It’s a fast-paced world in which the automotive industry operates – amid ever-evolving technology, shifting trends and expanding markets. With torrents of data from multiple streams shaping the business environment, embracing digital transformation has become crucial for success. The journey of a leading force in the US automotive landscape, whom we’ll refer to as [The Company] in this article, offers interesting insight into how strategic data management changes the game. Read on to get an idea of the challenges The Company had been facing, our approach to tackling them, and how it transformed The Company’s business horizon.


Strategic data management can transform the outlook for automotive companies worldwide

The challenge: navigating a data maze

The Company, one of the biggest names in North America’s automotive sector, was seeking to leverage their vast amounts of data effectively. A challenging task, given that they owned hundreds of distribution centers, retail centers, delivery trucks and a global customer base. The complexities of managing data spread across multiple systems posed a significant hurdle in their pursuit of efficiency, cost reduction, and expansion into new markets. A unified approach to data management was the need of the hour.


Let’s explore how a sound data management strategy, powered by the Precisely EnterWorks Master Data Management (MDM) solution and Snowflake, a cloud data warehouse, reshaped their operations.


Within a large industry, how can we leverage the sheer volume of data effectively?

The master plan: a comprehensive, Multi-domain MDM strategy

The Company realized the interconnection of data entities in an enterprise, early on in their journey. Implementing a Multi-domain Master Data Management solution seemed like the way to go (we’ve explored the concept in a previous write-up on what Multi-domain MDM is).


Enter the Precisely EnterWorks platform – an MDM solution implemented across multiple domains such as Product, Customer, and Vendor data. It seemed like the perfect fit, paired with Snowflake to create a single source of truth for The Company’s master data.


Backed by extensive experience implementing MDM solutions, the team at IntelliTide succeeded in creating a golden record for The Company’s master data. With more than 200 million Master Data Fields integrated, and plans to expand further into domains like Party, Asset, and Location, this approach paved the way for operations to be streamlined like never before.


In the case study discussed here, The Company implemented a co-existence style, ensuring seamless integration of new products into the ERP, and syndicating them to MDM for the creation of a golden record. This golden record, enriched and meeting predefined data quality thresholds, was then synchronized back with the ERP and Ecommerce platforms. The use of API and middleware Kafka microservices facilitated real-time data flow and maintained data quality standards.


Outgoing messages from MDM were strategically sent to various destinations, including ERP and Snowflake. Product, Customer, and Vendor records were exported and synchronized, ensuring a well-coordinated flow of data throughout the enterprise. (Related: Explore the MDM-led evolution story of a global food supplier on overcoming the challenges of multi-channel syndication in this talk session)

The Multi-domain MDM flow within this case study

Driving towards a connected, cohesive future

The Company’s vision of becoming the most connected and insightful automotive solutions provider is well underway. The EnterWorks MDM solution, coupled with Snowflake, forms the backbone of their digital transformation. By creating a high-quality data warehouse for various streams of master data, they’ve enabled seamless collaboration between their technologists and business SMEs. This collaboration, bolstered by Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, generates valuable insights that enhance the overall experience for their customers as well as suppliers.


In conclusion, the integration of cutting-edge technologies like AI, analytics, and cloud enablement, paired with robust data management solutions, has propelled The Company towards a future where efficiency, connectivity, and innovation converge.


A Multi-domain MDM strategy can help automotive companies become more efficient going forward

To delve into this industry case study in all its detail, download the complete case study.