Data Relationship Manager

Data Relationship Manager (DRM) by Nomad Data is a centralized platform designed for data acquisition teams, data scientists, and procurement managers who need to track, manage, and discover data relationships across internal and external sources.

Reviewed by 7wData

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Data Relationship Manager (DRM) by Nomad Data is a centralized platform designed for data acquisition teams, data scientists, and procurement managers who need to track, manage, and discover data relationships across internal and external sources. It targets mid-to-large enterprises that struggle with redundant data purchases, scattered vendor interactions, and manual offline workflows. The tool serves as a single system of record for all data subscriptions, vendor contracts, and dataset usage, aiming to reduce wasteful spending and improve visibility across stakeholders involved in data acquisition. It is particularly suited for organizations that regularly buy third-party data and need to avoid double purchasing, which Nomad Data reports is rampant among firms.

The DRM centralizes every data relationship, interaction, and subscription in one place, providing a comprehensive view of available datasets across platforms. It tracks dataset purchases to prevent redundant spending—a key problem since Nomad Data found that most tested data never gets purchased, indicating significant waste in testing processes. The platform offers workflows to automate offline processes, such as contract date management, and enables quick connection with over 5,200 external data providers. Users can submit extended requests for data and ask questions about any provider, dataset, document, or activity logged in the system. The tool also proactively manages contract dates and deadlines, addressing the costly issue of missing key contract dates.

In the master data management (MDM) and data governance space, DRM competes with Ataccama ONE Platform, SAP Master Data Governance, and Semarchy xDM. Unlike these broader MDM suites that focus on internal data hierarchies and governance, DRM specializes in external data vendor relationships and acquisition workflows. It is not a direct replacement for Oracle Hyperion Data Relationship Management (DRM), which handles financial and organizational hierarchies, but rather a complementary tool for managing third-party data procurement. Nomad Data's DRM has been in use for two years helping firms track data vendor relationships, as noted in their own blog.

Honest trade-offs include limited integration with internal data governance frameworks compared to full MDM platforms, and a lack of native data quality or cleansing features. The tool is heavily focused on external data sourcing, which may not suit organizations needing internal master data management. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, implying custom tiers that may be opaque for budgeting. Additionally, the company behind DRM is relatively small, which could affect long-term support and feature development versus established competitors like SAP.

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How it works

  1. Centralized relationship tracking

    Consolidates all data vendor relationships, interactions, and subscriptions into one system for full visibility.

  2. External provider network

    Connects users with over 5,200 external data providers through a single platform for faster discovery.

  3. Redundant spending prevention

    Tracks dataset purchases to prevent double buying, addressing rampant redundant spending in firms.

  4. Automated offline workflows

    Replaces manual processes with automated workflows for contract management and data acquisition tasks.

  5. Comprehensive dataset visibility

    Provides a unified view of all available datasets across internal and external platforms.

  6. Extended data requests

    Allows users to submit custom requests for specific data needs beyond standard offerings.

  7. AI-powered Q&A

    Enables natural language queries about any provider, dataset, document, or activity logged in the DRM.

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

  • Reduces wasteful retesting of data by providing visibility into previously tested datasets, since most tested data never gets purchased.
  • Prevents double purchasing and redundant spending by tracking all dataset purchases in one central system.
  • Improves visibility across stakeholders involved in data acquisition, addressing the struggle to track purchase statuses.
  • Proactively manages contract dates and deadlines, avoiding costly missed renewals or expirations.

Trade-offs

  • Pricing is not publicly disclosed, making budget planning difficult for potential buyers without a sales conversation.
  • Limited integration with internal data governance frameworks compared to full MDM platforms like SAP Master Data Governance.
  • Lacks native data quality or cleansing features, requiring separate tools for data preparation.
  • Relies on a relatively small vendor (Nomad Data) which may impact long-term support and feature velocity versus larger competitors.

Pricing context

Not publicly disclosed; implies custom tiers based on organizational needs and scale of data relationships.

