System of centrally managing core reference data associated with an enterprise

1. A system of centrally managing managed data of an enterprise, comprising:

an internal services framework tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and coupled with a centralized master repository, the internal services framework providing internal services that manages the managed data of an enterprise within the centralized master repository, one or more of the internal services directly accessing the managed data of the enterprise stored in the centralized master repository;

an infrastructure services layer tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and coupled with the centralized master repository, the infrastructure services layer providing bulk data transfers of the managed data of the enterprise between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems comprising one or more enterprise solution components, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows, the external operational systems permitted indirect access to the managed data of the enterprise stored in the centralized master repository, the infrastructure services layer further providing mapping between the centralized master repository and the one or more enterprise solution components of the one or more external operational systems, the mapping comprising transformations that remain reasonably fixed over time;

a database comprising a cached data area comprising cached data representing managed data of the enterprise extracted from a managed data area in response to a processing request from one or more internal services and re-inserted into the managed data area following processing from one or more internal services; and

wherein the managed data area stores the managed data of an enterprise as cached data in an intermediate state according to a manipulation process, the managed data of the enterprise is maintained as locked in its true state for read only access until completion of the manipulation process, outputting the intermediate state of the cached data related to the managed data of the enterprise to an entity of the enterprise,

wherein one or more of the enterprise-level business workflows is embedded within the system and is wholly or partially automated using an enterprise-level workflow engine tangibly embodied on a computer-readable storage media to wholly or partially automate one or more enterprise-level business processes.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising:

a logical process layer tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media providing a context for implementing and wholly or partially automating business configuration processes of the one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

a logical service layer tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and underlying the logical process layer, the logical service layer providing service functions enabling process tasks for the automated business configuration processes; and

a logical data layer tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and underlying the logical service layer, the logical data layer providing base data models and physical representations for storing the managed data of the enterprise for retrieval and use in connection with the business configuration processes and service functions.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the managed data of the enterprise stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute of a point in n-dimensional entity space.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:

the managed data of the enterprise comprises master data representing core configuration data of entities of the enterprise; and

a master for an entity is able to create, manipulate, navigate, view, and extract master data of the entity in a dimensional manner to support the one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure services layer further provides enterprise messaging between one or more of the internal services and the external operational systems according to operation of one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one automated enterprise-level business process comprises a new entity introduction process.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the automated new entity introduction process is an automated new item introduction process for a retail enterprise, the automated new item introduction process comprising adding data for the new item to the managed data area, validating the data for the new item, approving use of the new item, and publishing the new item as available for use by the external operational systems.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the new item is published as available for use by the external operational systems through replication for internal use by the external operational systems rather than for direct access to the new item within the centralized master repository by the external operational systems.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the automated new item introduction process comprises:

creating and storing within the centralized master repository one or more masters for the new item; and

the external operational systems receiving and recognizing the new item for merchandising, replenishment, and supply chain planning and execution operations.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more masters for the new item comprise an item master, an item-location master, and a vendor-item master.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the automated new item introduction process provides streamlined integration with external operational systems providing merchandising, replenishment, and supply chain planning and execution operations with respect to the new item.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the streamlined integration comprises one or more of:

data from a vendor quote of the new item is automatically filled in, rather than needing to be manually keyed in, to finalize a contract with respect to the new item;

a Universal Product Code (UPC) number is automatically created for the new item once the new item has been created rather than needing to be manually keyed in;

a retailer legacy system is automatically checked to verify that the UPC number for the new item is associated with a retailer product number rather than needing to be manually verified; and

a retailer product number for a new product is automatically filled in for creation of a product assortment incorporating the new item rather than needing to be manually keyed in.

13. A method of centrally managing managed data of an enterprise, comprising:

providing an internal services framework that is coupled with a centralized master repository and providing internal services to manage the managed data of an enterprise within the centralized master repository, one or more of the internal services directly accessing the managed data of the enterprise stored in the centralized master repository; and

providing an infrastructure services layer coupled with the centralized master repository and providing for bulk data transfers of the managed data of the enterprise between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems comprising one or more enterprise solution components, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows, the external operational systems permitted indirect access to the managed data of the enterprise stored in the centralized master repository, the infrastructure services layer further mapping between the centralized master repository and the one or more enterprise solution components of the one or more external operational systems, the mapping comprising transformations that remain reasonably fixed over time,

a database comprising a cached data area comprising cached data representing managed data of the enterprise extracted from a managed data area in response to a processing request from one or more internal services and re-inserted into the managed data area following processing from one or more internal services; and

wherein the managed data area stores the managed data of an enterprise as cached data in an intermediate state according to a manipulation process, the managed data of the enterprise is maintained as locked in its true state for read only access until completion of the manipulation process, outputting the intermediate state of the cached data related to the managed data of the enterprise to an entity of the enterprise,

wherein one or more of the enterprise-level business workflows is embedded within the system and is wholly or partially automated using an enterprise-level workflow engine to wholly or partially automate one or more enterprise-level business processes.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

a logical process layer providing a context for implementing and wholly or partially automating business configuration processes of the one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

a logical service layer underlying the logical process layer providing service functions enabling process tasks for the automated business configuration processes; and

a logical data layer underlying the logical service layer providing base data models and physical representations for storing the the managed data of the enterprise for reference data for retrieval and use in connection with the business configuration processes and service functions.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the managed data of the enterprise stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute of a point in n-dimensional entity space.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the managed data of the enterprise comprises master data representing core configuration data of entities of the enterprise; and

