Master data: definition and role in PIM

In PIM practice, product master data includes identifiers, descriptive attributes, classifications and relationships. It differs from transactional data, such as orders and stock movements, and from reference data, such as code lists. Master data changes less often than transactions and is reused by many processes.

Illustrative example: a pump's item number, GTIN, dimensions and material are master data. The order of 20 pumps placed yesterday is transactional data. The list of allowed materials is reference data.

In a selection, buyers should agree which master data each system owns. ERP, MDM and PIM often hold overlapping product master data, and unclear ownership creates conflicting values. An attribute ownership map that names the creating system per attribute group prevents that overlap. The same map guides integration design, because it shows the direction in which each attribute group flows.