Efficient corporate management needs to be based on relevant information—regarding the business and its processes, the market, and customers. To achieve this, a system for storing company data is essential.
This versatile solution can help industries and businesses across a variety of sectors in a variety of situations. Therefore, planning data consolidation now is crucial if you want to successfully advance your business.
In addition to relying on a technological solution, data storage also requires a strategy and structure to ensure it is done sustainably.
Therefore, it’s not just about using technological tools, but also about business intelligence. And that’s what we’ll reflect on in this article.
Continue reading to understand the importance of data storage in companies and how it can be done both traditionally and through cloud computing.
How to choose the best data storage model?
To choose the best data storage model , consider your business and corporate information strategy. The ideal solution for your organization requires a careful analysis of its specific needs, operational requirements, and data objectives.
What is data warehousing?
The act of ensuring that digital information is secure for use both now and in the future is essentially known as data storage.
It is an essential part of computing and information technology , as it is what allows the maintenance, access and management of data in an efficient and secure way.
There are several forms of data storage, including physical devices such as:
- Hard drives;
- Solid state drives (SSD3s);
- USB flash drives;
- Optical discs;
- In addition to cloud storage, where data is kept remotely.
Data storage also varies according to its purpose and accessibility:
- Primary storage
- Secondary storage
- Cloud storage
Effective management of this data is what will guarantee the integrity, availability and reliability of information over time.
7 Benefits of Enterprise Data Storage
From increasing analytical capabilities to expanding competitive advantages, including information security and mobility, check out the benefits your company can gain by working with structured data storage below:
1. Facilitates the analysis of vital business information
Data is valuable because it can be transformed into information. In fact, the sentence is better this way: data is only important when it can be transformed into useful information.
In a competitive market like today’s, having the necessary information makes all the difference for any business.
In practice, organizations that better manage their own and externally sourced data tend to be more competitive. This is because business intelligence processes become more efficient.
With good storage software, in addition to storing data, cross-referencing it also facilitates the identification and monitoring of patterns, trends, opportunities, and threats.
Imagine a factory that stores its production data. Through more in-depth analysis, it’s possible to find opportunities to optimize production parameters, whether by eliminating a step or automating another point.
2. Helps reduce overall costs and optimizes the quality of investments (in business and IT)
Information is power, and in a more strategic analysis, it’s also money. If a business wants to understand more about its sales projections and doesn’t have consolidated data, for example, it needs to conduct a complex statistical survey.
On the other hand, with a well-structured company data storage system, all that’s needed is to perform a relevant analysis to find answers. Information capture and processing are already in place—these processes are developed continuously.
The issue of cost reduction is also linked to the fact that wrong decisions typically result in losses or, at the very least, lost opportunities. As the process becomes more assertive and highly effective, the natural result is savings.
In the medium and long term, it’s possible to save considerable amounts, which make all the difference to an organization’s financial health. And the more savings you make in data storage, the more resources the company has to invest in improvements and efforts toward new achievements.
Additionally, it becomes easier to drive the development and construction of technology services to support your market ambitions.
3. Promotes relationships with the target audience and market communication
When it comes to data management, business strategy is always one of the biggest beneficiaries. The reason is simple: by analyzing this information, it’s possible to create a consumer profile of your target audience, create communication and marketing plans, and reach the right people at the right time.
A small service company, for example, can more easily identify its customers by storing data on their contract history. This information helps you understand what consumers want, who they are, and how they consume.
This kind of understanding is especially beneficial for sales teams because it makes conversion efforts more effective. By offering exactly what the customer is looking for or structuring pitches based on real information, the result is an easier way to convince them to buy.
Furthermore, greater knowledge about the target audience also leads to greater satisfaction and, consequently, fosters customer loyalty. With past purchase data, for example, a reseller can improve customer relationships.
This way, you can achieve more consistent and sustainable results. The more you know about your audience, the more personalized and engaging your business’s service can be.
4. Reduces hazards both internal and external and encourages security
Information security has never been more important. With the flow of data increasing, it’s increasingly important to consider how organizations can protect themselves. Today, Only to Mexico in the global ranking of corporate information fraud.
Companies that focus on storage also enhance their security mechanisms . This is because, by using structured storage, these organizations can more easily build the desired levels of protection.
This process is achieved through network and application access control, encryption layers, and more. Both internal and external threats can be mitigated with a sound data protection and security strategy.
A retailer that handles sensitive consumer data, such as credit card information, personal records, and business relationship histories, for example, finds in planned and secure storage a way to ensure that content does not become public or easily accessed by unauthorized persons.
5. Enables the mobility that the market demands for business expansion
In the era of digital transformation, it’s never been more important to be able to manage data from anywhere. With the growing need for mobility, well-planned data storage can deliver this quality.
This happens thanks to the use of the cloud , which allows for greater information availability. Content can be accessed anywhere, anytime, from any device (desktop, tablet, laptop, smartphone, etc.).
A traveling sales executive can enter orders into the system or check inventory at the airport or hotel room, for example. Even in this case, security isn’t an issue, as the company can build a level of protection that’s best suited to its needs.
6. Makes decision-making faster and more assertive
When it comes to business decision-making, it’s best to make a well-founded decision. More information allows for a more critical analysis of situations, helping to make the right choice. At the same time, every decision has its ideal timing —and delaying it too much can lead to missed opportunities.
With company data storage being done in a more strategic and structured manner, the process becomes simpler and more effective. Analyzing and searching information are performed more easily and quickly, ensuring managers can make better and timely decisions.
With cloud-based data , it’s even easier to ensure dynamic decision-making, from anywhere. A store, for example, can use sales data from the previous period to determine how much inventory to purchase. It’s possible to purchase in advance without delay and ensure the reserve is properly sized.
7. Offers competitive advantages and market differentiation
If an organization better understands its customers and its own operations, it will naturally achieve better results than its competitors.
The result is that this type of storage helps companies create and find their competitive edge. The more mature a company is in terms of storing and using data, the better and more relevant its analyses and strategies will be.