How a Global Climate Control Leader Transformed Material Master Data Management
From unsupported InfoPath forms and manual processes to automated, workflow-driven master data governance serving 200+ stakeholders worldwide.
The Challenge
This world leader in climate control solutions operates an extensive global footprint including multiple design and engineering centers, manufacturing plants, warehouses, a retail channel, and a growing B2B customer channel across North America, Canada, Mexico, and Asia-Pacific. Their diverse business model requires continuous introduction of many different types of parts — Finished Goods, Service Materials, spare parts, and Raw Materials.
Key Pain Points
- Unsupported InfoPath forms for material requests required manual coordination for approvals across different material types
- Manual approach for creating master data in SAP and extending it to different plants and organizational levels
- Persistent master data errors due to lack of validation and governance in the process
- Long cycle times with many requests never getting completed at all
- Large dedicated team in IT manually supporting master data related activities
- No standardized process across different material types creating inconsistency and confusion
Outdated Request Tools
InfoPath forms were no longer supported, difficult to use, and couldn't integrate with backend systems for automated data creation.
Manual Data Entry
Every material master record required manual creation in SAP ECC and extension to each plant and organizational level — time-consuming and error-prone.
No Built-In Governance
Without validation rules and error-proofing, data quality issues persisted and multiplied across the enterprise systems.
The Solution
The company implemented ZMDM to modernize their material master data management with a comprehensive solution spanning NPI Materials Request, Finished Goods, Service Materials, and Raw Materials. The solution connected cross-functional teams from Sourcing, Purchasing, Finance, Inventory Management, Customer Service, Sales, and Master Data Management.
What We Designed
- Separate optimized workflows for each material type (Finished Goods, Service Materials, Raw Materials, NPI) based on unique business process requirements
- Simple and intuitive request forms replacing outdated InfoPath with modern web-based interfaces
- Automated master data creation in both SAP ECC and TIBCO EBX upon workflow completion
- Built-in governance, validations, and error-proofing throughout the entire process
- Cross-functional approval workflows matching each material type's business requirements
What We Deployed
- Integration with SAP ECC for automatic material master creation and plant extensions
- Integration with TIBCO EBX for synchronized master data across the enterprise
- Custom Oracle DB application connectivity for legacy system support
- Role-based workflows for 200+ stakeholders across all global regions
- Real-time validation and error-proofing preventing bad data at the source
"Given the difference in business processes, we found it more effective and flexible to have different workflows for different material types. ZMDM gave us that flexibility while maintaining governance across all of them."
Material Type-Specific Workflows
Recognizing that different material types have different business processes and stakeholder requirements, ZMDM enabled the company to implement purpose-built workflows for each category while maintaining consistent governance and automated system updates.
Finished Goods
Complete product masters with sales, planning, and distribution data
Service Materials
Spare parts and service components for aftermarket support
Raw Materials
Procurement and inventory master data for manufacturing inputs
NPI Materials
New product introduction materials with engineering and design data
One Platform, Multiple Workflows
Different material types have different business processes. ZMDM provides the flexibility to match each workflow to its unique requirements while ensuring consistent governance.
The Results
The transformation from manual, form-based processes to automated, workflow-driven master data management delivered immediate and measurable improvements across the organization.
Before ZMDM
- Hard to use InfoPath forms and manual coordination
- Master data created manually — time-consuming and expensive
- No master data governance in the process
- Dedicated and large master data team in IT department
- Long cycle times and incomplete requests
After ZMDM
- Simple and intuitive forms with workflow-based coordination
- Automated creation in SAP and TIBCO EBX — zero cost, instantaneous
- Governance, validations, and error-proofing built into process
- Smaller MDM team embedded in business operations
- 100% request completion with faster cycle times
Quantified Business Impact
- Eliminated manual data entry in SAP ECC with automated material master creation
- Synchronized master data across SAP ECC and TIBCO EBX in real-time
- 200+ global stakeholders now working in unified, governed workflows
- Reduced MDM team size by shifting from IT-centric to business-embedded operations
- 100% request completion rate — no more incomplete or abandoned requests
- Built-in validation eliminated master data errors at the source
- Material type-specific workflows matching actual business process requirements
Key Success Factors
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Implementation Details
The implementation connected multiple enterprise systems and stakeholder groups, with ZMDM serving as the unified workflow and governance layer for all material master data processes.
Scope
- NPI Materials Request workflows
- Finished Goods master data
- Service Materials management
- Raw Materials procurement data
- Plant and org-level extensions
Systems Integrated
- SAP ECC (material master)
- TIBCO EBX (enterprise MDM)
- Custom Oracle DB application
- Legacy InfoPath replacement
- Multi-plant SAP extensions
Cross-Functional Teams
- Sourcing
- Purchasing
- Finance
- Inventory Management
- Customer Service
- Sales
- Master Data Management