Master Data Management

Gary Allemann – Rhodes University Graduate 1992

Masterdata provides enterprise data management solutions focussing on data governance, data quality, and master data management (MDM) and big data analytics. Our focus is to assist our clients to run their business more effectively by unlocking the value of their information asset. We do this through a combination of consulting and implementation, best of breed technology, and data management skills transfer through education and certification.

1. Where are you based? Johannesburg
2. When did you attend Rhodes? 1989 -1992
3. What degree did you complete? B Sc and B Sc (hons) in Computer science

Business Info

4. What is the name of the business you have chosen to showcase? Master Data Management
5. What products and/or services does this business offer? Masterdata provides enterprise data management solutions
6. How many years and months has this business been running for? Since 2004
7. What is your title? MD
8. What is the web address of the business? http://www.masterdata.co.za

Tell us about your business….

9. What motivated and inspired you to start your business?  When I was working with the Siebel CRM application we promised to deliver a “single view of the customer.” Poor data quality made this goal unattainable. The lesson was that poor data quality causes many critical business applications to fail to deliver the value. When we founded our business we were, to my knowledge,  the only focussed data quality and data governance business in the country.
10. Tell us about your business? We have been passionate about data since long before it was fashionable. New focus on the customer experience, legislation such as PoPI, and emerging technology trends such as big data analytics have shifted the focus on data from IT to the business. We have over ten years of experience in solving the data challenges necessary to get value from these drivers
11. What were the first steps you took to get your business up and running? I was able to negotiate a reseller agreement with the market leading vendor in a niche space (Harte Hanks Trillium Software  for Data Quality) where I saw value. That formed the base of our solution stack and we have added complementary offerings since then
12. What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business? We have a very niche focus so targeting specific communities on LinkedIn has been useful. However, you still have to get out there and meet with people.
13. What have been the biggest challenges so far with running your business? The South African business environment is not very friendly to small business.
14. How did you overcome these challenges? Simply put we have to be substantially better at what we do than our bigger competitors. We play in a niche space where there is not a lot of expertise – although there is a lot of competition. We have a solid track record and can rely on our existing clients for positive recommendations.

More about you…

15. What do you love about your business? I do a multitude of things – so it is a constant learning experience with a lot of variety.
16. What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs? Remember that it is a job. You have to be incredibly disciplined if you want to be successful.
Differentiate yourself with service excellence – it’s in short supply – and your existing customer relationships are your most important asset.
17. What is your business philosophy? Have fun, add value.
18. What did you enjoy most about your time at Rhodes? Rhodes had a real community spirit that I don’t believe the big universities can match. I made good friends – I am still in contact with a number of my class mates who have spread all over the world.

Short sentences to finish…

19. The bravest thing I have ever done is…Investing in the business during the recent recession
20. My greatest fear is…Fear itself. It is easy to allow myself to overwhelmed when things are going slowly.
21. If I could go back to when I was 20, I would tell myself….Patience is a virtue – you don’t change the world in a week or a month. But you can change the world if you give it time.
22. The biggest lesson I have ever learnt is…Don’t burn bridges
23. My favourite business tool or resource is…Linkedin
24. My favourite quote is…“I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep.”
From: [Og Mandino, ‘The Greatest Salesman in the World]