Contents
Overview 1
Lesson: Introduction to Master Content
Sources 2
Lesson: Selecting a Master Content Source
Design 9
Lesson: Establishing a Data Migration
Process 16
Review 25
Lab A: Organizing Product Information 27

Module 3: Organizing
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To teach this module, you need Microsoft
®
PowerPoint
®
file 2420A_03.ppt.
To prepare for this module:
!
Read all of the materials for this module.
!
Complete the practices and lab.

Presentation:
90 minutes

Lab:
45 minutes
Required materials
Preparation tasks
iv Module 3: Organizing Product Information How to Teach This Module
This section contains information that will help you teach this module.
Lesson: Introduction to Master Content Sources
This lesson introduces the concept of a master content source as a single
electronic repository for product information. Explain to students the benefits of
using a master content source, and how it enables the design and creation of
custom electronic catalogs for trading partners. Ensure that students understand
that the primary purpose of a master content source is to create catalogs.

Guidelines for Including
Information in a Master
Content Source
Practice
Types of Storage
Methods
Considerations for
Managing a Master
Content Source
Summary: Organizing
Content
Module 3: Organizing Product Information v Lab: Organizing Product Information
In this design lab, students study how Adventure Works maintains product
information and creates catalogs for trading partners. Students answer design
questions about the creation of a master content source and the migration of
product data to it.
If students consider Microsoft Excel to be a requirement in the scenario, remind
them that, if possible, the sales team wants to continue using only Excel
because the team is already trained and familiar with the product. However,
because of the security requirements of the project, Excel may not be a viable
option. Students should include training on the new method of updating product
information in their overall design.
The design lab is scheduled for 45 minutes. Divide students into pairs or small
teams, and ask them to spend 20 minutes reading and discussing the scenario.
Then, have each pair or team present its answers to the class.
Although the lab scenario provides a clear path to certain design decisions, it
contains enough ambiguity to encourage student discussion and debate.

Content
Source
Master
Master
Content
Content
Source
Source
Product
Information
Product
Information

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ILLEGAL FOR NON
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Your organization maintains content that describes your products. Content
includes product attributes that help describe a product, such as color,
dimension, and price. These attributes are often useful to a trading partner.
You use electronic catalogs to list products and their descriptions for trading
partners. Because trading partners often have different needs and require
catalogs in different formats, it may be necessary to create a separate catalog for
each trading partner. To simplify the process of creating and maintaining
multiple catalogs, you can collect your product information in a single location,
called a master content source, and then use this single source as a staging area
for catalog creation.
Before you create a master content source, collect the product information that
you use in your catalogs from the various locations where the information

!
Guidelines for Including Information in a Master
Content Source
!
Practice: Choosing Information to Include in a Master
Content Source

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Catalogs include products and their descriptions. Because product information
often exists in several locations, creating an electronic catalog can be difficult.
Also, not all trading partners require or want the same type of information. You
can use a master content source to create a custom catalog for each of your
trading partners from the same central data source.
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
!
Identify the locations of content.
!
Describe a master content source.
!
Explain the reasons to use a master content source.
!
Determine the types of information to include in a master content source.

Introduction
Lesson ob
jectives

For each product that you offer in a catalog, you must locate all of the
information that describes it. For example, your main office may update
product description and sales information, which your regional office uses. But
your regional office may maintain specific production information that only
your trading partners in that region require.
Even within a single geographic location, separate databases or business
systems may store information about a product. For example, a Material
Resource Planning (MRP) system may contain ordering information, but an
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system may contain the pricing data.
It is possible that you also store information in one or more electronic formats,
such as:
!
Catalogs distributed on electronic media. Examples include compact discs,
digital video discs, and tapes.
!
Flat files. Examples include Microsoft Word XP documents, Microsoft
Excel XP spreadsheets, and comma-separated value (CSV) files.
!
Electronic databases. Examples include Microsoft Access 2000 and
SQL Server 2000.

Your organization may also store information in nonelectronic or nontraditional
formats, such as paper catalogs, or in more informal places, such as paper
newsletters, electronic mail archives, or the memories of individuals.

