Understanding Data Integration And Its Role In Your Business

• Look at the big picture
• Zoom out 
• See the forest for the trees

Here's your answer: Each of them refers to the act of stepping back for a clearer view, then integrating the information at your disposal in order to reach a conclusion. 

As humans, we make our best decisions when we have all the available data to assess and then pick a course going forward. Data is extremely valuable, but not when you're cherry-picking little pieces of it to build a theory. 
Real insights come from integrating data, or in other words combining all the data you have from a wide variety of sources into a single, unified view. 

In today's digital economy, where reams of data are produced every second, the ability to integrate and synthesize data to reveal new truths is a powerful tool for business. 

Why Data Integration Is Vital For Business

Good data integration aids good decision-making. The better your data, the better your choices.
It's that simple.  

What most businesses are looking for is actionable intelligence from the data. That means they want the data presented in easy-to-understand dashboards that will lead them to concrete steps and actions based on what the data is telling them. 

You can only get that when your data is integrated to paint a complete picture. Many of today's companies receive data from their CSM, as well as their website, social media feeds, suppliers, and consumers too. It can feel overwhelming and often contradictory if it is unstructured. 

Pulling all the data together and presenting it clearly is a great value add that can provide an organization with a real edge over the competition.

Good data integration offers businesses the following advantages: 

• Increased operational efficiency through automated data processes that require minimal manual upkeep
• High-quality actionable data, provided in real-time that integrates well with existing business rules
• More valuable insights that can be analyzed and used in a multitude of ways

How To Achieve Quality Data Integration

When you have access to iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service), you quickly remove all the most serious obstacles to seamless data integration. Running data through iPaaS means efficiently integrating, automating, and connecting all the data from your various day-to-day operating systems and applications. 

Data that may previously have been sorted, moved, or shared across systems manually by an employee is now being shared seamlessly between your CMS, ERP, TMS software, or wherever else you need it. 

Pre-built application connectors provide a neat ‘plug and play' integration experience. Of course, users retain the ability to control the data and decide if it needs to be altered as it passes through the system, or which data sets need to be integrated first. 

The end goal of data integration needs to always be kept in mind: better business intelligence. A clear-eyed view of your current situation and any past trends is vital for you to predict what will happen next, and respond accordingly.

Ariox's groundbreaking Lumino iPaaS solution integrates easily with your existing network and brings the kind of transformative data intelligence that you've been waiting for. Get in touch today for a free demo of what Lumino can do for you.