Don’t get lost in the mess: Use better database management

• Custom Apps & App Templates: When looking for a dbms that can adapt to an organization’s ever-changing needs, it’s helpful to choose a solution that allows you to build custom browser-based apps that you can share with your team. That way, everyone can access the same apps with the latest updates – no matter where they are. However, not every app you use should have to be a custom creation, so look for a database program that also includes professionally-designed apps that can allow you to get started quickly.

• Consistent Look & Feel: By giving users access to database programs that maintain a consistent look and feel throughout, they’ll naturally feel more comfortable using the app and are less likely to get “lost in the data.” And with the same interface on every screen, they’ll always have access to the tools they need.

• Seamless Data Sharing: Because a wide range of people will likely need access to your users’ data, it should be simple to share in a professional, easy-to-understand format. With a database management system that provides you with options for online, as well as on-premises sharing, it allows you to grant multiple users access to your data in the way that suits them – and you – best. In order to ensure that users only see the data that they actually need access to, look for database technology that gives you the power to grant specific permissions to specific users so you can maintain tight control over the data’s visibility.

• Compatibility with Other Programs: Because data may come from a variety sources, look for a system that can easily interface with data from many other programs. With the ability to combine data in your system with data that has been created in other programs, transfer data between other programs, or to accumulate and store data over the long term, occasionally exporting data to other programs, you’ll gain a flexible solution that works the way you do.

In addition to custom apps and professionally designed app templates, a consistent, streamlined user interface, the power to share data securely, and compatibility with other programs, you also need to consider what the backend of the dbms entails. Ideally, it would provide reliability, scalability, and long-term manageability, as well as robust security features that deliver the latest protection for the data your organization relies on – regardless of whether it’s deployed on-premises or in the cloud. With all of these factors accounted for, you can improve your database management, gain important functionality, and get the security your organization needs to protect your data now – and into the future.