Master Data and Digital Thread Strategies: Which Comes First?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Master data and digital thread each play a critical role in effective strategies, but which one needs to come first, and why? Today Thom Singer and Craig Brown welcome back Digital Enterprise Society president and return podcast guest Adam Specht for a debate about the role and order of master data and the digital thread — which should come first, the benefits of each and where to start when establishing these strategies. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On today’s podcast, you will learn:</span></p> <p><strong>Defining master data and digital threads </strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Master data is the critical set of data that always stays with the product. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Critical information about a product is used to map its use and tie it to its function. </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Master data of a product lives beyond the current work. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Name and convention of a part needs to be established with clear definitions </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Digital thread refers to the product lifecycle from start to finish. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Digital thread is the connection and link between each step of a process. </span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Which comes first?</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Company size is a major factor when determining which comes first. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Defining company processes needs to be the preliminary step to determine the data that is consumed at each step of th