DBMS Use in Business

Introduction and advantages



The introduction of DBMS into businesses and organizations was vital for their future growth. It offered a simple, efficient and in most cases a reliable way of storing, managing and accessing data. Businesses and organizations alike need to have an efficient and organized way to store their data and to be able to access it without delays or problems.(1) Database Management Systems offer in general:

• Query ability
• Backup and replication
• Rule enforcement
• Security
• Computation
• Change and access logging
• Automated optimization

With all these advantages, companies cannot afford not to have such a system setup anymore. It is vital to their existence and more importantly, it is the only way they can make sure to stay in Business, except that DBMS has to co-exist with a good business plan, and profits have to expected in the long run, not immediately.(2)




Examples



We could easily mention two areas, where DBMS's helped majorly in the growth of the organizations involved:


The retail industry and companies like Best Buy and even online businesses like ebay, rely heavily on database management systems to store data related to their sales, to track purchases and client information updates as well as to analyze automatically the growth charts. This could not have been possible if they didn't rely on database management systems, If they were to keep customer information in physical documents and file them in cabinets, companies like Best Buy could not have been able to open 1800 stores for business internationally. (2) (*)


Likewise, All financial institutions rely heavily on Database management systems to be able to record customer transactions, customer information, credit/debit information. The ability to manage all that data in such an accurate way to handle millions of customers and to be able to access your balance in a branch in Montreal when you actually opened your Bank account in Vancouver, for example, is thanks to the existence of an elaborate DBMS system in place. If a company's DBMS system is non-reliable compared to another competitive company, it risks slower growth and revenue, hence it risks losing market share and profit.(*)




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(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_management_system
(2)http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/databases/267657-1.html
(3) (pic ref)http://www.swc.scipy.org/lec/img/db/using_dbms.png
(4)(pic ref)http://docs.sun.com/source/819-3669/images/bank-database.gif
(*) I Was a previous employee, working with these systems.