Context
Product data originated from multiple large external vendor catalogs and internally managed product sources, each with distinct identifiers, attributes, and data quality standards.
Problem
Teams could not reliably compare, substitute, or analyze products across vendors due to inconsistent identifiers and overlapping catalogs.
Constraints
Vendor-provided product data varied widely in completeness, structure, and naming conventions, limiting direct comparability.
Scope
Data architect responsible for defining a canonical product model and enabling cross-source alignment.
Strategy
Establish a vendor-agnostic product identity layer that decouples internal analysis and workflows from external catalog structures.
Architecture
Implemented a canonical product model with explicit separation between source-specific identifiers and internally governed product entities.
Impact
Enabled consistent product comparison, substitution, and analysis across previously incompatible vendor catalogs.
Effects
Pricing analysis, sourcing decisions, and bid preparation became repeatable and defensible across teams.
Artifacts
Key Insights
Canonical identifiers are an organizational alignment tool as much as a technical construct.