Why The Future of Commerce Rests on Data Integration Technologies

How Data Integration Technologies are Shaping the Future

In bygone days, data integration methods included resource-intensive iterations of ETL procedures, and manual scrubbing and script-creation. Historically, these methods were labor-intensive, could be quite expensive, and were prone to human error or technological misfire. Yet in today’s world, companies must be able to extract and synthesize data from an increasing range and type of sources into a unified view. Luckily, data integration technology has evolved from its fraught and sluggish ancestry into a vital, streamlined component of everyday business practices. In today’s fast-paced world and rapidly shifting market landscapes, it is nearly mandatory that a business’s operations are properly synthesized to allow it to stay ahead of the curve and on top of recent events, existing patterns and emerging trends, and the latest sales or acquisitions. 

So what exactly does data integration entail? Put simply, data integration is the process of synthesizing multiple applications or sources in a way that cohesively contains all requisite data captured by each. These days, data integration technology is generally offered in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) format for ease of use. A quality data integration platform such as Rapidi’s enables management, a team, or a given business to manipulate and oversee data that has been centralized and synthesized into a single source of truth. 

What Problems does Data Integration Actually Solve?

Aside from eliminating the need to manually enter data multiple times across different applications, proper data integration reduces inefficient labor and siloing, resulting in more accurate (and therefore more applicable) analytics, all of which are vital to healthy and sustainable business practices.

Operational Hindrances due to Data Siloing

Data silos refer to informational repositories that exist in separation from the broader entity; in the context of business operations, it refers to data known to or controlled by one application, sector or unit of a business and inaccessible to the broader entity without manual outreach. For example, a team-member may have to update multiple applications with the same information because the two applications don’t “speak” to one another. Or, a team member in the field has to call the Finance department in order to access or update a customer’s profile, instead of being able to make changes to or access the existing data himself. 

Poor or Inefficient Data Analytics

Data analysis is a vital part of informed decision-making, the foundation of any sustainable business practice. Naturally, real-time information is imperative for businesses who want to have their finger on the pulse of customer trends, as well as have a comprehensive understanding of internal operations. Contemporary data integration methods aren’t nearly as data prone as their more manual predecessors, which means your enterprise can take advantage of the 360-degree view that high-end data integration services such as Rapidi provide. 

Myopic Viewpoints

Data siloed within different applications can make it difficult for management to see the larger picture. When data from an enterprise’s CRM and ERP are integrated, the correlations it makes apparent are crucial to a more incisive understanding of the responsiveness, health, and preparedness of the business itself. It also enables greater and more customizable customer support and service; for example, data analysis based on integrated information can let you know when may be an optimal time to reach out to customers, as well as what exactly you may wish to promote (and to whom). Access to real-time, up-to-date customer information translates into heightened customer satisfaction and trust in the reliability of a business.

What Modern Data Integration Technology Means for Your Business

Let’s be honest: businesses are unlikely to suffer from a lack of data—in this day and age, data acquisition is almost too easy. On the contrary; it’s more likely that a business is wallowing in an enormous amount of data while lacking proper analytical infrastructure—in other words, a way of managing the data that it has access to. However, contemporary methods of data integration such as those offered by RapidiOnline offer your business cutting-edge tools with which to build your success. 

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These days, much of the process of data integration has been ported over to the cloud. Increasingly, cloud and hybrid solutions help businesses synthesize data from a variety of cloud-based applications and/or on-premise systems to a data warehouse which may itself be cloud-based. The result is unparalleled ease and efficiency, heightened internal communication, and access to the most relevant, up-to-date information at your fingertips.  

Contemporary data integration solutions such as Rapidi’s technology minimize the strain on team-members, and eliminate most manual processes entirely. Accessing, managing, storing, and delivering data has never been as intuitive, efficient, and approachable as it is today. Rapidi’s integration technologies have not only stood the test of time, but have developed and grown to fit rapidly evolving businesses needs. 

Rapidi uses pre-configured, pre-mapped, and highly adaptable templates in order to facilitate the most commonly requested type of integration—two-system—quickly and painlessly. It is also flexible enough that it can be used to integrate CRMs such as Salesforce with almost any ERP out there, including all Microsoft Dynamics options, current and legacy included. And if no solution seems quite right “out of the box”, Rapidi can work alongside you and your business to craft a custom-fit designed for your data integration needs. Plus, they require no technical know-how on the part of users, and setup generally occurs in a matter of hours. With Rapidi at your side, you and your enterprise are free to reap the benefits of streamlined, cutting-edge data technology.

Featured article by Frank Adams