Databases
Every business uses databases in one form or another, so I have a little bit of experience with them. They can be used for customer data, sales, inventory, accounting. Basically, a database is a structured collection of data that can be accessed and updated digitally, and that can support different applications in any industry (Sun et al., 2020).
From my experience, databases are important when it comes to customer management, inventory management and financial management (Gillenson, 2023). I have worked with databases in tools like Salesforce. They store customer data, such as contact information, interaction history, sales leads. The businesses use this data to track customer preferences, manage communication, optimize sales strategies, market, and so on. For example, sales teams can segment customers based on purchasing behavior and send targeted marketing campaigns to improve customer engagement and increasing sales.
In the retail industry, databases like Oracle support inventory tracking through products. They keep information about stock levels, suppliers, sales orders, etc. A retailer can use this database to track stock levels in real time across locations. This can then be linked to automated operations for reordering when inventory falls below a certain threshold.
In finance, databases like those in QuickBooks store transactional data, i.e., sales, purchases, payroll, etc. The structured storage lets businesses generate financial reports, conduct audits, and so on. For example, a companys accounting department can generate monthly financial statements by querying the database for all transactions within the relevant period, to generate accurate reporting. In all these cases, databases improve operations, efficiency, management, oversight, and customer satisfaction by centralizing data and allowing quick access to information that is easily brought together.
References
Gillenson, M. L. (2023).Fundamentals of database management systems. John Wiley & Sons.
Sun, S., Zheng, X., Villalba-Dez, J., & Ordieres-Mer, J. (2020). Data handling in industry 4.0:
Interoperability based on distributed ledger technology.Sensors,20(11), 3046.
