What Does a Database Specialist Do?

A database specialist manages the software program for a company. The type of information that a database specialist collects and manages is typically information on the prospects and customers of the business. While the specialist manages the data that goes into the software program, the manager also works with various other employees in the company to collect, monitor and share the information that is collected.

The first step that a database technician takes when working for an employer or a client is to determine the needs of the client. Databases are used across all types of industries, but each business or company has its own specific needs and requirements. Once the database specialist assesses the needs of the company, the database technician can evaluate the current software.

Evaluating the current database software allows the database specialist to determine if the company is collecting the information it should. For some companies, it may be collecting information such as the name and mailing address of the customer, along with a phone number, email address and a record of the customer’s buying behavior with the company.

The database technician may use this information to report findings to different departments within the company. For example, a database specialist typically can run reports from the software. These reports can help the marketing department determine how marketing campaigns affect customer buying behavior. The marketing department also uses the information that the database technician collects to send out marketing materials, including emails, brochures, direct mail campaigns, coupons, catalogs and more.

The specialist also spends a lot of time updating the information that is in the software. For example, if the marketing department sends out a postcard to the entire database that includes a coupon code, the data specialist will work with the sales people who are taking the orders online and via telephone to track the response to the direct mail campaign.

The database specialist will also receive postcards that get returned as undeliverable for various reasons. The specialist may contact the customer in an attempt to update their contact information in the system or remove any of the information that is no longer valid. If the postcard gets returned with a new address, but the post office is unable to forward it because the forwarding has expired, then the database technixian can update the address in the database.