Which practice helps ensure maintainable data schemas across ERP modules?

• A. Allow each module to invent its own keys and data models.
• B. Establish naming conventions, consistent primary and foreign keys, shared master data, centralized migrations, and robust data governance.
• C. Avoid centralized migrations to reduce coordination.
• D. Keep separate master data for every module.

Answer: (B)

Maintaining data across ERP modules works best when you standardize how data is modeled and governed, so the system stays coherent as it grows. Establishing naming conventions across tables and fields makes schemas predictable and easier to understand, while using consistent primary and foreign keys preserves clear relationships between modules and enables reliable cross-module queries and reporting.

Sharing master data creates a single source of truth for core entities like customers, vendors, items, and accounts, reducing duplicates and reconciliation effort. Centralized migrations ensure schema changes are applied uniformly everywhere, preventing drift and deployment surprises. Robust data governance defines ownership, quality standards, and lineage, so data remains accurate and compliant as changes occur.

If each module invents its own data models, inconsistencies and integration headaches multiply. Without centralized migrations, updates can diverge between modules, causing drift. Keeping separate master data across modules leads to duplication and conflicting information in a single ERP ecosystem.