What is a Personal Data Warehouse?

Personal data warehouses make it easy to store and access all kinds of information, allowing individuals a great deal of flexibility and convenience in how they choose to view and even share those details with others.‍

In today’s ever so digitally connected and data-driven world, people’s personal information is scattered across countless apps, devices, and platforms, making it difficult to manage and understand.

In fact, the average person uses 9 mobile apps per day, 30 apps per month, with an average 80 apps on their phone.

And considering that an individual user may have their details placed in non-cloud locations that cannot be remotely accessed by other devices, that can make personal info storing and management even more challenging.

What’s more, this fragmentation raises concerns about individual privacy, security, and the potential misuse of one’s data.

... and that’s where the personal data warehouse comes in.

‍Personal Data Warehouse Defined and Explained

A personal data warehouse is a centralized repository specifically designed to store and manage an individual's data.

It acts as a single source of truth, gathering information from various sources and organizing it in a way that makes it easy to understand and analyze.  

Imagine having all online activity, health data, financial records, and social media interactions (among other relevant details) neatly organized and readily available in one secure location.

Another way to look at it: instead of having puzzle pieces scattered across the floor, a personal data warehouse provides the table where one can assemble those pieces into a clear, comprehensive picture of their digital and overall life, to whatever extent they want.

How the Warehouse Takes Form

So, in what form does a personal data warehouse present itself?

A person could access their personal data warehouse in a few different ways, depending on how it's set up:

• Mobile App: This is probably the most user-friendly option. Imagine an app on a phone that pulls together all data and displays it in a clear, organized way.  

• Web Portal: Access data through a website on a computer or tablet. This might be preferable for viewing larger amounts of data or doing more complex analysis.
  

• API Connections: For the tech-savvy, some personal data warehouses might offer APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). This lets a person connect other apps or services to the warehouse, further expanding its functionality.

Living in a World of Fragmented Data‍

Without a personal data warehouse, data can be scattered all over the place, residing in silos across various platforms and devices, leading to these common frustrations:

• Incomplete picture of one’s vital stats: Trying to analyze fitness progress? People often must hunt down data from their fitness tracker, smart scale, and any health apps they use. This makes it difficult to see the full picture and identify long-term trends.
  

• Wasted time and energy: Need to understand spending habits? Prepare to spend hours logging into multiple bank accounts, credit card portals, and payment apps. Gathering this information is a tedious and inefficient process.
  

• Missed opportunities for informed decisions: Facing a major life decision like buying a house or changing careers? A person needs all their financial and tax data in one place but accessing it can feel like an impossible task. This can delay important decisions and lead to missed opportunities.
  

• Increased vulnerability to privacy risks: With data scattered across different platforms, it's harder to track who has access to it and how it's being used, thus leaving a person more vulnerable to data breaches and misuse.

And while the challenges exist for individual users, businesses have their own struggles with fragmented data.  

According to an earlier IDC study, data fragmentation was found to be the biggest barrier to digital transformation for businesses.

And 37% of data leaders are spending most of their time grappling with data complexity as opposed to driving true transformation with data.

Benefits of Consolidated Data

As opposed to data fragmentation, having a personal data warehouse offers several advantages:

• Simplicity: Consolidate data from disparate sources into one secure location. This eliminates the need to jump between various apps and websites to access information.
  

• Organization: Structure data in a meaningful way, making it easier to find what one needs and analyze it effectively.
  

• Control: Take ownership of data and decide how it's used. This is particularly important in an age of growing privacy concerns.
  

• Insights: Gain a deeper understanding of online behavior, health trends, financial habits, and more. These insights can empower a person to make informed decisions and even better life chances.  

Personal Data, Stored and Shared Easily with ShareDat

Ease of access to one’s own personal information, pulled in from multiple sources and stored in a secure manner, delivers many obvious benefits.

At ShareDat, we are at the forefront of simplifying and consolidating one’s personal information into a single place, done so in a secure fashion.

The ShareDat app provides that personal data warehouse for individual users on their mobile phone, making it easy to pull up their relevant information, allowing for quick insights and analysis, then making it easy to share information with other businesses and public entities.

Download our app on the App Store and Google Play to see for yourself.

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