When considering database services as part of a larger integrated marketing strategy, businesses often look at the technology first – and with good reason. Without the tech to support data management, collection, storage, and retrieval, you don’t have a functional database. One overlooked aspect of data-driven marketing isn’t one you need to install, though: It’s the data governance professional who acts as the interface between technology and people. Finding a Chief Data Officer who combines expert-level knowledge of the system with an understanding of what the data means is essential to successful database management.
As important as leading-edge technology is, it doesn’t match the ability of the human mind to interpret and contextualize information. You know “Smith” is a common name, but computers aren’t inherently equipped to make the judgment call your brain instantly makes when it reads “Simth” or “Jnoes.” Your database can flag records with anomalous information, and then a human operator can make an informed judgment. Human oversight is the database management tool your system needs to keep it fully functional and working with accurate information.
What Your CDO Does
The volume of data pouring into your database is growing, and it comes from more sources than ever. A Chief Data Officer or Data Manager uses software, hardware, and professional expertise to extract order from the chaos created by that torrent of information. In doing so, your data management professional also protects your digital investments by maintaining the accuracy of your records.
Data has an expiration date, and without management to prune away or update older information, your data quality tends to decline over time. Database management reverses the trend and improves data accuracy. More accurate data leads to more actionable insights. It’s also essential for staying connected to prospects; without the correct contact information, you could lose touch with the most important people to your organization – your customers. Quality data’s important for service too as it lets you personalize the customer experience and surround your leads with what they most want to see. A CDO monitors data quality and accuracy constantly, removing erroneous or outdated information before it propagates throughout the system.
A database management professional plays another key role for businesses that are in the process of installing or upgrading their database tools. Data migration is a complex operation, but it becomes vastly easier with oversight from a dedicated transition manager. A CDO can also track data assets and manage access to them as part of the migration process. By establishing access and data hygiene routines during upgrades, your database manager builds in efficiency and accuracy from the start.
The Interrelated Internet
Data isn’t just increasing in volume. It’s also proliferating across an increasing number of sources. You collect data not only from site visits, but also from email, direct mail QR codes, bar-coded preferred customer cards, downloads, and mobile apps – and these are just the basics. For tech-based industries that are linked to the Internet of Things, you might also collect information directly from devices as customers use them.
Having a database services manager who’s responsible for deciding how this information’s prioritized, stored, and manipulated is a necessity to avoid being swamped with extraneous information or diluting the accuracy of your data.
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