Data Data Everywhere

Funny thing happened on the way to the data....

There wasn't enough of it...

I know, a picture tells a thousand stories...And is worth a thousand words.. But take a peek at my profile picture. What does it tell you about me? Everything you need to know (certainly more than I want you to know :-) )???

Why no, it doesn't tell the whole story...It takes metadata to do that..

 It's the same way in SAP. There is a ton of data, yet it seems there isn't enough to really leverage the data, especially in ancillary applications (like graphical configurators)..So, idiot that I am, I started looking around in the wonderful world of SAP..

I'm sure your not surprised, I started in R3 (or ECC for those of you with updated systems)..Guess what I found?? A pretty good method for dealing with metadata exists in the current classification scheme. Problem is, it's very, very disjointed..You can't really build a coherent schema when you need to utilize 15 different class types... So, off I went to the savior of the world...MDM...

Guess what? Another classification system exists. No real relation to that found in the core system, but I suppose with enough customized programming, it would work.... Onward...

Into the dreaded BW environment...Hey, what's that??? A Metadata repository?? How cool!! But wait, this is in BW...After the fact!!! I want something that is master data in my operational system, not in the reporting system...Bummer..

So, where to go now?? Back to the barn in ECC and poke around some more??? Maybe delve a little earlier into the system and take a look at the CAD world??

What do you think? Do you have a need for metadata in your world? How do you source it??

Fire up the old comment machine and flame away!!! 

Steve