Introduction
Identify content
locations
Identify content formats
Identify nonelectronic

1
1
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2.5
9.0
9.0
139.99
139.99
M-990+
M-990+
23656
23656
1
1
2.5
2.5
9.0
9.0
139.99
139.99
M-998
M-998
23657
23657
1
1
2.75
2.75
8.5
8.5

1
1
1.9
1.9
6.0
6.0
179.99
179.99
N-900
N-900
23661
23661
2
2
2.0
2.0
5.5
5.5
Master Content Source
Existing Product Information
Existing Product Information
Existing Product Information

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Creating a master content source can solve problems that are associated with
the maintenance of product information in many locations.

Use a master content source to:
"
Enable the design of customized catalogs
"
Enable the rapid creation of catalogs
"
Ensure consistent attribute values
price
price
model
model
SKU
SKU
warranty
warranty
weight
weight
height
height
139.99
139.99
M-990
M-990
23654
23654
1
1
2.5
2.5
9.0

23658
2
2
1.8
1.8
6.0
6.0
169.99
169.99
N-880
N-880
23659
23659
1
1
1.8
1.8
6.0
6.0
169.99
169.99
N-880+
N-880+
23660
23660
1
1
1.9
1.9
6.0

the marketplace includes more products and lists prices, but it excludes other
attributes that the marketplace does not permit.
An organization must be able to create catalogs rapidly to respond to changes in
market conditions and trading partner requirements. By storing all product
information in a single location, you can make changes faster and ensure that
your catalogs promptly reflect those changes.
Creating catalogs from multiple data locations can lead to inconsistencies in
how you describe products to trading partners. A master content source
eliminates inconsistency by ensuring that all of the attributes for a product are
described in a similar way.
Suppose an automobile company maintains data about a specific car engine in
both a spreadsheet and a database. The sales contact for one trading partner
creates his catalog from the spreadsheet, but the contact for a second trading
partner creates her catalog from the database. If the spreadsheet and database do
not describe the engine exactly the same way, one of the trading partners may
receive different or even outdated information.
Introduction
Create customized
catalogs
Create catalogs rapidly
Describe attributes
consistentl
y
6 Module 3: Organizing Product Information Guidelines for Including Information in a Master Content Source
Omit information that
Omit information that
Omit information that

# Internal part number
# Cost center
# Internal part number

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The information that you choose to include in your master content source
depends on its usefulness to your trading partners and to your organization.
Your trading partners use the information in your electronic catalog to purchase
products that best suit their needs. Therefore, include attributes that describe
products accurately and that are relevant to your trading partners. Also include
specific information that your trading partners may require, such as part
numbers or reference codes that the trading partner uses internally, or industry
codes that they use to identify parts. You can also include information that
trading partners are not asking for specifically but that help differentiate
products, such as graphics.
As a supplier, you may decide to store product information in the master
content source that serves your business purposes but that is not intended for
catalog content. For example, you can include internal billing information about
a specific product. Before you include extra information, however, identify who
will have access to the master content source and determine whether including
the information will duplicate maintenance efforts elsewhere.
Because you will use the master content source primarily to create catalogs, it is
generally recommended that you restrict its contents to product-specific
information. Exclude other information, such as names and contact information
of sales representatives, accounting costs, and warehouse bin location numbers,
that your organization maintains elsewhere or that has little to do with catalog

TRAINER USE
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This practice presents a company that is designing a master content source for
online business. Read the scenario, answer the questions, and then briefly
discuss your answers with your classmates.
A lumber company offers products to general contractors and large construction
companies. The lumber company wants to expand its sales to overseas markets.
The company recently purchased a Customer Resource Management (CRM)
application to maintain sales information for product listings.
Complete the following table, and then answer the questions.
Attribute Include Do not include

Product dimensions X
Grade X
Weight X
Warehouse bin number X
Shipping hub X
Sales contact information X
Product name X
Internal accounting
reference number
X
International industry code X
Product description X
Processing plant X

Introduction
Scenario
8 Module 3: Organizing Product Information