Executive Summary
Master data forms the foundational backbone of the SCOR model, enabling accurate planning, efficient execution, and reliable measurement across all supply chain processes. This analysis identifies 40+ critical master data elements and their specific roles across Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return, and Enable processes.
Master Data Criticality by SCOR Process
Master Data Distribution Across SCOR Processes
P
Plan Level 1
Demand/Supply Planning & Management
P1: Plan Supply Chain Level 2
đ Product Master
Product hierarchies, attributes, lifecycle status, planning characteristics (lead times, lot sizes, safety stock)
đĸ Customer Master
Customer hierarchies, demand patterns, segmentation, service level agreements, forecasting groups
đ Location/Site Master
Manufacturing sites, DCs, warehouse capacities, calendars, constraints, geographic data
đ BOM (Bill of Materials)
Product structure, component relationships, quantities, effectivity dates, alternates
đ¤ Supplier Master
Supplier capabilities, lead times, capacity constraints, reliability metrics, terms
đ Resource Master
Production lines, equipment capacity, labor resources, availability calendars, efficiency factors
P2: Plan Source Level 2
đĻ Material Master
Raw materials, packaging, consumables with procurement specifications, units of measure, storage requirements
đ Source Lists
Approved suppliers per material, priorities, quotas, valid date ranges, plant assignments
đ° Pricing Master
Contract prices, volume discounts, currency, payment terms, validity periods
đ¯ Vendor Master (Sourcing)
Vendor capabilities, certifications, quality ratings, delivery performance, risk profiles
P3: Plan Make Level 2
âī¸ Routing Master
Manufacturing sequences, operation steps, work centers, standard times, setup requirements
đ Work Center Master
Production resources, capacity, cost centers, scheduling parameters, availability
đ Production Version
Valid BOM/routing combinations, lot size ranges, validity dates, planning strategies
đ§ Equipment Master
Asset details, maintenance schedules, OEE metrics, technical specifications
P4: Plan Deliver Level 2
đ Logistics Master
Shipping points, loading groups, transportation zones, routes, carrier capabilities
đ Distribution Network
Plant-DC relationships, replenishment rules, transfer lead times, stock positioning
đ¤ Customer-Material Info
Customer-specific material numbers, packaging, labeling requirements, delivery schedules
P5: Plan Return Level 2
âŠī¸ Return Policies
Return authorization rules, inspection criteria, disposition codes, refund/credit policies
âģī¸ Reverse Logistics Network
Return centers, refurbishment sites, recycling partners, disposal facilities
S
Source Level 1
Procurement of Goods & Services
S1: Source Stocked Product Level 2
đ¤ Vendor Master (Transactional)
Payment terms, banking details, addresses, contact info, purchasing organization assignments
đĻ Material Master (Purchasing View)
Purchasing group, order unit, minimum order qty, GR processing time, valuation class
đ Info Records
Vendor-material relationships, prices, lead times, tolerances, quality data
â
Quality Master
Inspection specifications, sampling plans, quality agreements, certificates required
S2: Source Make-to-Order Product Level 2
đ¨ Configuration Master
Variant characteristics, dependencies, rules, pricing impacts
đ Supply Network
Vendor manufacturing capabilities, co-packers, toll manufacturers, capacity agreements
S3: Source Engineer-to-Order Product Level 2
đŦ Engineering Master
Design specifications, technical requirements, approval workflows, change management
đ Project Master
WBS structures, cost elements, resource assignments, milestones
M
Make Level 1
Manufacturing & Production Operations
M1: Make-to-Stock Level 2
đ BOM (Manufacturing)
Component lists, quantities, scrap factors, backflushing indicators, batch management
âī¸ Routing/Recipe
Production instructions, cycle times, quality checks, process parameters, yields
đ Product Master (Manufacturing View)
Batch management, shelf life, production scheduling profile, lot size rules
đ¯ Cost Center Master
Cost allocation, activity types, cost rates, responsible personnel
M2: Make-to-Order Level 2
đ¨ Variant Configuration
Super BOM, variant BOMs, configuration dependencies, pricing variants
đ¤ Customer-Specific Specs
Custom recipes, packaging requirements, labeling, quality specifications
M3: Engineer-to-Order Level 2
đ Engineering Change Master
ECO/ECN data, effectivity, approval status, impact analysis
đ§ Tooling Master
Custom tooling, fixtures, molds, maintenance requirements
D
Deliver Level 1
Order Management, Warehousing & Logistics
D1: Deliver Stocked Product Level 2
đĸ Customer Master (Sales View)
Sales organization, distribution channel, division, pricing procedures, payment terms, credit limits
đĻ Material Master (Sales View)
Sales unit, availability check, delivery plant, item category group, account assignment
đ° Pricing Master
Price lists, condition records, discounts, surcharges, promotions
đ Carrier Master
Transportation service providers, rates, transit times, service levels, tracking capabilities
đ Ship-to/Sold-to
Delivery addresses, unloading points, receiving hours, special instructions
đĻ Warehouse Master
Storage types, bins, picking strategies, putaway rules, storage sections
D2: Deliver Make-to-Order Product Level 2
đ¯ Customer-Material Master
Customer-specific material numbers, descriptions, packaging, delivery requirements
đˇī¸ Serialized Product Master
Serial number profiles, traceability requirements, warranty data
D3: Deliver Engineer-to-Order Product Level 2
đ Project Delivery Master
Delivery milestones, acceptance criteria, installation requirements
đ Service Master
Installation services, training, documentation, support agreements
R
Return Level 1
Reverse Logistics
D1-D3 & S1-S3: Return Processes Level 2
âŠī¸ Return Material Master
Return handling codes, disposition rules, inspection procedures, restocking policies
