INTEGRATION
INTEGRATION PLANNING
Considerations include
- Enterprise Architecture
- Existing Technology Infrastructure
- Resource Availability
Customer Data Integration (CDI) offers businesses a consistent and accurate view of their relationship with the customer. CDI gathers all data about a customer from disparate systems in various departments within a business and assembles it in a single location, making it easily accessible to multiple departments. Accurate customer data provides businesses insight they need to make well-informed decisions. More important than the data itself is managing and maintaining it to ensure it is accurate, consistent, and complete.
Our approach may be summarized as follows:
- Start with an Enterprise Architecture Framework
1. Understand Data Architecture and Application Architecture in comprehensive detail
2. Develop a Foundational Integration Roadmap
3. Evaluate Middleware options
4. Identify Integration scenarios and align with Salesforce Integration Patterns
consistent with the Enterprise Architecture and enabling better ROI for current technology investments.
- Implement an API-led Connectivity approach - a strategy for customer data integration relies on three types of APIs that are each developed for a specific purpose:
1. System APIs can be used with specific systems, including ERP, customer and billing systems, and proprietary databases, such as a third-party payment processor.
2. Process APIs are the second tier and combine system APIs for a specific business purpose
3. Experience APIs use multiple APIs from the preceding tiers and are often used in end-user applications
AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
MASTER DATA SYNCHRONIZATION
Master data can be any type of data that is core and essential to business operations, and can vary between industries, or separate business entities within a specific industry. If you have a master data management hub, you can easily integrate your Salesforce Platform resident data and business processes—giving you a single system of truth (SSOT) across your enterprise.
MDM enhances the effectiveness of business processes by reducing risk, improving data privacy, and speeding up time to market
EXTERNAL ERP INTEGRATION
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the integrated management of main business processes, often in real time and mediated by software and technology. ERP systems manage all aspects of a production-based or distribution business; unify critical business functions including, but not limited to finance, manufacturing, inventory, vendor management and a host of mission critical functions.
CRM integration with ERP systems and a single source of customer truth (SSOT) enables companies to stay ahead of their competition and support customer-focused strategies
DATA WAREHOUSE INTEGRATION
A data warehouse is a central repository of information that can be analyzed to make informed decisions. It allows for the separation of analytics processing from transactional databases, which improves performance of both systems. In addition, it enhances data quality, consistency, and accuracy.
A well architected data warehouse integration unifying relevant data with a robust engagement layer such as Salesforce enables an enterprise to deliver personalized customer experiences. An integration approach that is consistent across the enterprise leverages existing investments and converts "Data into Value".