Helpful Examples Of Software Integrations That Will Make Your Business Thrive

These days, apps are what make the world go round. And they’re particularly critical for businesses. Companies rely on them for all sorts of things, from managing customer accounts to placing orders with suppliers.

There’s just one problem: apps don’t always work beautifully together. Many firms wind up in situations where their data is siloed, leading to suboptimal outcomes.

Fortunately, today there are a wide range of solutions that essentially knit together all these different systems into a single, unified hub that people across your organisation can use.

What Type Of Software Should You Integrate?

Companies generally fall into two camps: those that use in-house software, and those that rely on SaaS – or software-as-a-service.

Generally, bigger companies use in-house solutions. However, these tend to be more complex and expensive to integrate. Often, firms have to hire specialists to knit various programs together for them in projects that can take years to complete.

Smaller firms use SaaS. Here, vendors often provide their own integrations and don’t require businesses to do any additional work. They simply ask for the relevant user account details and then knit the programs together.

Examples Of Software Integrations

The type of software integrations you opt for depend heavily on the kind of operations you run. Some businesses, for instance, want to link their websites to their email marketing software. This way, when a customer signs up, they can send them correspondence automatically, without the need for any follow-up.

Other payment gateway API integrations make it easier to take payments from customers. For instance, you might integrate your point of sale device with your CRM or customer email accounts so that you can send them digital receipts.

Companies will sometimes integrate their backend systems as well, particularly those in the supply chain. For instance, they might combine data collection services with inventory management, allowing them to get a better picture of their current stock situation. They may also add additional data streams (such as consumer demand or even weather reports) to further refine their ordering and stock-taking processes.

What Type Of Data Do You Need To Integrate?

Ultimately, it isn’t apps that companies are integrating when they stitch their solutions together: it’s data. Companies are essentially combining complex databases and then using synergies to improve their operations.

Unfortunately, getting various data streams to work together can be challenging. Appending datasets requires some commonalities – particularly the observational unit you choose. For instance, if you have a database of customer information (such as their name, age and email address), it’s hard to see how to add weather information to such a spreadsheet. In other words, you can’t mix apples and oranges.

Conclusion

In general, software integration is a broad term. What it really means is adding functionality and efficiency to your existing software. Most integrations reduce manual keyboard entries, improve customer service and enhance your analytical capabilities. Applications generally share an API, but you don’t have to carry them out yourself. Third-party firms offering integrations can do it for you.