đ Refurbishment Master
Refurb BOMs, repair routings, cost structures, grading criteria
âģī¸ Recycling Partner Master
Recycling vendors, disposal methods, compliance certificates, material recovery rates
đ RMA Master
Return authorization templates, reason codes, credit/replacement rules
E
Enable Level 1
Supporting Processes
Cross-Process Master Data Level 2
đĸ Organization Master
Company codes, business areas, plants, storage locations, organizational hierarchies
đ° Financial Master
GL accounts, cost elements, profit centers, internal orders, valuation areas
đ UOM Master
Units of measure, conversion factors, ISO codes, base units
đ Geography Master
Countries, regions, postal codes, tax jurisdictions, shipping zones
đ Compliance Master
Regulatory requirements, certifications, hazmat classifications, restricted parties
đ¤ User/Role Master
User accounts, authorization profiles, organizational assignments, approval workflows
Master Data Impact Matrix
| Master Data Element | Primary SCOR Process | Criticality | Key Dependencies | Impact of Poor Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product/Material Master | All Processes | CRITICAL | BOM, Routing, Customer, Supplier, Pricing | Planning errors, wrong shipments, production delays, compliance failures |
| Customer Master | Plan, Deliver | CRITICAL | Pricing, Ship-to, Credit, Terms | Order errors, delivery failures, cash flow issues, customer dissatisfaction |
| Supplier/Vendor Master | Plan, Source | CRITICAL | Material, Info Records, Contracts | Procurement delays, quality issues, payment errors, compliance risks |
| BOM (Bill of Materials) | Plan, Make | CRITICAL | Material, Routing, Engineering | Wrong components, cost miscalculation, production stops, waste |
| Routing/Recipe | Plan, Make | HIGH | BOM, Work Center, Product | Inefficient production, quality defects, incorrect costing |
| Location/Site Master | Plan, All | HIGH | Organization, Capacity, Geography | Capacity planning errors, misallocated inventory, logistics failures |
| Pricing Master | Source, Deliver | HIGH | Customer, Material, Vendor | Revenue leakage, margin erosion, customer disputes |
| Work Center Master | Plan, Make | HIGH | Routing, Resource, Cost Center | Scheduling conflicts, cost inaccuracies, capacity mismatches |
| Warehouse Master | Deliver | HIGH | Location, Material, Customer | Picking errors, fulfillment delays, inventory inaccuracies |
| Carrier Master | Deliver | MEDIUM | Customer, Geography, Rates | Shipment delays, cost overruns, customer service failures |
| Quality Master | Source, Make | HIGH | Material, Vendor, Customer | Quality escapes, regulatory failures, customer complaints |
| Organization Master | Enable (All) | CRITICAL | All master data elements | System-wide failures, reporting errors, compliance violations |
Critical Insights for Business-Led Master Data Excellence
1. Master Data is the Foundation of SCOR Excellence
Every SCOR metric depends on accurate master data. Perfect Order Fulfillment Rate requires accurate customer, material, routing, and logistics data. Cash-to-Cash Cycle Time depends on supplier, payment terms, and inventory data. Without master data excellence, SCOR metrics become unreliable.
2. Product/Material Master: The Most Connected Element
The Product/Material Master touches every single SCOR process and has dependencies with 15+ other master data elements. This is why material master quality directly impacts end-to-end supply chain performance and why it must be owned cross-functionally, not just by IT.
3. Master Data Orchestration vs. Stewardship
Traditional "stewardship" treats master data as passive records to maintain. Business-led "orchestration" recognizes master data as active business rules that need continuous alignment with changing business strategies, customer requirements, and market conditions.
4. The Enable Process is Often Overlooked
Organization master, financial master, and compliance master in the Enable process are foundational dependencies for all other processes. Poor organizational hierarchies cascade into planning, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivery failures.
5. Cross-Process Dependencies Create Complexity
A single product change can trigger updates to: BOMs, routings, customer-material info, supplier source lists, pricing, quality specs, warehouse storage types, and compliance classifications. This is why manual MDM processes fail and why process orchestration is essential.
Level 3 Examples: Specific Task-Level Master Data
Example: P1.3 - Balance Supply Chain Resources with Supply Chain Requirements Level 3
Task-Specific Master Data Required:
- Capacity Master: Available capacity by resource, time period, and constraint type
- Demand Master: Forecast accuracy by product family, customer segment, and planning horizon
- Inventory Policy Master: Safety stock levels, reorder points, service level targets
- Supply Constraint Master: Raw material availability, supplier capacity limitations
- Production Calendar Master: Planned shutdowns, maintenance windows, holiday calendars
Example: M1.2 - Schedule Production Activities Level 3
Task-Specific Master Data Required:
- Production Scheduling Profile: Scheduling strategy, horizon, bucket size
- Setup Matrix: Changeover times between product variants
- Campaign Master: Production campaign rules, minimum run quantities
- Resource Availability: Labor shifts, equipment downtime, maintenance schedules
- Material Availability: Component availability dates, lead times, batch sizes
Example: D1.8 - Pick Product Level 3
Task-Specific Master Data Required:
- Storage Bin Master: Bin coordinates, pick sequence, capacity, accessibility
- Picking Strategy Master: FIFO/LIFO rules, batch picking, zone picking parameters
- Handling Unit Master: Pallet types, container specs, nesting rules
- Wave Rules Master: Wave release criteria, consolidation rules, cutoff times
- Labor Master: Picker productivity rates, zone assignments, equipment certifications