3 Reasons Why Data Infrastructure Is Essential
By Trace Anderson of CFB Strategies
It's easy to get distracted by that shiny new app. Millions of dollars and brilliant marketing campaigns tell us how great it is.
While it's true that an app is a great way to engage your customer base in an increasingly competitive social market, there is no substitute for ensuring that your business has a strong infrastructural bedrock. Here are the top three reasons why it's better to invest in data infrastructure before that brand new app.
1. Good data infrastructure is the foundation of your data environment.
Imagine building a house without a solid foundation. Unfortunately, in the small business and non-profit world, we run into this issue all the time. We often encounter use cases where clients have deployed a brand new mobile app without any knowledge of what to do with the data it generates and nowhere to host it. Hint: Build the foundation before you add the swimming pool.
2. Good infrastructure should be solid, but flexible.
A good database will provide an easy to use platform to collect and work with data. A great database will do the same, but will approach data with an evolving and flexible methodology. Like most businesses, your product won't look close to the same as it does six years from now. Your core product is there, but it has evolved with technology over time. Remember, solid infrastructure… yet flexible and adaptable.
3. Shiny new apps have to plug in somewhere.
A good database platform should function like the Apple Store. It will provide the infrastructure and implementation, and then you get to choose the applications you want to deploy. Whether it's email broadcasting, SMS, project management, or phone call systems -- once the foundation is settled, then you can build the rest of your house according to specification. Want to add on next year? That's okay too. Data is not, and should never be, one size fits all.
Trace Anderson founded CFB Strategies in 2007 to change the way political campaigns and technology interact. He strongly believes that data-driven analytics will continue to change the face of politics, business and society.
The views, opinions and positions expressed within this guest post are those of the authors alone and do not represent those of CBS Small Business Pulse or the CBS Corporation. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are verified solely by the authors.
