How to Customise Your Bespoke Database System

Developing a Bespoke Database System

There are two ways you can have a database system tailored specifically to your requirements. You can ask your in-house software developers to create one or you could hire a third-party company to do the job for you. Unfortunately, unless you are already in the IT industry or run a multinational company, you are unlikely to have a team of software programmers at your disposal. This is why it would be more convenient and practical to enlist the services of bespoke database developers, such as our team here at Web Alliance. By outsourcing the customisation of your database to experts, you can expect better results and a greater return on your investment. 

Regardless of the path you decide to take, you need to consider a variety of factors when customising your database and how database works .  

1. Purpose

Before anything else, you must first define the purpose behind your database. You need to determine how you intend using the system and which employees will be involved. 

For instance, if you own a small business, you may only require a database that will help you keep track of your customers’ contact details so you can send them offers and reports. On the other hand, if you own a larger company, you might need a more complex database that several people can access simultaneously.

Identifying the purpose of your system is one of the fundamentals of database design. This will set the standards that will help your developers determine their approach to creating a database system that will help resolve your problems.

 

2. Usability

You also need to consider how user-friendly the database will be, particularly if you are expecting a number of people to use it. While some members of your staff may be tech-savvy, others may prefer or be more adept at entering and managing data manually. Therefore, you need to determine how usable the system will be from everyone’s perspective. 

For example, you can ask the database developers to incorporate a drag-and-drop system to make it more intuitive. You could also set various levels of permission for each department or different personnel. Whatever features you choose, it is important to ensure that every member of your team will find the system easy and convenient to use as this will help promote increased productivity.

3. Security

With identity theft being more prevalent in the UK in recent years, you need to ensure that the safety and security of your customers’ data is protected. Therefore, your bespoke database system must be able to store sensitive data and personal information in a secure location. Moreover, the system should comply with the relevant regulations to protect your data from being lost or stolen. 

Besides protecting company data from the risk of hacking or corruption due to human error, you must also consider any physical threats, such as fires and floods. Try to ensure you can access data backups you can rely on in circumstances that are beyond your control.

 

4. Functionality

One of the most significant benefits of a customised database system is that you can choose the features to incorporate and even control their future development. You can take full advantage of your software because it will have everything you need to store and manage your company’s data. 

That being said, you need to consider which features and functionalities you require. Although you can ask database developers like our team here at Web Alliance to make certain adjustments or additions to your system at a later date, it would be more convenient and cost-effective to have everything you need right from the outset.

Ideally, your database should incorporate the following functionalities at the very least:

• Extraction and filtering of data
• Data insights and analysis
• Visualisation
• Segmentation and modelling
• Forecasting
• Automation

5. Scalability

High-end bespoke database systems will always offer scalability. As you are likely to obtain more data over time, your database must be able to grow with your business. Although your data requirements may not be too extensive at the time of development, they can expand quickly, particularly if you have a growing customer base. As such, it would be more practical and beneficial to build a database system that can easily store and manage millions of data.

 

Build Your Own Database Now

Having a database system tailored to your specific needs will certainly give you a competitive edge. Not only will it offer you complete control, but it will also help you save money. As with any aspect of running your business, you need to consider a variety of important factors when developing a bespoke database. This will help ensure optimum functionality and a more significant return on your investment. 

At Web Alliance, our goal is to provide our clients with database solutions designed specifically to meet their needs. If you are considering building your own database, our expert developers and IT consultants will only be too happy to lend you their expertise. Contact our team today so we can begin discussing your requirements.