5 Ways to Ensure Sustainable Data Management

Data is essential for a number of reasons. It allows organizations to visualize what is happening between departments and systems and better picture their overall progress in various areas.

Moreover, data can help businesses make better decisions, as it provides detailed insight into what’s working well and what isn’t. There is no better way to track success than objective, measurable data.

In short, data is excellent, but if you don’t collect, store, and use it effectively, it loses its power.

Here are some helpful tips for how to manage data effectively.

What is Effective Data Management?

Effective data management is the only way to achieve meaningful results. You can collect all the data in the world, but if you don’t know how to manage and contextualize that data correctly, it won’t do you any good. Ideally, effective data management should encompass multiple elements to ensure quality, such as security and reliability.

What Types of Data Management Exist?

There are a few main types of data management to know. The first is Big Data management, a catch-all term used to describe large amounts of data collection and analysis. CRM, or customer relationship management, systems that collect data related to customers and provide deeper insight into customer trends and behaviors.

In recent years, there has been a big push to transform Big Data into sustainable data. Here are some of the top ways to ensure sustainable data management:

1. Use Big Data to Gather Insights

Even as the business world seeks alternatives to standalone Big Data, it can still be helpful in helping companies understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day tasks. Emily Folk for datafloq.com notes:

“The capacity of Big Data analytics to enhance decision-making has broad appeal. Environmental organizations have employed these solutions to improve their practices and refine their methods. Many technologies now exist that support conservation projects, such as Aqueduct’s mapping tool.”

There is no question that Big Data provides a treasure trove of information, and it can be used for even greater purposes when paired with sustainable objectives. The ability to turn Big Data insights into actionable goals will become even more critical going forward as the business world looks to create more eco-friendly data solutions.

2. Data Mining

Data mining is performed to uncover patterns and other valuable information from large data sets. This process is essential for many reasons, but one of the primary benefits of data mining is that it can help businesses wade through the “junk” and extract the most relevant pieces of data. Because unstructured data makes up around 90% of the digital universe, finding and contextualizing high-quality data is a precious skill in this day and age.

Data mining is useful in several ways when it comes to sustainable data management. First and most importantly, it can help organizations find the most appropriate sustainable solutions for their operations. Additionally, it can promote visibility, reducing the risk of data theft.

3. AI Technology

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have taken the world by storm. Gone are the days of having to manually sort through each piece of data by hand in an attempt to find helpful information—today, machines are primarily capable of assisting with data management. AI and machine learning are especially popular among large companies responsible for massive volumes of data that would otherwise spiral out of control or be wasted altogether.

AI is capable of automating numerous processes related to data management. It can, for instance, generate forecasts and other predictive analyses to determine potential future issues and opportunities for growth. With AI assisting in finding and developing sustainable solutions, businesses can better manage their existing data and find ways to source additional information later on.

4. Good Information Stewardship

KuppingerCole defines good information stewardship as an information-centric approach to security. They have identified a cycle that begins with governance, in which users set objectives and monitor their progress. Next, they take ownership, classifying and controlling the data’s life cycle. Then comes access management, where organizations control legitimate access. The encryption phase entails preventing illegitimate access, and finally, at the pseudonymization phase of the cycle, organizations can process their data with privacy.

Good information stewardship and security go hand-in-hand in ensuring that sustainable data is managed safely and effectively. By taking the proper steps to mitigate risks, businesses can rest easier knowing that their data is in good hands. After all, you cannot utilize sustainable data to its fullest potential without solid backup and stewardship.

5. Make Your Data Accessible

While maintaining the security of your data is crucial, it’s also essential to make sure that it can be easily accessed by those who are authorized to view it. Companies understand the importance of data, but in some ways, are still unsure how to understand it in a meaningful way—and, by extension, present that data to their teams in a way that’s accessible and understandable.

When making your data accessible to a larger audience, the first thing to do is break down the silos. Problems arise when data becomes siloed within teams or departments. This puts up barriers to collaboration and valuable data insights that you could otherwise glean from a more open, transparent approach.

It’s also vital to encourage data literacy among teams. Not everyone comes equipped with the skills to understand and analyze data, so it’s essential to get everybody on the same page about what’s important and how to read various types of information.

There are many ways to promote data literacy. For instance, businesses could elect to hold special training and info sessions to help employees understand what is expected regarding data reading and utilization.

Teksetra is Here to Help

Learning how to manage sustainable data can be tricky. There are many moving components, and it can be challenging to connect your existing data sources to sustainable development goals.

Teksetra is available as a trusted outsourcing partner, acting as an extension of your team, providing the right resources and technology services your business needs to help you get more work done. With Teksetra, you get easy access to tech expertise, proven project management capabilities, a nationwide network of thousands of hand-selected technicians, and more.

Reach out to our experts to learn more about our services and how they can help your team with data management.