The process of data integration involves merging data from different sources into a unified database to provide a single source of truth. It begins with ingestion and encompasses steps like cleansing, data mapping, ETL, and transformation. Data integration solutions ultimately enable analytics tools to generate quality business intelligence.
There is no single approach to data integration. However, data integration software typically involves a few common elements, including a network of variety of data sources, a master server, and clients accessing data from the master server. Typically, the data integration process, business users send a request to the master server for data. After sending the request, the master server intakes the required data from internal and external sources. Finally, the data is extracted from different sources, then consolidated into a unified data set. Later, this data set can be accessed to drive decision-making.
Ensure Success with Integration
Even though business users are receiving all the data they need, chances are that all the data comes from different data sources. For example, in order to have a typical customer 360 degree view use case, the data that is merged include a lot of information coming from web traffic, CRM systems, marketing operations software, customers or partners, and more. Information gathered from all these systems help business users to take actions, and this task of merging all information is no small task for developers or engineers to accomplish.
For better understanding, we need to take a closer look at a typical analytical use case. In the absence of unified data access, business users find it difficult to perform a lot of tasks. Even a single report will involve many other tasks like logging into multiple accounts, copying over data, reformatting and cleansing, and gaining access to data within apps, and users must take care of these tasks before commencing the analysis process.
In order to execute these operations as efficiently as possible, companies need to rely on modern data integration solutions. In this blog post, we’ll be able to explore the reasons why data integration can enable organizations handle their data for driving their business forward.
Improves Collaboration and Combining of Systems
In every organization, employees reside in various departments that can be present at disparate locations. To function in a better way, they need access to the company’s data. This becomes possible when companies’ employ a data integration platform that enables users combine data into a single database. Many solutions are self-service based, and these solutions empower all business users integrate data and create a collaborative business environment that thrives on innovation and growth. Self-service based data integration software by empowering all business users minimizes the interference of IT departments, leaving them free to focus on more important tasks.
Cuts Down Time and Improves Efficiency
When organizations adopt a data integration approach to integrate its disparate data, it helps them reduce the time taken to prepare as well as analyze that data for making good business decisions. By automating unified views, business users can cut down the time taken to manually gather data, and also employees working in the organization need not build connections from scratch whenever they need to establish an application or run a report.
In addition, using the right features like pre-built application connectors, shared templates, monitoring dashboard, etc., instead of hand-coding the integration process, organizations can save more time for important tasks. The time saved can be leveraged to execute other tasks, with more hours earmarked for analysis along with execution to make the organization drive business forward.
Reduces Number of Errors
Organizations are using many ways to employ data resources without difficulty. To garner data using manual means, employees must identify every location they require to explore – and deploy necessary software installed – to make sure that their datasets will be accurate and complete. With automated features, modern data integration solutions allow business users integrate, process, and analyze data without causing errors or discrepancies. In addition, data integration software provides an encrypted environment that allows only authenticated users to access data, cutting down the risks of data breaches or thefts.
To conclude, organizations can rely on data integration solutions to handle data with precision, ultimately becoming easier to do business with.
