Data redundancy refers to the unnecessary duplication of data within a database or storage system. When the same piece of information is stored in multiple places, it can lead to inconsistencies and increased storage costs. For example, if a company's employee records are saved in several different files, updating one file may not update the others, causing confusion and errors.
To manage data redundancy, organizations often use techniques like normalization, which organizes data to minimize duplication. By ensuring that each piece of information is stored only once, companies can maintain data integrity and improve efficiency. This is especially important for systems like customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP).