approval requests to use and the setup of system access. The approval and set
up of system access to master data, this is managed through the relevant University change management processes.
Benefits
The ultimate goal of enterprise architecture is in maximizing the capabilities of the organization as a whole.
Enterprise master data supports this goal by extending the capability to share data across the enterprise and realize
the benefits of:
 Improved visibility to the core business data sets
 managed and sustainable access to authoritative (master) data
 less data recreation, duplication and redundancy
 maximising the investment returns in data management, through reuse and availability
 improved data integrity
 efficiency gains in the maintenance of data
More Information
For further information or clarification on enterprise master data at CSU please contact the Enterprise Architect
(Information).