Got Data?

"Hear that giant sucking sound? It's all the IT data that employees create that gets laboriously created, checked, and formatted, and then is never used again." - T. Dyck of eWeek Magazine from article titled "Office 11 Needs XML"

This quote says a lot by saying so little. Although, to a newbie this may conjure a bold and disturbing mental image, the importance of data, data collection, and of course where structured data is maintained, a Database cannot go unaddressed when focusing on business development growth and CRM (customer relationship managment).

They say it's not what you know its who you know, well, who you know will get you all the right places, but the inevitable reality is that what you know will keep you in those right places and what's more provide the necessary leverage to grow from there. There are no easy outs when dealing with knowledgement management, be it for sales, business development, ecommerce initiatives, marketing, or CRM. However, utilizing the appropriate technology on both the developer side and the administrator side can streamline work hours and efforts so that when the work is done what you have is highly informative, intensely revealing, data collections results.

Building these requirements can be determined by many key components:
1.Suggested / Popular software
2.Budget
3.Administrator requests and requirements.
4.Developer or Database Management Programming capabilities.

Some key illustrations to broaden my point would be :
Who needs data collections?
1. So-ho (Small office-Home office) growing businesses
2. Knowledge Management
3. SME (Small Medium and Enterprise) Businesses
4. Universities / Educational Institutions
5. Research Groups
6. Marketing/Sales Groups/Researchers
7. Public Relations Members, Media, and eMedia

Those are seven of the most pronounced and relevant demand user types but certainly, not limited to just the seven. The idea, I am attempting to touch on is that these seven categories describe a pretty wide variety of participants, budgets, database size requirements and the like. In order to know what type of database providing technology is right for any particular effort requires a practical analysis or overview of key components like the ones offered earlier, budget, time constraints, and over all programming applications know how play the most demanding or relevant roles in what software to choose, because once that decision is made, you have to live with it and if you make the wrong choice not only will there be unpleasant feedback but you risk corrupting the sometimes delicate nature of data collections goals/purposes.

So that, if you have a project, business, file folder, or rolladex of information you have in fact got data and if you have got the data you need to build your ideas into realities, you definitely need a database.

When I think of useful technology from the NON-Programmer or point of view, I think "Simplify, simplify", this puts me in a long line of earthlings world over who just want what they need without having to start from the beginning, the same reason why we have remote control, drive-thrus, and 24 hour drug stores.

However, on the other side the advantages of a budget that accomodates in-house and homegrown programming customization is equally a luxury item from the more circumstantial end of the spectrum depending on where exactly the starting point and the finish line happen to be from one's unique perspective.

The basic idea behind data collecting is "building". Ideas come and go, but ideas that succeed are ideas that are taken seriously enough to build and expand on. Data is the raw information; databases enable structuring, prioritizing, and detail oriented organizing of information so that sound knowledge is uncovered. It is important to collect data and it is likewise important to refine data collecting so that you are in the prime position of owning what is known while increasing this knowledge bank with what else there is to know.

In situations like the recent global economic struggles my idea is truly illustrated. When knowledge is the goal and the reward of construction/architectural efforts the result is; preparedness for trouble, problems, or potential ones; the ability to advance beyond competition and previous achievements; the opportunity to take the futuristic or visionary point of view for new ideas and expansion opportunities. When you don't, you must exist by the whims of fate and circumstance these ways are endurable but often cruel.

Looking at it this way, the choice becomes more defined and the right answer comes into clear focus. See also; Knowledgeboard; Databases for All Reasons; and Web Services and eCommerce

Any thoughts regarding, data, databases technologies, data mining? Please contact me.