How Can Organizations Get Started With Data Management?
Data management solutions are the foundation of successful business operations. In a field that relies heavily on accurate, high-quality data like education marketing, strong data management best practices improve analytics and optimize your outreach strategy.
It’s not just about having a large volume of data or several data sources on hand – you need an effective data management strategy and solution to achieve any measurable level of sustained success.
Why is data management important?
Raw data isn’t particularly valuable on its own. Users need actionable data so they can draw insights from it or utilize it to inform crucial business activities. Additionally, data analytics don’t go very far when the information analyzed isn’t kept in a standard format, is full of duplicates or contains outdated contact information.
There are two key elements of data management to consider as you dive deeper into data management:
- Data integration – the combination of disparate data sources into standardized sets ready for analysis, as TechTarget explained – is a key concern. All information gathered needs to be reviewed and held to the same parameters, which is where the next concept comes into play.
- Master data management, the process of defining and controlling data to create a single point of reference, is also vital. Reference data, which helps set standards for data intended for analysis, is crucial in this context. This helps set standards for your organization that can be followed by everyone who manages or uses data, and informs the effective utilization of data management solutions.
A data management strategy improves data quality, addressing these key concerns and transforming piles of unorganized data points into a far more effective resource. As more organizations realize the value of big data, data management strategies will only grow more common – and thus require governance and due diligence.
A failure to develop good data governance standards means time wasted on outreach to education professionals who have changed roles, moved to a new school or left the profession.
What is data management used for?
Data management solutions empower businesses by creating value, turning the raw material stored in a data warehouse into something useful and actionable. Data quality is a core result of a thoughtful and productive data management strategy.
What are the processes of data management?
A strong data management strategy involves four key steps, as Bizfluent explained:
- Acquiring data. Data may come from internal source systems, as well as second- and third-party sources.
- Validating data. Ensuring data quality through cleansing and related practices makes the information useful. Data integration can also occur at this step.
- Storing data. Data must be kept secure as well as accessible to end users.
- Processing data. Once this resource is validated and fit for its intended purposes, staff can use it to reach a variety of valuable conclusions.
What are the types of data management?
On a technical level, data management solutions can use a variety of of processes and workflows to complete the underlying task. Individual and industry-based needs can vary greatly from one situation to the next.
For education marketers, a focus on accuracy in contact information during the validation process is especially important. Without assurances that each and every prospect is relevant to a given campaign, it’s easy to waste time and money on marketing efforts as well as reduce the chances that interested potential customers see your message.
Agile helps companies across the world of education marketing better manage their data by providing highly vetted, regularly updated contact information for education professionals across the country, along with effective management tools.
To learn more about how we can help your business, get in touch with us today.
