Setting up reference information
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To configure NSI, you need to perform the following steps:
form a group of specialists in normative and reference information;
assess the capabilities of full-time employees and whether there is a need to contact outside experts;
conduct an analysis of the primary nomenclature;
identify relevant positions in reference books that need to be accessed regularly, remove everything that the company can do without;
determine stock levels in warehouses, items in purchasing plans, recent entries in the system - all of this relates to current items;
obtain a final description of positions for normalization;
examine the internal business processes of the organization, what regulations, instructions, and system restrictions are used;
determine whether the existing system will be used to work with NSI or whether additional mechanisms need to be connected;
identify tasks that need to be solved for the current operation of the enterprise;
describe the methodology for working with a single reference book, form a classifier and a hierarchical structure of reference books;
normalize positions: this stage presents the greatest difficulties. First, it is necessary to identify all duplicate positions in the system, for which the repeated records are sequentially studied, compared and combined into one relevant object.
Ultimately, it is necessary to ensure that all current items in the directory correspond to the accepted methodology for maintaining the classifier, pre-configured templates. Then the structure of the directory is formed, which can include only product items or also master items, reference items, names without information about the manufacturer;
start optimizing the directory taking into account market standards, specify GOSTs, codes, classifiers necessary for the implementation of the enterprise's activities and the conclusion of agreements. The content of the positions is normalized based on general requirements that facilitate work with counterparties. When filling the directory, it is important to present the characteristics of the goods in accordance with market requirements, and in the absence of an approved standard, adhere to traditional designations.
The result of the work performed is an optimized database of normative and reference information, where all positions are unique and described uniformly. The ready-made NSI system is open for free use by personnel and makes it possible to establish cooperation with customers and suppliers.
After eliminating all the shortcomings, it is necessary to maintain the system of normative and reference information in an up-to-date state, adjust it depending on external and internal conditions, and legal requirements. Periodic updating of the NSI is the key to the successful operation of the enterprise.
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Frequently asked questions about regulatory reference information
The development of a unified system of reference information, for which there are uniform regulations and technical means at all levels, allows spending much less time and resources to obtain the information necessary for business.
What benefits does maintaining reference information provide to a business?
Using systems for working with reference information helps improve business processes. How does this manifest itself:
More efficient enterprise management through the unification of corporate directories and high data transfer speeds.
Reducing the costs of implementing new systems.
No costs for maintaining the relevance and reliability of data.
Creation of a unified information space for the organization.
Reducing the costs of creating consolidated reports.
Use of more relevant, complete, reliable and holistic NSI.
Provide easy control over data changes.
Implementation of new metrics for assessing the quality of information.
More efficient control of warehouse stock, reduction of unsold products and costs related to their storage.
Reducing debt by maintaining a common list of counterparties.
Freeing up resources for maintaining outdated reference books in different systems.
Improving the reliability of reporting data.
Unification of information in the corporate database.
Accelerated execution of business processes.
Possibility of personalized interaction with clients.
Merge duplicate records into one.
Much faster updating of product information across all systems.
The ability to manage information from different sources.
These benefits are achieved through the use of Master Data Management (MDM) mechanisms for managing reference information, the selection of which takes into account the nature of the business and the data handling policy.
What do the NSI service employees do?
To work in the NSI service, it is important to be able to exercise control over the management process and have a clear interest in achieving goals.
Employee responsibilities:
Maintenance of reference data directories based on user requests in accordance with regulatory and methodological documentation.
Implementation of control over the relevance and integrity of data.
Development of regulatory and methodological documents for the maintenance and support of NSI.
Consulting users and training them in working with data.
Monitoring data quality and generating reports on reference books.
Participation in the selection (or development) and testing of programs for managing NSI.
Much attention should be paid to the appointment of persons responsible for the contents of the reference book. They do not necessarily have to be members of the NSI service. As a rule, this role is performed by department heads who have to refer to the reference book especially often.