Technology today has become a fundamental part of the business climate. We live in a digital era, where everything is connected, and data is collected by the millisecond—database design and management in integral to staying at the forefront of connectivity.

Which companies can benefit from increased database efficiency? All companies – in fact, 95% of businesses report the need to manage unstructured data as a problem for their business.

Knowledge Is Power

Let’s say that two companies each have a marketing budget of $10k.

Company A wants to reach as many people as possible, so they put ads in places where a lot of people will see them.

Company B, on the other hand, knows that only certain people will ever buy their products—so they limit their advertising to their potential customers.

Company B will be more successful in practically every case because they know who their audience is. Targeted advertising works better than trying to throw everything at the wall, hoping to be seen everywhere.

How can database design help in this scenario? A well-made database will be able to record information, then interpret it to produce helpful answers. For example, the ideal database could tell you the average value of each customer in any given demographic, split by things like age, ethnicity, location, and income. A poorly made database may not even be able to record this information, much less use it to help your business.

Speed Matters

The ability to make quick and accurate decisions is essential for any business. The ideal database should be fast enough to handle every request your company makes of it. This isn’t related entirely to volume, either—though, obviously, the bandwidth to handle every query is essential.

How fast a database responds will impact how quickly your employees are able to do their work. If somebody only has to wait for a second or two to get a response, there isn’t going to be a discernible impact on their work. On the other hand, their productivity will suffer if they have to spend several seconds (or worse, minutes) waiting on a database.

This isn’t a hypothetical worry. As companies grow, requests for databases tend to increase—often far more than the company initially planned for. Proper database design ensures the system is ready to scale with your needs, however great they may become.

Security Matters, Too

Data security is a major concern in today’s business climate.

Because databases contain information that companies don’t want others to know, including usernames, passwords, personally identifiable information, financial records, and other details, it’s more important than ever to consider a database management system that provides top-level protection.

Proper database design includes security measures to protect the information from unauthorized access. This allows companies to safely use the database from anywhere in the world, not just through physically connected machines.

The Bottom Line

Speed, security, and capability are critical to any suitable database, but only good design and management can make them happen.

That’s where Ethany comes in. Our teams know how to analyze a business and set up a database that works for your company’s specific needs. Contact us today for a free consultation.