Integration
 One of the biggest challenges faced when deploying new applications is the requirement to integrate and exchange information with other business applications.
Too often systems such as ERP, CRM, Service Management and HR systems cannot communicate with one another in order to share data or business rules. For this reason, such applications are sometimes referred to as islands of information or information silos. This lack of communication leads to inefficiencies where identical data is stored in multiple locations, or straightforward processes are unable to be automated and therefore repeated.
Systems Integration is the process of linking such applications within a single organisation together in order to simplify and automate business, whilst at the same time avoiding having to make sweeping changes to the existing applications or data structures.
A major challenge to successful applications integration is that the various systems that need to be linked together often reside on different operating systems or use different database platforms. We use multiple techniques and technologies including Microsoft Biztalk and SQL Server Integration Services to ensure we can address a number of key business challenges including:
- Identify the right information: Find where data from different business processes is located and use it to aid decision making
- Provide the right information at the right place: Ensuring that the appropriate information is available to the correct people in the business
- Update the information in real time: Data needs to be up to date and capable of being analysed, challenged and filtered
- Co-ordination of business processes: Ensuring that integration strategies consider overall business goals and not short term tactical challenges
- Organise and adapt: Adoption and use are the keys to successful integration, decision makers need to understand that information is now available in a well-structured format to allow easy identification of and access to relevant information
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Data Silos to powerful information
Often data is stored in sperate transactional systems in silos, gettin this data out and transforming it into information to support effective decision making is key to any business.
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