Consultancy firm Cognizant is offering a step-by-step guide for organisations having difficulty implementing a master data management (MDM) solution using IBM's InfoSphere MDM Server.

The MDM-in-a-Box solution will provide a roadmap for installing a system that gives a single view of each of a company's customers, according to Cognizant.

"MDM-in-a-Box provides a rapid, flexible approach to MDM that can deliver business benefits and ROI faster than previously envisaged," said Tony Smith, customer solutions practice European head at Cognizant.

MDM can improve an organisation's customer service by ensuring that data is not distributed in multiple silos. The Cognizant offering will be aimed at banking and insurance companies where businesses switch providers frequently or acquire firms with disparate databases, said Smith.

Implementation will be carried out by Cognizant employees who will customise the solution according to the customer's needs.

The first MDM-in-a-Box module, known as the Customer Insight Module, is available now, and more will follow in the next few months.

Smith added that Cognizant will continue to work with IBM to provide out-of-the-box solutions for other industries, including life sciences, utilities and telecoms. "This will be the first of many," he said.