Whatever industry you’re in, chances are, you have access to data that can fundamentally change how you do your business. The key is how to use it optimally. 

Data is considered the secret sauce for your business success, and it couldn’t be denied it’s one of the most valuable assets of your company. 

It may seem daunting to come up with a big data strategy instantly. But the data you collect can be a valuable resource if you use it the right way. 

What is data management?

First, let’s walk you through the basics. Data management is the process of acquiring, protecting, storing, and using your data in a highly accessible and meaningful way.

No matter what industry you’re in, it’s highly likely that your company keeps a lot of essential data. 

Without a good data management strategy and the right database management support, you could be missing out on insights that will help you make better decisions for your company and boost profits. 

Here are some smart tips that help you stay on the right track so that you can make the most out of your data: 

1. Prioritize data protection and security

If you depend on gathering your customers’ information, you have to ensure that you don’t fall into a data breach that will endanger the details of your whole customer base. Thus, it would be best if you prioritized data protection and security. 

You should also ensure that the right people are in charge of valuable data and that all team members know their steps when handling data. 

The digital world can be unpredictable. That’s why you must ensure that you put the right measures in place. You should also know what course of action to take in case of a suspected data breach. 

If you are hit with a breach, ideally, you must take the proper steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again. 

2. Keep your data organized

One of the first steps in data management is keeping your data organized. Many companies dump data on folders, data centers, or storage spaces. 

Keeping your data organized is key to improving your business efficiency when it comes to large or small business asset management.

Over time, this can be a troublesome, time-consuming, and tedious exercise.

Start with the basics when organizing your data.

For instance, when naming files or data folders, ensure that you have a system in place. Two naming systems can be confusing in the long run and will not give you effective data management. 

Similarly, similar files and data should also be stored in specific folders and places. You should also have a system that stores different data types under that. 

3. Avoid creating data silos

If you or another employee have trouble locating particular data, there’s a high chance it’s hidden in a data silo.

A data silo is often created when stored data is only available to a few people. Therefore, when other members or groups access that data, they can find themselves locked out in the long run. 

Data silos can also happen in big companies, where administrative and specialized personnel layers separate employees.

In such circumstances, these data will likely remain in a few groups of people. It’s also unlikely that it will be shared with other personnel who might find this information helpful to their work. 

In the same way, tech barriers can also cause data silos. When various departments use different software, that data is hard to share or cross-referenced.

While removing data silos takes a lot of work, the sooner you can take steps to eliminate this bane of data management, the better. 

Try identifying systems and processes that allow data silos to increase. Ask employees about their concerns with data management.

You can also audit your team’s data acquisition methods and management processes. 

Try to gather information about the systems in place and the people that use them. That way, you can create a unified data management system. 

4. Take regular backup

Backing up your data is vital to any data management strategy. In the same way, how you back up your data is also essential.

How will you restore data so your business will be operational if data is lost? Make sure that you get the latest backup and recovery operations. That way, you can make the process so much easier. 

If someone makes a critical mistake and deletes some if not all of your data and your CRM and data management software go under, then you have to have a recovery plan in place. 

Make sure that you develop a solution that makes sense for your business.

Regularly export your data. That way, you still have a file with all the necessary information saved on a hard drive.

Similarly, you can also upload it on a cloud service such as Dropbox or Google Drive. 

You also need to ensure that your account has all the security permissions in place in case you find yourself locked out.

Make sure that you create backups of all data. That way, you can quickly restore your data in case something happens. 

 5. Manage data access

Even if you comply with all the data laws, it doesn’t mean all your employees have access to all your company data.

Even if you have great cybersecurity, there’s still always a chance that a hacker could get in, breaching your defenses. 

So, if an employee has access to all your company data, you’re putting your company at risk.

One way to avoid that is to limit the data that your employees have access to. Make sure they can access only the ones they need to limit the damage. 

6. Establish a data recovery strategy

Unexpected events are bound to happen. That’s why you need to have an established data recovery plan.

Without a recovery plan, your business loses sales, customers, inventory, and crucial financial information. 

This lost data can be due to the following: 

• Accidentally deleting data entries
• Shutting down accounts
• Software issues
• Technical issues
• Data breaches

To avoid this, you need to regularly back up data, use cloud storage, and use copies of datasets in a separate hard drive. 

You also need to ensure that your software is programmed to approve these actions without thinking of them as security threats.

If you have an adequate recovery plan, you can quickly restore data after re-securing management systems. 

7. Implement robust data management software

Depending on the industry, your business may collect and filter overwhelming amounts of data. This usually requires you to have an advanced management system. 

Your data software should also have a user-friendly interface. That way, your team can easily navigate functions and complex management processes. 

Similarly, your data management platform should also scale as your business expands. Otherwise, your IT department may transfer data into a more robust software. 

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8. Make the data easily accessible to the right people

Ideally, only authorized individuals can view reports and access data. No outsider could be able to access or view data.

In the same way, convenience is also essential. The right people should be able to access your data easily. 

One way of doing this is setting permissions and authorizations based on the individual’s role with the data.

For example, lower-tier employees may not have access to your database. However, you may give them view-only permission. That way, they’ll be unable to tamper with the data, but they can view the data as needed. 

Over to You

So there you have it.

These are the eight smart data management tips to enhance your business’ efficiency.

Without the proper data management system, your data analysis may be flawed, making you vulnerable to a data breach. 

You must focus your time and energy on running your company’s primary purpose. And for the data, don’t rush it!

Make sure that you outline your goals. Then, you can get started by focusing on data quality, security, and compliance.