Single Source of Truth

A Customer Master Data Single Source of Truth (SSoT) is the practice of aggregating the customer master data from many systems within the organization to a single location.

An SSoT is often not necessarily a single system, a single tool, or even a data management strategy, but rather the statefulness of the customer master data for the execution of organizational objectives in relation to customer master data.

For something to serve as the single source of truth, the following traits should be present:

  • All data must be reliable and consistent
  • The data must be accessible to all who need it
  • The data must be updated promptly

With the concept of a SSoT business users and others within an organization know exactly where to go to get an authoritative view of the customer master.

“A single source of truth enforces the practice of collecting and aggregating data from all present systems within an organization into one centralized location.”

You might ask, “what are the direct benefits of a SSOT?

After all, I have my CDP, my CRM, my ERP, my DMP; why I might even have MDM already.

Why do I need something additional?

A single source of truth like a CMDM system helps in the following ways:

  • Reduced data entry errors and decision errors
  • A focus on data quality elevates your customer data quality
  • You provide real-time access to live customer data on demand
  • Decision-making is better supported from one customer data store
  • Processes can be streamlined and standardized from one place
  • Jobs are simplified, employees learn just one customer data way
  • One source of truth helps with meeting compliance obligations
  • One location for critical customer data reduces data loss vectors
  • Servicing Subject Access Requests you need only go to one place
  • You only need to manage customer data privacy in one place