a master for an entity is able to create, manipulate, navigate, view, and extract master data of the entity in a dimensional manner to support the one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the infrastructure services layer further provides enterprise messaging between one or more of the internal services and the external operational systems according to operation of one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein one automated enterprise-level business process comprises a new entity introduction process.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the automated new entity introduction process is an automated new item introduction process for a retail enterprise, the automated new item introduction process comprising adding new data for the new item to the centralized master repository, validating the new data for the new item, approving use of the new item, and publishing the new item as available for use by the external operational systems.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the new item is published as available for use by the external operational systems through replication for internal use by the external operational systems rather than for direct access to the new item within the centralized master repository by the external operational systems.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the automated new item introduction process comprises:

creating and storing within the centralized master repository one or more masters for the new item; and

the external operational systems receiving and recognizing the new item for merchandising, replenishment, and supply chain planning and execution operations.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the one or more masters for the new item comprise an item master, an item-location master, and a vendor-item master.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the automated new item introduction process provides streamlined integration with external operational systems providing merchandising, replenishment, and supply chain planning and execution operations with respect to the new item.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the streamlined integration comprises one or more of:

data from a vendor quote of the new item is automatically filled in, rather than needing to be manually keyed in, to finalize a contract with respect to the new item;

a Universal Product Code (UPC) number is automatically created for the new item once the new item has been created rather than needing to be manually keyed in;

a retailer legacy system is automatically checked to verify that the UPC number for the new item is associated with a retailer product number rather than needing to be manually verified; and

a retailer product number for a new product is automatically filled in for creation of a product assortment incorporating the new item rather than needing to be manually keyed in.

25. A non-transitory computer readable media embodied with software that centrally manages managed data of an enterprise, the software when executed using a computer system is configured to:

provide an internal services framework coupled with a centralized master repository and provide internal services to manage the managed data of the enterprise within the centralized master repository, one or more of the internal services direcly accessing the managed data of the enterprise stored in the centralized master repository;

provide an infrastructure services layer coupled with the centralized master repository and provide bulk data transfers of the managed data of the enterprise between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems comprising one or more enterprise solution components, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows, the external operational systems permitted indirect access to the managed data of the enterprise stored in the centralized master repository, provide the infrastructure services layer mapping between the centralized master repository and the one or more enterprise solution components of the one or more external operational systems, the mapping comprising transformations that remain reasonably fixed over time,

provide a database comprising a cached data area comprising cached data representing managed data of the enterprise extracted from a managed data area in response to a processing request from one or more internal services and re-inserted into the managed data area following processing from one or more internal services; and

wherein the managed data area stores the managed data of an enterprise as cached data in an intermediate state according to a manipulation process, the managed data of the enterprise is maintained as locked in its true state for read only access until completion of the manipulation process, outputting the intermediate state of the cached data related to the managed data of the enterprise to an entity of the enterprise,

wherein one or more of the enterprise-level business workflows is embedded within the software and is wholly or partially automated using an enterprise-level workflow engine to wholly or partially automate one or more enterprise-level business processes.

26. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 25 , wherein the software is further configured to provide:

a logical process layer providing a context for implementing and wholly or partially automating business configuration processes of the one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

a logical service layer underlying the logical process layer providing service functions enabling process tasks for the automated business configuration processes; and

a logical data layer underlying the logical service layer providing base data models and physical representations for storing the managed data of the enterprise for retrieval and use in connection with the business configuration processes and service functions.

27. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 25 , wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the managed data of the enterprise stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute of a point in n-dimensional entity space.

28. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 27 , wherein:

the managed data of the enterprise comprises master data representing core configuration data of entities of the enterprise; and

a master for an entity is able to create, manipulate, navigate, view, and extract master data of the entity in a dimensional manner to support the one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

29. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 25 , wherein the infrastructure services layer further provides enterprise messaging between one or more of the internal services and the external operational systems according to operation of one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

30. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 25 , wherein one automated enterprise-level business process comprises a new entity introduction process.

31. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 30 , wherein the automated new entity introduction process is an automated new item introduction process for a retail enterprise, the automated new item introduction process comprising adding new data for the new item to the centralized master repository, validating the new data for the new item, approving use of the new item, and publishing the new item as available for use by the external operational systems.

32. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 31 , wherein the new item is published as available for use by the external operational systems through replication for internal use by the external operational systems rather than for direct access to the new item within the centralized master repository by the external operational systems.

33. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 31 , wherein the automated new item introduction process comprises:

creating and storing within the centralized master repository one or more masters for the new item; and

the external operational systems receiving and recognizing the new item for merchandising, replenishment, and supply chain planning and execution operations.

34. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 33 , wherein the one or more masters for the new item comprise an item master, an item-location master, and a vendor-item master.

35. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 31 , wherein the automated new item introduction process provides streamlined integration with external operational systems providing merchandising, replenishment, and supply chain planning and execution operations with respect to the new item.

36. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 35 , wherein the streamlined integration comprises one or more of:

data from a vendor quote of the new item is automatically filled in, rather than needing to be manually keyed in, to finalize a contract with respect to the new item;

a Universal Product Code (UPC) number is automatically created for the new item once the new item has been created rather than needing to be manually keyed in;

a retailer legacy system is automatically checked to verify that the UPC number for the new item is associated with a retailer product number rather than needing to be manually verified; and

a retailer product number for a new product is automatically filled in for creation of a product assortment incorporating the new item rather than needing to be manually keyed in.