Data integration is like a holistic prescription to help bring your company or organization into the modern age. You're likely collecting all sorts of data as the various pieces of your company goes about its business, so why not put that data to use?
It's called having a data integration strategy, and all the top companies in just about every vertical have one, or are at least in the process of designing one. For larger enterprises, a data integration strategy is even more important because one misstep can have far-reaching consequences which can prevent you from getting true value from such a strategy or any of the data you're collecting.
Indeed, once you've decided to move forward with data integration, you'll need a comprehensive plan in place. Here are some things to keep in mind as you work on your data integration strategies.
Data Integration to Specific Tools
Whether we’re talking about advertising, marketing, data science, CRM, customer success or virtually any other aspect of the business that works with data, a data integration strategy is a crucial element to the business’s success. At MetaRouter, we’re really talking about democratizing data from across all teams in an organization, allowing them to integrate that data with their tools, on their terms, in a compliant and performant manner.
Scalability
While you may be collecting a certain amount of data today, that number will likely rise exponentially in the coming years. Think about the data you may have been collecting a few years or a decade ago. Now compare it to the data that is considered valuable to your organization today. Generally, any data integration techniques must take into account the rise in data collection -- otherwise you'll quickly reach a point where you simply can't process all of that data.
A common solution to scalability is use of cloud environments such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and many others. On top of this, any services you use to ingest data, process it, and send it to other locations and partners also need to scale as you collect more data and improve the robustness of that data.
Access From Anywhere
Organizations that require workers to be present and in front of a desk or workstation to get work done are quickly falling behind those that promote anytime and anywhere access to their systems, processes and data, which all springs from data integration strategies. That can help you better integrate contractors that are halfway around the world or simply to allow your workers to get a solid workday in from home.
Interoperability
It used to be the case that one department didn't really have much to do with another. But as our understanding of organizations grows, we now know that communication and interoperability are important aspects of being able to do better work in less time by using less resources. That data integration can help save money as well as introduce more efficiencies that can help you get more out of your limited resources. And when everyone is working together with the same goals in mind, you'll have a better, more efficient organization for it.
Adaptability
A core tenant of any data integration strategy is adaptability. If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it's that companies that can pivot quickly with technology are the ones that stand to gain the most. After all, it's not like many new technologies were introduced in 2020, but those that were able to leverage existing data integration tools and techniques were able to see their way through the morass before anyone else.
Cloud-Based Infrastructure
In the past, companies would spend lots of time and money to keep their capabilities in house and locked into outdated systems that may be making it harder for your best employees to do good work. But with modern cloud-based systems and other internet-enabled infrastructure, you can streamline and optimize your workflows while putting all that good data to use. And when you have a more informed workforce, better decisions can be made.
Data Integration Strategies From Metarouter
Here at Metarouter, we aim to help enterprises get a handle on their data and processes. We don't sell a black box; we help companies with their data integration strategies so that they can get down to the real work that can transform a business and affect real change. Contact us today for customized and tailored help vis a vis your data needs.
