System of centrally managing core reference data associated with an enterprise

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

an infrastructure services layer tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media and coupled with a centralized master repository, the infrastructure services layer providing messaging between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems, the external operational systems permitted indirect access to managed data of the retail enterprise stored in the centralized master repository, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

a database comprising a cached data area comprising cached data representing reference data of the retail 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;

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

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 a new entity introduction process.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the automated new item introduction process comprises adding data for a 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.

3. The system of claim 1 , further 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.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

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.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

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 retail enterprise for retrieval and use in connection with the business configuration processes and service functions.

6. 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.

7. A computer-implemented method of centrally managing managed data of a retail enterprise, comprising:

providing an infrastructure services layer coupled with a centralized master repository and providing messaging between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems, the external operational systems permitted indirect access to managed data of the retail enterprise stored in the centralized master repository, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

providing a database comprising a cached data area comprising cached data representing managed data of the retail 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;

storing the managed data of the retail enterprise as cached data in the managed data area in an intermediate state according to a manipulation process;

maintaining the managed data of the retail enterprise as locked in its true state for read only access until completion of a manipulation process; and

automating, wholly or partially a new item introduction process using an enterprise-level workflow engine to wholly or partially automate at least one of the one or more enterprise-level workflows.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the new item introduction process comprises adding data for a 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.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

providing 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.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

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

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

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

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , 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.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

providing outbound data sourced from the centralized master repository to one or more data targets; and

transferring the outbound data to one or more outbound staging tables of a coupled outbound staging area before providing the outbound data to the one or more data targets.

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

provide an infrastructure services layer coupled with a centralized master repository and providing messaging between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems, the external operational systems permitted indirect access to managed data of the retail enterprise stored in the centralized master repository, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

provide a database comprising a cached data area comprising cached data representing managed data of the retail 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;

store the managed data of the retail enterprise as cached data in the managed data area in an intermediate state according to a manipulation process;

maintain the managed data of the retail enterprise as locked in its true state for read only access until completion of a manipulation process; and

automate, wholly or partially a new item introduction process using an enterprise-level workflow engine to wholly or partially automate at least one of the one or more enterprise-level workflows.

15. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the new item introduction process comprises adding data for a 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.

16. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , 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.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the software is further configured to:

provide a logical service layer underlying the logical process layer, the logical service layer providing service functions enabling process tasks for the automated business configuration processes.

18. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the software is further configured to:

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

19. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , 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.

20. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the software is further configured to:

provide outbound data sourced from the centralized master repository to one or more data targets; and

transfer the outbound data to one or more outbound staging tables of a coupled outbound staging area before providing the outbound data to the one or more data targets.