Being able to easily access your data, sort it in a manner that makes sense for your business, and know that it is protected in case of power disruptions or cyber attack are all business-critical considerations that must be addressed when determining the best data solutions. We’re looking at data warehouse services Vs databases – what they each do, what the pros and cons of the technologies are, and how they differ from one another, so you can make informed decisions to benefit your business.

What do you need to know about Data Warehouses?

A data warehouse is essentially a central repository for your information to be stored and accessed. Data warehousing services provide space and the tools to integrate data from various sources and create a searchable database. Depending on the service, the data warehouse may also have additional functions for data source integration, lifecycle management, data modelling, and other advanced organisational options.

The pros and cons of a Data Warehouse

As with many other technologies and platforms, there are both reasons for and against using a data warehouse, and these should be carefully considered before a structure is developed and put in place.

The benefits of a data warehouse include:

• Easier integration of data from multiple sources
• Error identification and suggested corrections
• Faster data retrieval

Some limitations to consider:

• Higher maintenance costs
• Increased time spent in preparing the data for the warehouse
• Issues with compatibility, especially at the initial set-up stages

Read about data warehouse Vs data lake and choosing the right data solution.

What do you need to know about Databases?

A database is a structured set of data, which is generally held in an individual location, that can generally be accessed in various ways.

There are different types of databases which are used depending on the project’s needs. The main types of databases are:

• Relational
• Object-Orientated
• Hierarchical
• Network

The Pros and Cons of a Database

Making use of an internal or ‘local’ database can have benefits and problems associated with it.

Some of the pros include:

• Minimised data inconsistency
• Stricter control over data redundancy
• Ease of sharing

But some of the cons to consider include:

• Additional costs involved with staff training
• Hardware and software updates and maintenance costs
• Data conversion may be costly
• Incompatibility with other software

Data Warehouse vs Database and the key differences

The key difference between using a local database and a data warehouse service is accessibility – with data warehouses offering wider access.

However, it’s also important to consider that many data warehouses have easy options to purchase more space when the database grows in size, an internal database is limited to the size restrictions of the local server, and it can be both costly and time-inefficient to upgrade the server when these limits are reached. Making the correct choice will rely on your specific business needs, the size of the team involved in working with the databases (or accessing them), and whether you have a growth and expansion plan to consider.

Ardent data warehousing service

Ardent has worked with a wide variety of clients to provide a data warehousing service to ensure data organisation and accessibility. If you are dealing with slow query performance, data coming from multiple sources and increasing load to data, get in touch to find out how Ardent can help you effectively store your data. Our engineers help our clients unlock their data potential every day and can do the same for you.

Explore our data engineering services

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Most organisations will not have the expertise in-house to build and develop their software. It can be difficult to find a partner that can provide you with the right people, the right experience and the right skills and expertise. However, taking into consideration key factors and asking the right questions will help you choose the right software development provider.

Technical skills

You need to make sure that you work with a software development provider that has the right technical skills to bring your vision to life. You need to get a good understanding of the technical expertise the company has to offer. For example, you may require technical skills in a specific programming language such as C# or Python, or a combination of other technologies. Does the company you may potentially partner with have a variety of skills and expertise on offer? For example, at Ardent, our team of software development engineers are trained and experienced in using world-leading, innovative technologies such as AWS, Microsoft and more.  

More on our technology partners.

Communication

Communication is vital for the success of a project. You need to work with a software development provider that has set up communication channels that will enable you to get in touch as and when needed and get a quick response. It’s also important to have various contact points, for example, at Ardent we have two contact points for all projects, a dedicated business manager and a technical account manager. The business manager ensures that client requirements are been fulfilled and the technical account manager makes sure that the day to day functionalities and delivery of services are in line with agreed terms. Another thing to take into consideration is language barriers, are the contact points fluent in your language? Some questions to ask potential software development providers if you are looking to work with them are: 

• What is the best mode of communication?
• Who are the contact points throughout the project?
• How quick is the response time?
• Is there any time differences that we need to take into consideration? 
• What are the escalation points if things go wrong

You may also want to consider if you require local contact points when working with a technology partner. For example, Ardent have offices based in the UK, US and India, offering clients local contact points to give them peace of mind.

Business culture

The business culture of the company you are looking to work with is also key. Do they have a culture and teams that match yours, are your views and ethos along the same lines? If a company inhabits a similar sort of culture, it will enable and facilitate a collaborative environment between your team and the software developers. As technology is always evolving and new technologies emerge all the time, you may want to find out how the software development company is keeping up with the changes. Do they ensure regular training for their developers? Do they invest in accreditations? At Ardent, ongoing training and development are at the core of our company culture, we provide a learning environment that enables our developers to improve and increase their skills.

Get to know Ardent.

Experience in successful projects

If you are working with a new partner, it’s important to note the experience they have and how many successful projects they have delivered. If a software development provider has experience dealing with a wide variety of clients, then they will likely be able to cater to your needs. Experience in projects and years in the industry will provide peace of mind and reassurance when it comes to choosing the right software development provider. For example, you may want to ask about client success stories to find out about the type of clients the company has worked with.

Read our client success stories.

Certifications and accreditations

A company will invest with a software development provider so they should validate any claims made on skills and experience. You may want to ask the software development company for any certifications and accreditation they have acquired. For example, Ardent has certifications in Microsoft and AWS. This solidifies any claims made by software development companies and developers because to acquire industry level certifications and accreditations the developers have to pass rigorous exams to earn their certifications.  

Security

Security is a concern for organisations across the globe and you will need to work with an organisation that places security as a priority. Your software needs to be built with robust security measures in place to prevent any data leaks that could occur. It is worth asking the software company about any experience working with sensitive data or the type of technologies they used to build secure software. Also, ask about any security certifications, for example at Ardent is an ISO 27001 certified company as well as acquiring and certification in Cyber Essentials.

Support and maintenance

You got a great piece of software, now what? Does the company offer post-project support? Will they be able to add any features or expand the software in the future if you require it? Companies that value your relationship and offer long term partnership opportunities are more likely to be able to provide you with any additional support required.

Ardent software development services

At Ardent we have worked with a wide variety of organisations across the globe, from local start-ups to internationally established companies. We have been providing bespoke, tailored solutions to help business face their challenges and achieve their objectives for over a decade. If you are looking for a trusted, credible and reliable software development provider, then get in touch to set up a discovery call. 

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