What is the database? The importance of Database management.

The database is an important part of software and management solution, helping store, organize and manage data scientifically and systematically.

    1. What is the database?

        Data storage as a file

When using a computer, we normally store information as a file, save in different folders to search easily. This separated storage has the following disadvantage and advantage: 

Advantage:

• Obviously, saving speed will be very fast.
• Easy-to-use and visual for those who not good at IT.

Disadvantage:

• Data is inconsistent, sometimes there is file duplication case because many people use a file. 
• Data duplication
• Data sharing is not high (low)

Recently, this is the most popular method due to the popularity of user choosing this storage data. However, large shared data systems have limitations such as slow data searching retrieval, difficulty in maintaining, etc. To overcome the above difficulties, the definition of database and Database Management System (DBMS) have been found.

Database

The database is basically the collection of information that is organized in a certain structure, so that it can be easily read, edited, added or deleted data. For example, the customer list of a company includes at least name, phone number fields, which is considered data.

Using this database system will overcome the disadvantages of separated file data storage:

• Reduce replicated information, assure data consistency and integrity.
• Allow retrieving in a number of different ways, users and applications.
• Increase the ability to share information.

However, the Database Management System (DBMS) also has disadvantages as below:

• Assure the copyrights of data, due to the high sharing ability.
• Security of information extraction.
• Assure data conflict when occurred.
• Assure data safety and integrity.

In daily life, you probably have used Database Management System but you have not known. For example, you read the news on the website every day, each website will have a data storage system when you access, the system will respond. Obviously, you can access many websites and many people can access one website at the same time, but the data integrity will be assured.

  2. What is Database Management?

Database Management System is a system designed to manage the automatic and orderly database. The management activities include edit, delete, save and search ( information retrieval) in a group of information.

In summary, the Database Management System is an automatic system helping the user to control information, create, update and maintain the database. In which, 2 main parts of the Database Management System are: The query processor and the data manager. 

The importance of Database management.

In the digital era nowadays, many procedures, stages or management systems are encrypted and operated by devices, software to help business archive the best performance. Therefore, The Database management system was found and played an important role in processing and controlling information. Specifically, the database management system has the following functions:

• Provide data creation environment: the database management system plays a role of providing the language of data definition to describe, declare the data type and structure. 
• Provide ways of updating and exploring data: the database management system provides the language of data actions to describe the requirement, actions of updating and exploring the database. Data actions include updating (create, edit, delete data (CRUD)), exploring (search, filter data).
• Provide tools to control access on the database to ensure the implementation of some basic requirements of the database system. Including:

1. Assure security, find out and prevent illegal access.
2. Maintain data consistency.
3. Arrange and control access.
4. Recover data when there are hardware and software problems. 
5. Manage data description.

In market research

• Reduce the amount of paper need to be stored.
• Manage large amounts of long-term survey results, compare survey results over the years of the same customer, the same criteria easily, instantly and effectively.
• The survey is always updated quickly, avoiding duplicating, avoiding missing information (the software warns when insufficient information is required), information deviation (due to having to re-enter from paper to file), or losing data (papers).
• Some simple reports are extracted immediately.
• The control of enumerators and the accuracy of survey results are simpler
• The initial cost could be increased, however, the long-term development cost will reduce.
  
  

In Sale management

• Allow to manage a million customers at the same time, and to store the entire transactions of each customer.
• Search one or many customers having the required characteristic.
• The marketing department can store information on strategy and customer.
• Sale department allows to edit basic information, customer service information and orders.
• Production and warehouse department store information of production result and warehouse status
• Accounting department stores order transaction and arose cost.
•  The separated data of above departments are unified, stored throughout the process, from finding to sale, invoicing and transaction history, reducing the percentage of customer duplication, providing information to clarify, building customer service strategy (based on the transaction history).

The history data review, comparing data over the years also help company admit the revenue situation according to time, environment condition, etc. to prepare suitable response plans.

In Human Resource management

Human resource is a process that lasts before the recruitment plan to the time the personnel leaves. Each person has discrete information, which is difficult to manage by the paper of separated file, especially when updating, changing private information, the data does not “match” is not uncommon. A suitable software will help leaderships: 

• Personnel information is stored synchronously throughout the process before, during and after working at the company: basic information about personnel, performance evaluation results, salary, reward, discipline, promotion ... Human resource information software helps manage the personal information of personnel in a methodical and throughout the working process at the enterprise.
• Report system will help evaluate comprehensively, thereby building effective training, recruitment plans.