A database developer is an IT professional who develops and maintains databases across an organization, while at the same time ensuring high levels of data availability. He or she also evaluates various technology components such as software, hardware and networking capabilities for database management systems and apps. While database administrators typically focus on routine maintenance and support, developers focus more on improving databases and expanding their functionality.
The Role of a Database Developer
A database developer may be hired for a wide variety of tasks. Report writing, data analysis, web analytics, database design and data modeling are just some of the roles a developer plays. Although specific responsibilities vary from organization to organization, the role of a developer almost always includes the following:
- Designing and developing databases and data models.
- Editing and/or modifying databases according to your business’ needs.
- Maintenance of existing and new databases.
- Fixing faults and/or “bugs” found in programming.
- Managing security issues.
- Providing technical support.
Even though a database developer has a highly technical job that requires knowledge of industry-specific software such as
Oracle, SQL Servers, and
Netezza, she or he also must possess a great deal of creativity. It’s also important that they have soft skills such as collaboration, problem-solving and communication, as well as be team-oriented, as the position may require them to act as a buffer between database administrators and business users. The ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical users is critical.
Why You Need a Database Developer
Making use of database technology to gather, store and process information about your customers, competitors and suppliers gives your business a distinct advantage. Benefits of databases include:
- Reduction in the amount of time staff spend managing data.
- The ability to analyze data in a variety of ways.
- A disciplined approach to data management.
- An opportunity to turn different information into a valuable resource.
- Improvement in the quality and consistency of information.
If your business lacks the time or resources to gather and process large amounts of information, it may miss out on discovering how it's performing and how profitable products or services are. The more you know about your customers, competitors and suppliers, the better. In order to collect all the data that you need to make informed decisions, you need a sophisticated database management system that allows you to do this. For example, sales records help you identify valuable customers and historical data indicates business trends.
Analytics lets you take advantage of the data available to you in measurable ways that impact your business and helps you quickly answer performance questions. A database developer can help your organization galvanize operations around data instead of treating it and your day-to-day operations as two separate things. Ultimately, what a good database developer can do is help you figure out just what value is lurking in your data, and what its impact might be.
A database developer is an IT professional who develops and maintains databases across an organization, while at the same time ensuring high levels of data availability. He or she also evaluates various technology components such as software, hardware and networking capabilities for database management systems and apps. While database administrators typically focus on routine maintenance and support, developers focus more on improving databases and expanding their functionality.