With the management of multiple databases becoming a common problem as organisations evolve and expand it's important to be prepared be aware of some important Do's and Don'ts

1. DO’S & DON’TS
Overcoming the
difficulties of managing
multiple databases
January 2013

2. It’s a common problem…
As organisations evolve and expand, new
working practices are introduced.
As a consequence processes can be
duplicated and become inefficient. This then
costs both time and money.
Our team have created some useful do’s and
don’ts to help ensure your new database
resolves current multiple database issues
and, prevents them from reoccurring.
Source: Research commissioned by MSM to 100 IT Managers based in large UK-based organisations
“60% of
organisations are
forced to deal
with information
held on multiple,
disparate
databases.”

3. DO…
1. Review off-the-shelf options
Just make sure it matches your needs perfectly
before proceeding. Compromising will mean
missing functionality or features.

4. DO…
2. Discuss technology with your
developer
Make sure you check and confirm:
Who will support it? Do they have experience with
the technology?
Is it a technology that more than one supplier can
support, avoiding vendor lock-in?
Does it match your existing IT strategy? Will you
be able to install the new database on your
existing infrastructure or, will it need new
hardware?

5. DO…
3. Carry out user research
Make sure you gather insight from a range of current
system users, they will provide you with:
Valuable insights and ideas on key areas to
develop to improve the efficiencies of multiple
existing databases
Detail of requirements in terms of the system
and, technological capabilities

6. DO…
4. Consider the future
Your future plans will influence how the system is
created so let your development team know if you
anticipate;
Acquisition
Organic growth
Scaling back
All or one of these things could make a BIG difference!

7. DON’T…
1. Forget to set and
communicate expectations
To avoid disappointments from different
interpretations of the brief, set clear and
realistic expectations from the outset.

8. DON’T…
2. Forget about other systems
within the organisation
Integration is an essential part of your new
system.
If your new database can’t effectively talk to
other systems it will just cause more issues.
Don’t forget to consider future integrations,
your provider will need to build these
capabilities too.

9. DON’T…
3. Launch the new database
without support in place
Ensure you have a fully briefed support team
who know the system inside out.
They will then be ready to handle questions
from users and, make ensure the adoption
and overall experience is a great one!

10. DON’T…
4. Underestimate the effort
required to migrate existing
data
This process can be complex - plan it
carefully!
Remember, there’s no point in filling a new
database with data from multiple sources that
won’t provide accurate and useful
management information reporting.

11. DON’T…
5. Allow project scope to
increase without being
controlled
It’s easy for the number of new system
requirements to increase rapidly with lots of
“nice-to-haves”.
Make sure you prioritise your requirements so
you can set a realistic project budget.

12. Keep in touch with MSM
twitter.com/msmsoftware
msmsoftware.com/blog
Company Page – MSM Software