Integration is dead. Long live data synchronisation.
Maximise efficiency, reduce costs and decrease churn with data synchronisation! Eliminate the need for complex integration processes and ensure data is always up to date with data synchronisation. Quickly and easily share data between different systems and improve collaboration.
Making those systems talk
According to Gartner, the average business uses more than 100 cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. As more apps are put in use, customer expectations are increasing correspondingly. SaaS-application customers has understood the importance of system talk. They expect their systems to be able to talk to each other, independently of systems, age and language. System integration and data synchronisation is two approaches to achieve “system talk”.
What’s the difference?
System integration and data synchronisation is often misinterpreted as synonyms. Well, it’s not. So, what’s the difference?
System integration combines two or more systems to work in tandem. The systems know about and talk with each other. One system talks to another and notifies the other system when something happens. The systems will be dependent on one another, so if one fails, it all fails. And when one gets a new system, one must create a new integration and dependency towards ones existing systems.
This is the traditional approach to get systems to talk. However, it's no secret that system integration is a complex, tedious and resource intensive process, both for the SaaS-vendor and for their customers. It requires a deep understanding of how the individual systems work, one needs to free personnel, build competence and invest in building connectors. For SaaS-vendors taking on the integration responsibility for their customers equals a higher risk. Additionally, traditional system integration is often hard-coded and with an increasing number of customers this gets difficult to manage, which can lead to contracting technical debt.
Data synchronisation, on the other hand, keep two or more systems in sync without the massive complexities of system integration. Ensuring that the different system data is consistent. Not only once but also over time. In other words, it’s a continuous process. Each dataset may have its own unique structure, language and schema. In contrast to system integration, the datasets are not combined with data synchronisation, they are kept separate. Sounds easier, doesn’t it?
Rather than creating situations in which systems depend on each other, and break when one changes, data synchronisation opens the door to a new way of thinking about consistency within the business. In other words, synchronisation increase flexibility as you can more easily change or swap out systems compared to system integration where you are more tied to the systems you have integrated. Synchronisation is also a much simpler process than system integration and doesn’t require as many resources nor is it as tedious. With that time-to-productivity also decrease drastically. That’s right: instead of putting the time and energy into getting multiple systems to cooperate, you can focus on doing what you do best – deliver a great product!
Bottom line
Data synchronisation should be the preferred method for connecting SaaS-applications. The benefits are many and the risks are low. Data synchronisation is the future. It's an all-around win. You spend less time getting your technology on track, you can pivot more easily in the future. Few risks, many rewards: these are the new realities, there for the taking. Data synchronisation is the easier, but also the superior, approach to working with data across systems for any business.
Free up your team to focus on the tasks and goals that matter most to your business, avoiding the headaches that system integrations introduce entirely.
Data synchronisation is the way of the future for connecting SaaS applications - make the switch today and see the benefits for yourself!