Businesses are handling more data each day than ever before. They use this data to make major strategic decisions, learn more about their customers, and process orders. With so much data coming in, it’s essential that it is handled properly. Failure to do so could result in a major loss of data, poor decision making, or exposure of sensitive information. To prevent this, here are 7 of the best data management practices you should look to implement within your business.
Choose the Right Software
Choosing the right data management software is one of your biggest tasks. The best data management software helps you to do a lot of the tips mentioned below, from creating backups to quickly recovering data to providing security. Good data management software can also provide great visualizations of your data, helping you to make better use of it. Some features to look for in any data management software include:
- Advanced analytics
- Workflow optimization
- Security and protection
- Report generation
- Task automation
- Easy-to-use interface
Before you start exploring your data management software options, think about what it is you want to do with your data and how much you’re willing to spend. For smaller businesses, you may not need the advanced features of some of the more expensive data management software. On the other hand, if you’re a larger business, getting simpler data management software could slow your business down and you’d be missing out on some great capabilities.
Standardize Data Policies
One of the first things to do is create a set of standards for your data that everyone in your business needs to follow. Whenever one of your employees works with important data, there should be a set of rules dictating how they interact with it. For example, you can create rules about who is allowed to access what information, how to properly format different types of data and the process for deleting data. By ensuring that everyone within your organization follows the same set of standard data policies, you minimize the chance of error.
Focus on Security
A big aspect of data management to focus on is security. When you are storing sensitive information, such as company account information or customer details, you need to protect it from intrusion. For the best protection, implement a multilayered security system. A multilayered security system for your data is one that protects your data throughout your IT infrastructure. Common types of security layers include:
- Internet browsing
- Firewalls
- Privacy controls
Stay Compliant
If your business collects customer information, you need to adhere to certain regulations. These regulations vary by country and by the type of information you collect. For example, there are certain protocols you need to follow if you collect health-related information, which are different than those for collecting credit card information.
Following all related compliance laws not only protects your business legally but makes future issues less likely. For more information on the important laws and regulations you need to follow when it comes to data collection, visit this guide from the ICLG.
Create Regular Backups
Your business’s data is the foundation upon which the rest of your business operates. If you were to suddenly lose all your data, your business would face a significant setback. To prevent a catastrophe like this, you need to create regular backups of your data. You should frequently save a copy of your data in a safe location so that if anything happens, you can upload your data from your most recent save. Consider backing up your data to a cloud service, as this makes it easier to quickly upload to new backups and retrieve old information.
There are many cloud backup services available. Explore some of the best cloud backup options, then decide which is best for your business, based on the amount of data you have and your available budget.
Develop a Recovery Plan
Along with creating backups, you should have a plan in place to recover your data. Define the steps you’ll go through to reinstall all your data and get the company fully operational again. It’s a good idea to define these steps in advance so that you don’t have to think about them when the time comes.
The moment you lose data, you want to get started on the process of recovering it and not waste time wondering what to do. Define the steps you’ll follow, write them down in detail, and store them in a location that is easy for you, or anyone else involved with the process, to access.
Perform Maintenance
Another good data management practice to develop a habit of is regular maintenance. Over time, your data may become cluttered or unorganized. It’s a good idea to go through everything, ensure you are using the best possible organizational system and remove anything you no longer need.
Start by ensuring you are using descriptive names for data types, tables, tabs and more. This helps to speed up work processes going forward, as your employees won’t spend as much time looking for what they need.
Next, go through and delete unnecessary information or move it to another location. For example, if you have a large amount of data on a customer that is no longer with you, you can move this data off your cloud and onto a separate storage device. This saves you money and reduces clutter within your active database.
Start Implementing Data Management Practices Today
Your business’s data is too important to not take care of properly. If you don’t already have rules and regulations in place throughout your business, now is the time to implement them. By doing so you are strengthening the foundation of your business and giving yourself more opportunities to thrive going forward.
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Source: http://hrnews.co.uk/7-of-the-best-data-management-practices-for-your-business/