Getting started with Data Relationship Manager

  1. Sign up for DRM

    Visit the Nomad Data website and request a demo or trial for Data Relationship Manager. Provide your organizational details and data acquisition needs to get started with the platform.

  2. Connect your data sources

    Link your existing data vendor accounts and internal datasets to DRM. Use the platform's integration options to import vendor contracts, subscription details, and purchase history for centralized tracking.

  3. Configure relationship tracking

    Set up categories and tags for your data vendors and datasets. Define custom fields to capture key contract dates, spending limits, and usage metrics to automate monitoring.

  4. Submit a data request

    Use the extended request feature to specify a new data need. Describe the dataset requirements and submit the request to the connected provider network for faster discovery and procurement.

  5. Schedule contract alerts

    Enable automated notifications for upcoming contract renewals, expirations, or deadlines. Set alert preferences in the system to avoid missed dates and reduce costly lapses in data access.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Data Relationship Manager by Nomad Data?

Data Relationship Manager (DRM) is a centralized platform from Nomad Data for tracking, managing, and discovering data relationships across internal and external sources. It helps data acquisition teams and procurement managers reduce wasteful spending and improve visibility into vendor interactions and subscriptions.

How does DRM prevent redundant data purchases?

DRM tracks all dataset purchases in one system, providing visibility into previously tested and acquired data. This prevents double buying, a common issue where firms waste money on redundant subscriptions. Nomad Data reports that most tested data never gets purchased, highlighting significant waste that DRM addresses.

What features does Data Relationship Manager offer?

Key features include centralized relationship tracking, connection with over 5,200 external data providers, redundant spending prevention, automated offline workflows for contract management, comprehensive dataset visibility, extended data requests, and AI-powered Q&A for querying providers and datasets.

How does DRM compare to master data management platforms?

Unlike broader MDM suites like Ataccama ONE or SAP Master Data Governance, DRM specializes in external data vendor relationships and acquisition workflows. It does not replace internal data governance or quality tools but complements them by focusing on third-party data procurement and reducing redundant spending.

What are the weaknesses of Data Relationship Manager?

DRM has limited integration with internal data governance frameworks and lacks native data quality features. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, implying custom tiers that may complicate budgeting. The vendor, Nomad Data, is relatively small, which could affect long-term support compared to larger competitors like SAP.

How does DRM help with contract date management?

DRM proactively manages contract dates and deadlines by automating offline workflows. This replaces manual processes, helping organizations avoid costly missed renewals or expirations. The platform sends alerts and tracks key dates, ensuring timely actions on vendor contracts and subscriptions.

Alternatives

How Data Relationship Manager compares

Direct head-to-head against 3 competitors. Picked by 7wData.

This tool

Data Relationship Manager

Pricing
Not publicly disclosed; implies custom tiers based on organizational needs and scale of data relationships.
Target
Data Relationship Manager (DRM) by Nomad Data is a centralized platform designed for data acquisition teams, data scientists, and procurement managers who need to track,
Strength
Reduces wasteful retesting of data by providing visibility into previously tested datasets, since most tested data never gets purchased.
Watch for
Pricing is not publicly disclosed, making budget planning difficult for potential buyers without a sales conversation.

Ab Initio

Pricing
Custom/Contact sales
Target
Enterprise data governance with semantic discovery
Deployment
On-prem/Cloud
Strength
GDPR compliance tools for sensitive data identification
Watch for
Steep learning curve per user reviews

Alation Agentic Data Intelligence Platform

Pricing
$175/user/month (Starter)
Target
Data cataloging and governance teams
Deployment
SaaS/On-prem
Strength
AI-powered data lineage and collaboration
Watch for
Higher pricing tier for advanced features

Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud

Pricing
$2,000/month (base)
Target
Unified data management across clouds
Deployment
Cloud-native
Strength
End-to-end data quality and integration
Watch for
Recent Salesforce acquisition may shift roadmap

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Sources

Reporting on this tool draws on these publicly available sources.

  1. www.nomad-data.com
  2. www.nomad-data.com
  3. www.nomad-data.com
  4. www.peerspot.com
  5. www.capterra.com