There are 6 components to the solution:

• Search
• New Item Entry
• Existing Item Modification
• Bulk Processing
• Quality Monitoring
• Data Output

Key Gatekeeper functionality can be made available as a set of web services, enabling you to integrate functionality (e.g. prevention of duplicates and structuring of descriptions) into a broader materials management solution, be that your ERP system, a purchasing workflow portal, or a broader MDM solution.

Search

One of the main reasons for duplicate entries in a material master, is the weak search capability of many ERP systems. Gatekeeper provides exceptional search capability, using both unstructured free text in multiple languages and structured searches for items with specific features. In many cases the item sought has already been entered as master data, perhaps at a different location, and Gatekeeper then allows the user to simply request a copy of the record for their local system, with no further authorisation.

New Item Entry

Gatekeeper is tightly integrated to Masterpiece, benefiting from all the same dictionary management workflows, automated descriptions, and multi-language capabilities. More generic MDM solutions do not provide this degree of detail, and are focused on keeping data consistent and linked, rather than what the data actually is. When a user enters a new item in Gatekeeper, they will be able to follow a simple wizard, ensuring that they use approved structures, and that no duplication is created in the master data.

If required, an approval step can be added, allowing a central authority to quality assure any new item, before it becomes available for loading.

Modifying Existing Items

Modifying existing items is a more difficult technical challenge than entering new items, but Gatekeeper has been designed to handle all the complexities behind the scenes and leave the user with a simple process.

There are many reasons for modifying existing records, such as:

• Missing data being populated
• Correction of data
• Updating of standards (abbreviations, classification systems, translations)

In each case, Gatekeeper will allow the user to suggest changes, and then provide a master data manager to verify and approve changes. The process can be avoided where only the user’s ERP data is affected by changes, but where changes affect several operating units, a central approval is recommended.

Bulk Processing

Maintaining a material master is not just about the occasional one-off request or amendment. New machines are purchased or transferred between factories requiring large parts lists to be created, and OEMs are continually amending their catalogues. You may wish to change to a new spend classification system, without the hassle of re-cleaning your entire catalogue, or add a new language for your descriptive data.

Gatekeeper provides functionality to manage the bulk upload of parts lists, and can also handle spare part supersessions and obsolescence, retaining the history of previous versions for better searching and reference. New classification systems and languages can be readily added and used to update all of your data without any significant re-working.

Quality Monitoring

It is recommended that once Gatekeeper is implemented, other methods of entering master material data are disabled. However, this is not always practical, and in such circumstances, we are able to provide monitoring reports based on feedback of ERP system data provided through sparesFinder’s PDU application. Such reports offer a method of policing data quality and are configurable for each customer according to their particular needs.

Data Output

Gatekeeper monitors approved changes or additions and is able to send data to inventory systems in a number of ways, including;

• Flat text files to agreed FTP sites – batch response suitable for mass uploads of data.
• Web Service XML responses – immediate response suitable for single line entry and updates.
• Other methods particular to the end ERP system, e.g. XI, SAP IDocs

The format, frequency and technical configuration of outputs is created for each customer according to the parameters that are agreed during implementation.