Digital Innovation and Transformation

Reference Data and Product Data Governance

Product catalogues, customer codes, units of measure and other reference data are used by every system in an organisation. When they are inconsistent, reports disagree, orders fail and automation breaks. This course shows how to govern reference and product data through ownership, standards, workflows and quality controls that keep shared data accurate across ERP, e-commerce and analytics platforms.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

Download course PDF

Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Poor shared data silently drains productivity and undermines digital projects. You will learn a practical governance model that business and IT teams can actually run.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Data profiling exercises, case studies from retail and manufacturing, governance design workshops and review of data quality dashboards.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Distinguish reference, master and transactional data
Define data ownership, stewardship and standards
Design workflows for creating and changing product data
Measure and improve data quality
Synchronise shared data across systems
Build a sustainable data governance operating model

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

Data governance and data management professionals
ERP and e-commerce managers
Product information and catalogue managers
Supply chain and procurement analysts
IT and business analysts

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Data stewardship
Data quality management
Process design
Cross-functional coordination
Governance design

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Why Shared Data Matters

09:00–10:08Types of data and their uses
10:08–11:00Cost of poor data quality
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Cost of poor data quality (continued)
11:45–12:53Common failure points
12:53–14:00Exercise: data issue inventory

Day 2Ownership and Standards

09:00–10:08Data owners and stewards
10:08–11:00Naming conventions and attribute standards
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Naming conventions and attribute standards (continued)
11:45–12:53Classification and hierarchies
12:53–14:00Workshop: product data standard

Day 3Data Lifecycle Workflows

09:00–10:08Create, change and retire processes
10:08–11:00Approval and validation rules
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Approval and validation rules (continued)
11:45–12:53Supplier and partner data onboarding
12:53–14:00Exercise: designing a change workflow

Day 4Data Quality

09:00–10:08Quality dimensions and rules
10:08–11:00Profiling and cleansing
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Profiling and cleansing (continued)
11:45–12:53Dashboards and scorecards
12:53–14:00Case study: catalogue clean-up

Day 5Sustaining Governance

09:00–10:08Operating model and councils
10:08–11:00Tools and platforms
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Tools and platforms (continued)
11:45–12:53Change management
12:53–14:00Governance roadmap

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

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