If you like applications, and there is a software solution for everything at work, then you have certainly asked yourself the question: how do you synchronize the information between all the tools used?
A common problem faced by different departments in a company is isolated data for using different tools; a lot of time is wasted in configuring the systems.
Fortunately, there is a wide range of possible solutions when it comes to better integration of your company’s tools, applications and data. So, we will address the basics of how software integrations work and, more importantly, how they can make your life easier.
First of all: What is software integration?
Integration refers to the process of combining two software solutions to solve the problem of isolated data.
Before you get to work, you’ll need to answer these questions:
1.What type of software will you integrate?
Although large companies often create in-house software, they are increasingly adopting Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. This type of tool allows them to manage certain business processes without problems.
Smaller companies usually use SaaS directly, preferring cloud-based applications that can adapt to their business.
Regardless of the size of your company, if you work with internal software and need to integrate, you may need a team of engineers to help you with the software architecture for integration.
Sounds too complex or you don’t have a budget? Don’t worry, there are some pre-built integration software that you can consider.
Cloud-based business applications (those SaaS solutions we talked about) make the job easier. Most publish their Application Programming Interface (API), which expands your integration possibilities.
2.What integration software do you need?
If you use internal software, you will need an ad-hoc solution. You can see if there is a company integration software that suits your needs, but you may need help from a team of engineers.
If you work with business applications that share their API, you can use native integrations or an iPaaS.
There are several iPaaS options to choose from. You should consider whether you need one-way integration or two-way synchronization. For this last step, you can use PieSync.
3.What part of your data needs integration?
You may not need to integrate every element of the databases – check their compatibility and do not try to mix apples with pears.
With some preparation in advance, integration between applications should not be a problem. For starters, make sure you’ve collected the specific needs of your company and the options you have available. In the end, the integration will not only bring the applications closer, but also the team.
