Data management has become an essential part of businesses. This is because more and more data is generated every day, every minute, and every second at various levels. We, in our daily routines, and businesses and societies in their daily activities, generate vast amounts of data. There are increasing processes that provide us with information about how the world works, the patterns that appear, and the accidents that occur in these interactions, including data on the solutions applied and the response times in managing various types of disasters. We are all data; we are surrounded by it and constantly produce it.
What is the purpose of data management?
Managing this data is indispensable for everyone, especially in terms of decision-making. How does data management impact businesses, and what does the business world need that this type of management can provide? Businesses need to establish a form of control over data to address five main needs:
- Improving processes:
Information is essential for optimizing the regular processes of businesses. Thus, data management allows for the analysis of operational methods and the search for improvements through process automation, for example, which leads to increased efficiency and overall productivity.
2. Identifying opportunities and trends:
Data management provides access to information about customers served and the processes resulting from the services or products offered, allowing businesses to identify areas where they have the greatest opportunities. Additionally, through the analysis and comparison of new products or services, opportunities for growth, improvement, or specialization in services can be identified by recognizing trends.
3. Launching new products:
By identifying patterns through data management, businesses can predict, by analyzing trends and market and customer behavior, new products to be launched. This is because analyzing existing trends and the market's behavior enables the prediction of the success of new products that meet the needs of the target sector. In this way, investments and business growth are based on data, making them more reliable.
4. Serving customers:
Data management also allows businesses to analyze their operations and identify areas for improvement in customer service. This enables the creation of strategies not only to retain existing customers but also to attract new ones who are interested in the type of service and attention they receive.
5. Making informed decisions:
Finally, one of the greatest advantages of data management is its usefulness in making informed decisions. This allows business management at all levels to be based on solid foundations, guiding operations with strong support. In this sense, risks are minimized, and greater success is ensured when introducing changes and improvements.
As we can see, data management is tied to the development and growth of business activities, enabling businesses to perform better and more optimized processes with the resources available. In summary, to lead the market, one must lead in data management. In this sense, storing, protecting, and managing data is indispensable.
Main Problems in Data Management
- Maintaining data reliability:
Part of data management focuses on the careful storage of data. This involves ensuring data accuracy and preventing missing or duplicated information that could hinder its use. While data analysis often focuses on cleaning data, it is crucial that data is error-free from the moment of storage to avoid information loss.
2. Updating storage processes:
As companies grow and the technology, they use becomes more sophisticated, and with constant technological changes we face, data management must ensure that storage processes are optimized and adapted to the changing realities. Thus, it must not only increase storage capacity but also use increasingly updated storage systems, whether cloud-based or on-premises.
3. Keeping data up to date:
Data management must also ensure that there are no interruptions or downtime in data storage. Whether caused by connectivity issues, equipment malfunctions, or human error, data loss must be detected and prevented. This is because data needs to provide as much detail as possible to be useful for multiple analytical processes on which data management depends.
4. Keeping data secure:
Given the growing number of cyber threats and the constant mutations of ransomware that attacks both countries and individual employee systems, it is essential to have a security system as part of data management. Since many processes rely on the data received, the security system must meet the company’s needs. This will involve having backup and recovery solutions in place.
Conclusion
In conclusion, since the keys to business growth, innovation, and process improvement are directly related to data management, as we have seen, it is essential to analyze how we store and manage this asset within our companies. Do we know which storage systems we use? Are we aware of the security systems we have? Is our data secure? Do we know our data recovery system? It is crucial to have answers to these questions and more that arise from valuing the importance of the information we handle, which can take us to the next level.
EN 
ES