Modernizing Data Integration
Making Incompatible Data, Compatible with the Help of iPaaS
Most of us have heard the well-known phrase "data is the new oil." It's a metaphor that suggests that data is becoming an increasingly valuable resource in the modern economy, much like oil was (and still is) in the industrial era.
But just like oil, data can be slippery and elusive, and it needs to be transformed before it produces any value. Not to mention the fact that it could blow up in your face if you don't handle it properly.
The value of integrating trustworthy data really becomes apparent when it's gathered together in real time from multiple sources and can begin to deliver insights that you would not otherwise be able to summon.
Complex infrastructure, systems, and multiple data streams are part and parcel of the modern workplace, so it's vital that your organization has access to an integration platform that can gather and manage the data, and transform it into something actionable for anyone in the company.
In 2023, that data integration function is performed in the cloud by an iPaaS solution, which is a handy acronym for Integration Platform as a Service.
IPaaS is modernizing data integration in profound ways, by providing an efficient, flexible, and secure way to integrate data and make previously incompatible forms of data compatible with each other. As a result, it's becoming easier than ever for organizations to make better-informed decisions based on data-driven insights.
IPaaS has a number of advantages that make it useful in today's workplace.
Because it's a cloud-based platform, it allows users to integrate data from on-premises and in-the-cloud solutions, and to transform that data in real-time, into a format that can be easily consumed by other applications. It also makes use of smart, pre-built connectors and APIs that make it easier to integrate data from popular applications such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and SAP. Further, iPaaS's advanced data mapping and transformation capabilities ensure data consistency and accuracy, which is critical for making data-driven decisions.
Taken together, the technology is transforming and modernizing data integration at a remarkable pace.
Identifying the Challenge
The data from different sources may have inconsistencies in terms of structure, format, quality, and semantics, which can make it problematic to merge and integrate the data to deliver 'big picture' or granular insights.
This can lead to data redundancy, data gaps, or data conflicts which degrade the value of the data.
Three principal issues that good iPaaS software can solve are the following:
- Data Complexity:
The volume and complexity of data can be overwhelming, especially when dealing with Big Data. It requires sophisticated data integration tools and techniques that can handle data processing, data transformation, and data storage effectively. - Data Security and Privacy:
Integrating data from multiple sources can expose sensitive data to unauthorized access, data breaches, or data leaks. Therefore, data security and privacy must be ensured during the integration process. - Cost and Time:
When it has to be done manually, then integrating data from multiple sources can become a very costly and time-consuming process, and it's inevitable that errors begin to creep in over time.
Understanding The World of iPaaS
When it comes down to it, the fundamentals of iPaaS are built to simplify the process of integrating disparate systems, resolving incompatible data, and automating workflows. Where it makes the biggest impact on your business is in its ability to streamline data integration automatically and enable businesses of all sizes to leverage data from multiple sources to gain insights, increase operational efficiency, and improve decision-making.
By providing a unified view of data across different systems, iPaaS enables organizations to improve collaboration, reduce data silos, and accelerate digital transformation initiatives.
As an example, let's suppose that a company is using various different software solutions for its accounting, inventory management, and customer relationship management. When an order comes in, each of those processes will need to be updated manually. But when iPaaS has been built into the workflow, the customer order would come in and trigger automated updates so that your inventory levels and accounting ledger are automatically adjusted, an invoice is generated and sent to the customer.
It happens in real-time and without the worries that surround manual data entry.
IPaaS is the Next Generation of ETL
Of course, the idea of integrating data is not new and didn't begin with iPaaS.
Bringing incompatible strands of data together to achieve actionable insights has long been a holy grail amongst technologists.
For many years, the idea of trying to make incompatible data somehow compatible progressed quickly using the data integration technology known as ETL (Extract, Transform, Load).
As the name suggests, ETL is a 3-step process; it began with the extraction of data from various sources which were gathered and stored in preparation for the transformation stage. During this stage, the data was cleaned and filtered, calculations and aggregations were performed, all the while specific business rules and logic were applied to the data.
As a final step in ETL, it was loaded into the target data warehouse, ready for analysis and reporting.
The system worked reasonably well and great strides were made under ETL in the use of data.
However, cloud technology has modernized data integration, while also making it more affordable and scalable.
Solving the Problem of Data Integration
IPaaS was created as a next-generation approach to solving the problem of data integration. It achieved this by creating a platform that is much more user-friendly so that business users with little or no technical expertise would be able to create and manage data integrations themselves, without the need for IT involvement.
Thanks to its cloud-based architecture, iPaaS offers greater scalability, flexibility, and accessibility compared to standard on-premises ETL tools. Furthermore, iPaaS platforms can be easily accessed from anywhere as long as there is an internet connection, and they can be easily scaled up or down with a few clicks of a button, in order to accommodate a company's changing data integration needs.
Another big change has been the integration of pre-built connectors to a wide variety of data sources and applications. This makes it easier and faster to set up data integrations, which has led to real-time data integration capabilities. The result being that data can be moved from one system to another in near real time. It has been a real game-changer; particularly for organizations that require up-to-the-minute, accurate data to make informed business decisions.
However, it's important to note that it's still not perfect. All progress happens in fits and starts and this is no different. There may still be limitations to what iPaaS can do in terms of making incompatible data compatible. For example, if the data being integrated contains complex business logic or rules that are specific to a particular system, it may not be possible to fully reconcile these differences with an iPaaS solution alone.
Overall, while iPaaS can provide valuable tools and services to help make incompatible data compatible, human oversight is still very important. It's important to carefully evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the solution before implementing it in your organization. You also need to monitor it closely as it begins to take charge of the ways that the vital data is entering into your system and transforming decision-making.
Are You Ready For IPaaS?
If you know that the data your organization is generating has intrinsic value, but you feel that you're not capturing it in its entirety, then it may be time to take your data integration to the next level with an iPaaS solution from Ariox.
Our powerful set of integration tools has been developed with you in mind.
Within Lumino, the flagship iPaaS offering, users have access to a host of integration features that increase automation and communication between the systems they use most - alleviating the need for manual data entry, allowing for quicker logistics and response times, faster data transmission, and increased efficiency.
Our all-in-one, user-managed solution provides intuitive functionality, data analytics, and user-managed integration control for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Say goodbye to those outdated and expensive custom integrations and hello to thoughtful, intuitive data that will guide your company's decision-making for years to come.
Click the link then submit your email below for a free Product Tour of Lumino and see what it can do for you.
Newsletter Sign-up
Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.