Splitting and Merging Entities

Another way Master Data Management helps you control your data is by providing the flexibility of splitting and merging entities in the Relationship Analysis Client.

If your model contains an entity that performs multiple functions within that model, you could split that entity into two entities: one entity for one function, and a second entity for the other function. One way this feature might be useful is in an organizational chart. Most entities are employees of someone in an organizational chart, but some of those employees are also managers. If you needed to maintain the integrity and structure of an organizational chart containing someone who fulfills both roles, you could simply split that one entity into two separate entities. One entity would fall into the employee role, while the other would fall into the manager role. In addition to splitting one entity into two, you can also determine which properties and relationships are tied to each specific entity—all, some, or none. Or, you can tie properties and relationships to both entities; they don't have to be tied to one or the other.

If your model contains two entities that represent the same subject, you can merge them and their respective data together into one entity. Let's say that your organizational chart shows one entity performing accounts receivable and another entity performing accounts payable. Then, the person performing accounts payable resigns, and due to budget constraints you are not able to replace her. Instead, the person conducting accounts receivable will absorb her duties. In this case, you could merge those two entities together, keeping some of the properties of the accounts receivable employee (her name, possibly her title) and adding some of the properties of the accounts payable employee (her primary responsibilities, or possibly her manager).

The benefit is that you can tweak your data to account for changes without having to recreate your model.

For more information, see Splitting Entities and Merging Entities.