Customer 360: MDM vs. Knowledge Graph - Choosing the Best Path for Your Business

In today’s fast-paced, data-driven world, businesses face mounting pressure to understand their customers better, deliver personalized experiences, and operate efficiently while staying compliant with ever-evolving regulations.

Two technologies that can help achieve this coveted "360-degree view" of customers are Master Data Management (MDM) and Knowledge Graphs. But the question remains: Which is the right path for your business? In this blog, we will explore the core differences between these two technologies and discover how some of our recent projects — including those related to regulatory frameworks like the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) — have reshaped industries from government services to aviation with technology.

MDM is essentially a structured approach to managing critical business data, whether it’s customer information, vendor details, or product catalogs. The goal is to ensure that this data is accurate, consistent, and complete across the entire organization. Think of MDM as the trusted source for organizing data in hierarchical categories like “Customer” or “Supplier” — it’s straightforward, reliable, and gets the job done.

A Knowledge Graph is, however, far more dynamic, flexible, and intelligent. Instead of organizing data in rigid structures, a Knowledge Graph, powered by platforms/ database like Neo4j, Amazon Neptune, or TigerGraph, models data relationships, revealing hidden connections between data points. This deeper context enables businesses to comprehend the full picture, allowing them to understand not just the data but also how various elements are related. Unlike MDM, which can silo data, a Knowledge Graph tears down those barriers, offering a holistic view of your data across multiple domains. MDM excels in maintaining accuracy, cleaning up data, and ensuring records across systems are consistent. It’s a solid choice for companies that need a clear, stable view of their core data. But if you’re looking to go beyond just managing data and want to understand the relationships between data points - like how a customer’s behaviour impacts their preferences or future actions - Knowledge Graphs are the game-changer. By connecting the dots between customer interactions, preferences, and behaviours, a Knowledge Graph goes beyond data management to provide real-time, actionable insights. This is why many forward-thinking companies are now adopting Knowledge Graphs over traditional MDM systems for a Customer 360 strategy.

Learnings from Recent Projects at e-Zest Solutions

1. Delivering DORA-Compliant Customer 360

A key way in which Knowledge Graphs have made a significant impact is by helping businesses comply with regulations such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). DORA is designed to equip the financial sector to withstand digital disruptions, requiring businesses to maintain a comprehensive understanding of their operational data. Our team at Accion Labs recently implemented Neo4j to model complex data relationships for financial institutions, giving them a 360-degree view of operational processes, vendors, and risks. By mapping how internal processes, third-party vendors, and risk factors interact using Knowledge Graphs, businesses can proactively spot vulnerabilities and ensure resilience - something traditional MDM systems struggle with.

While MDM can organize vendor data and contracts into neat, structured fields, Knowledge Graphs offer far greater agility. They map the dynamic relationships between entities, such as dependencies on third-party providers and internal process linkages, making it easier to comply with DORA’s stringent requirements.

2. Empowering Government & Councils – Resident 360

?In another project, we worked with local councils and government bodies to implement Knowledge Graphs, enabling them to improve services for residents. Whether it's managing social housing, public services, or healthcare, Knowledge Graphs reveal how different services are interconnected. For instance, a resident’s housing situation might directly impact their healthcare needs or job opportunities. Using Graph-RAG (Graph Retrieval Augmented Generation), which blends AI and Knowledge Graphs, councils can now deliver more personalized services. Our team at Accion Labs seamlessly built recommendation systems that learn from historical data, identifying patterns and offering tailored solutions to residents — something traditional databases are not able to achieve. While MDM ensures consistent and accurate data, Knowledge Graphs allow councils to see the bigger picture by connecting data points in ways that lead to meaningful insights. This allows them to craft better, more personalized public services.

3. Revolutionizing Airline Operations Management

?The aviation industry is another sector reaping the benefits of Knowledge Graphs. Airlines have long relied on various legacy applications like Amadeus, NAVBLUE, Merlot Aero, and OPscore to manage everything from flight scheduling to disruption recovery. But these systems often work in silos. With a Knowledge Graph, airlines can map out relationships between all these applications, making it easier to dynamically update flight schedules, keep frequent flyers informed, and even gamify loyalty programs. By analyzing real-time customer behavior and external factors like weather, airlines can offer personalized promotions and rewards, improving customer retention and satisfaction. MDM systems handle customer profiles, flight schedules, and loyalty points separately, which limits the ability to see how these elements interact. A Knowledge Graph, on the other hand, models the relationships between data points, creating a more cohesive, real-time, and adaptive system. This ultimately leads to more personalized customer experiences and stronger engagement.

Knowledge Graphs: The Future of Customer 360 While MDM is fantastic for organizing and cleaning structured data, Knowledge Graphs are the ones that can truly unlock the full potential of modern Customer 360 strategies. By understanding not just the data, but also the relationships between those data points, this technology helps businesses derive deeper insights, create more personalized experiences, and meet the growing demands of regulatory frameworks. Whether it is financial institutions looking to enhance their operational resilience, or government councils looking to improve resident services, or airlines looking to optimize customer loyalty programs, Knowledge Graphs - powered by platforms like Neo4j, TigerGraph, or Amazon Neptune -?provide the agility and intelligence needed to thrive in today’s interconnected world. In addition, advanced GraphRAG algorithms, such as Pathfinding, Subgraph Matching, and Node2Vec, further empower organizations to extract precise insights, recognize patterns, and make intelligent decisions. These capabilities, coupled with AI, enable businesses to tap into the hidden value within their data, paving the way for more innovative and efficient operations. MDM may still be the go-to for ensuring data quality, but for businesses striving to deliver connected, personalized, and dynamic experiences, the future is clear: Knowledge Graphs are the way forward.