Master data quality

• US 7,272,776 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kalthoff, Wolfgang, Rohloff, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): CHASE, SHELLY A
• Application Number:
  US10/747,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 714/811, 714/769
• US Class Current: 714/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors

Abstract

A method of enhancing the quality of data stored in a system includes receiving data from a first data enterer, accepting data received from the first data enterer into the system if the data are entered in a format compliant with a first set of rules, receiving first additional data from a second data enterer, the first additional data being related to the data received from the first data enterer, and accepting first additional data received from the second data enterer into the system if the data are entered in a format compliant with a second set of rules.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing quality of data stored in a system, the method comprising:

receiving data from a first data enterer;

accepting data received from the first data enterer into the system if the data are entered in a format compliant with a first set of rules;

receiving first additional data from a second data enterer, the first additional data being related to the data received from the first data enterer;

accepting first additional data received from the second data enterer into the system if the data is entered in a format compliant with a second set of rules;

comparing data accepted into the system with a third set of rules;

detecting an inconsistency in data accepted into the system with a rule from the third set of rules;

dispatching a report of the inconsistency to an error corrector; and

receiving corrected data from the error corrector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, to comply with the second set of rules, the data must also comply with the first set of rules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, to comply with the third set of rules, the data must also comply with the second set of rules.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing the data received from the first and second data enterers and entered into the system, the releasing being performed before the corrected data is received from the error corrector.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring that the inconsistency be corrected by the error corrector within a particular timeframe.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising reminding the error corrector to correct the data before the end of the timeframe.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dispatching a particular error to a particular error corrector for correction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring a load of errors assigned to an error corrector; and

dispatching an additional report of inconsistency to another error corrector when the load of errors assigned to the error corrector exceeds a threshold load.

9. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine readable medium, for enhancing a quality of data stored in a system, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

receive data from a first data enterer;

accept data received from the first data enterer into the system if the data are entered in a format compliant with a first set of rules;

receive first additional data from a second data enterer, the first additional data being related to the data received from the first data enterer;

accept first additional data received from the second data enterer into the system if the data is entered in a format compliant with a second set of rules;

compare data accepted into the system with a third set of rules;

detect an inconsistency in data accepted into the system with a rule from the third set of rules;

dispatch a report of the inconsistency to an error corrector; and

receive corrected data from the error corrector.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein, to comply with the second set of rules, the data must also comply with the first set of rules.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein, to comply with the third set of rules, the data must also comply with the second set of rules.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions for causing a processor to release the data received from the first and second data enterers and entered into the system, the releasing being performed before the corrected data is received from the error corrector.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions for causing a processor to require that the inconsistency be corrected by the error corrector within a particular timeframe.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions for causing a processor to remind the error corrector to correct the data before the end of the timeframe.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions for causing a processor to dispatch a particular error to a particular error corrector for correction.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions for causing a processor to:

monitor a load of errors assigned to an error corrector; and

dispatch an additional report of inconsistency to another error corrector when the load of errors assigned to the error corrector exceeds a threshold load.

17. A system for enhancing a quality of data stored in a system, the system comprising:

a data storage system;

a controller communicably coupled to the data storage system, the controller configured to;

receive data from first data entry device;

accept the data received from the first data entry device for storage in the data storage system if the data is entered in a format compliant with a first set of rules;

receive first additional data from a second data entry device, the first additional data being related to the data recieved from the first data enterer;

accept first additional data recieved from the second data entry device for storage in the data storage system if the data are entered in a format compliant with a second set of rules;

compare the accepted data with a third set of rules;

detect an inconsistency in data stored in the data storage system with a rule from the third set of rules;

dispatch a report of the inconsistency to an error corrector; and

receive corrected data from the error corrector.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising one or more networks coupled to the data storage system and to the controller.