It seems that many businesses can operate with a large margin for error. Managers can make some poor decisions, processes can be a bit inefficient, and employees can be disengaged, yet companies can still turn a profit. Non-profits, and certainly government organizations, can run without optimizing their work, much to the chagrin of many. However I continue to find companies that look for ways to not only become more efficient, but also to fundamentally alter their business models by better understanding their particular market. They can turn profits (or operate efficiently) far in excess of the averages for their industry with one tool: software.

There's a belief in many of these highly optimized companies that data contains lots of value, but in order to understand and harness the information contained within data, an enterprise must be willing to invest in better software. That requires better software developers. In a forward looking enterprise, that means lots of opportunity for those of us that work with data and build software.

Those of us that create technical solutions need to learn to better interpret data and find ways to help our clients find and understand the patterns revealed by our software. Those of us that primarily manage data, need to better understand how software renders and showcases information compiled in our databases. We truly have the ability to reshape the way organizations run with our technological skills.

Computing power continues to grow, accessibility to information improves, and our enterprises become more dependent on our systems. Now is the beginning of an era where we will have tremendous influence in helping change the way business works. I'd urge all of you to continue to look for new ways to manipulate data and find ways that showcase the value that software can bring to your organization. Even if your current company doesn't value your skills, I bet another one will sometime in the future.