You want to introduce a database into your organisation but off the shelf systems don’t fit your unique way of working. Plus, pre-built, licensed systems often need to be heavily configured to ‘fit’ your business, which makes bespoke database development an attractive option. In this article, we look into exactly ‘what is Database Development?’:
Bespoke database development involves creating a database tailored to your business’s specific needs. This approach ensures the database aligns perfectly with your business processes, workflow, and terminology. A bespoke database will naturally improve efficiency and support scalability.
Here we cover a few questions we are often asked…
What is Bespoke Database Development?
Database development is the process of creating a structured and efficient system for storing, managing, and accessing your data. It involves designing, implementing, and maintaining a database to ensure data is organised, secure, and easily retrievable.
What are the Stages of Database Development?
The database development process typically includes five stages:
- Planning and Requirement Gathering: Meeting with you to define the purpose and requirements of the database.
- Design: Creating a technical design and data model outlining the structure of the database to ensure it matches your workflow and requirements.
- Development: Building the database and populating it with data.
- Testing and Deployment: Ensuring the database functions correctly and deploying it for use.
- Maintenance and Monitoring: Regularly updating and optimising the database.
What are the Benefits of Database Development?
There are huge benefits of having a robust database developed to your requirements, your data is in one place and is business intelligence ready. Then a Business Objects (BO) Analyst or Data Scientist can work alongside a Database Developer to uncover the secrets, patterns, and trends in your data.
There’s more, database development can significantly benefit your business in several ways:
1. Improved Efficiency
A well-developed database streamlines data management, reducing the time and effort required to store, retrieve, and update information. This efficiency allows your team to focus on more strategic tasks.
2. Enhanced Data Integrity
Databases ensure data accuracy and consistency through validation rules and constraints. This reduces errors and ensures that your business decisions are based on reliable information.
3. Better Data Analysis
With a structured database, you can perform complex data analysis and generate insightful reports. This helps in identifying trends, making informed decisions, and strategising effectively. See later in this article where we talk about BO analysis skills.
4. Scalability
As your business grows, a scalable database can handle increasing amounts of data without compromising performance. This ensures that your data infrastructure supports your business expansion.
5. Improved Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Databases can store detailed customer information, enabling personalised interactions and better customer service. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
6. Cost Savings
Automating data management processes reduces the need for manual data entry and minimises errors, leading to cost savings in terms of time and resources.
7. Enhanced Security
Databases offer robust security features to protect sensitive business information. Access controls, encryption, and regular backups ensure that your data is secure from unauthorised access and data loss.
What type of software partner should I be looking for?
To optimise the value of your database development investment, it makes sense to choose a software partner that offers both Database Developers and Business Objects (BO) Analysts skill sets. Here are the key differences:
Focus: Database Developers focus on the technical aspects of database creation and maintenance, while BO Analysts focus on analysing data and generating reports.
Tools: Database Developers work with Database Management Systems (DBMS) and SQL, whereas BO Analysts or Data Scientists use BI tools for data analysis and reporting.
Responsibilities: Database Developers ensure data is stored efficiently and securely, while BO Analysts ensure data is analysed and presented in a way that supports business decision-making.
The good news is… our team at Objective has these skills. Both roles are crucial for managing and utilising data effectively within an organisation.
We hope our guide on ‘What is a Database Development?’ was beneficial to you – When you want to move forward with a bespoke database and smartly analyse your data – let’s talk.