In this fascinating yet complex business scenario, integration has turned out to be a cornerstone for success for businesses out there. Just like all of us out there, companies have also become a lot “smarter” than they used to be a few years back. Reason? The companies of today no longer depend on manual processes to fulfil their business needs. Instead, they rely on advanced technologies to streamline their workflows and acquire better insights into their business processes.
One such boon of technology is application integration. Application integration helps bring together the various systems and applications onto a single unified platform, thereby offering you enhanced visibility and automated workflows. Integration can also be used to address various challenges that companies have been facing for years now.
According to Forrester, 24% of enterprises have already implemented or plan to implement closely integrated business processes that run partly on-premises and partly in the cloud.
Problem 1: Data Entry Errors → Costly Fulfillment Mistakes
So, here we are going to have a look at why application integration can be a “one-stop solution” for a majority of your business problems.
The word “data” may sound simple, yet it is one of the most crucial aspects in the fast-paced world of technology. A small error in data can bring down the reputation of your organization within seconds. Data entry errors can also cause you to pay heavy fines which may burn a hole in your pocket. It may surprise you to know that poor data quality, often stemming from data entry errors, can cost organizations an average of 15 million USD annually – Gartner.
Common pitfalls of data entry errors:
- Poor decision-making
- Increased costs
- Reduced visibility
The solution? The simplest way to reduce data-related discrepancies is to stop dealing with multiple disparate systems and switch to integration platforms. Application integration often includes data cleansing and validation functionalities. This helps in identifying and rectifying inconsistencies in data. It also reduces duplicates and chances of errors. Implementing robust data governance practices also ensures that data integrity is maintained.
Problem 2: Finance Teams Always Playing Catch-Up
The success of a company is often measured in terms of finances. The financial teams of companies may often have to struggle to keep up with their competitors. This mainly happens because of a lack of unified financial processes. The visibility of the company’s finances is reduced. According to Gartner, 18% of accountants make financial errors at least daily, with a third making at least a few financial errors every week. Do you still want to rely blindly on your accountants for all your financial tasks? Definitely not.
Common pitfalls of financial inefficiencies:
- Improper cash flow
- Poor budgeting
- Flawed financial decisions
The solution? Application integration offers you with system consolidation. This helps you in ensuring that the financial processes are streamlined. You are also able to gain proper visibility of your finances which further helps in enhanced decision-making. This offers companies with financial stability. They are also able to ensure that all the business needs are well addressed.
Related Read: How to Break Down Data Silos With Data Integration
Problem 3: Sales & Ops Misalignment
Sales optimization is the Holy Grail for businesses driving growth. The sales optimization process hinges on two vital elements: a profound understanding of the customers and streamlined business operations. Misalignment between sales and operations costs companies an average of 10% of revenue per year. While sales and ops alignment may at times seem to be a “Mission Impossible, ”it can easily be navigated by integrating the different systems in your environment.
Common pitfalls of sales & ops misalignment:
- Chasing the wrong leads
- Reduced revenue
- Customer dissatisfaction
The solution? With application integration, you will be able to ensure that your various operations are further streamlined. You can get rid of inefficient processes, thereby leading the path towards growth and prosperity. Streamlined sales processes can help you acquire potential leads for your business. You can gain complete visibility of all the business data. This helps you in achieving your sales objectives. You are also able to offer the desired level of satisfaction to your customers.
Related Read: 8 Cloud Integration Challenges And How To Overcome Them
Problem 4: Poor Visibility = Lost Customers
A lot of companies fail to succeed in the long run mainly because of visibility issues. Most companies do not have a concrete view of all their business processes and data, because of which they are unable to offer the best possible services to the customers. In fact, only 3% of IT executives have complete and real-time visibility into their systems.
Common pitfalls of poor business visibility:
- Loss in productivity
- Customer dissatisfaction
- Poor decision-making
The Solution? With application integration, you are able to enjoy a unified view of the data on a single platform, making it really easy for you to obtain vital insights into your business. This takes you one step ahead towards offering the best possible services to your customers. You are also able to perform predictive analysis based on customer data and offer them the best possible services.
Problem 5: Compliance Headaches
Companies with disparate systems may often have to face various challenges with compliance and security. In today’s evolving digital landscape, it is quite common for companies to face a rising level of cyber threats. With increasing demand for using multiple systems to manage business activities, businesses might find it difficult to ensure that security and compliance is maintained. Compliance failures equate to heavy fines. In fact, McKinsey Research states that financial institutions have faced over 300 billion USD in fines and losses due to compliance failures.
Common pitfalls of compliance issues:
- Inadequate risk assessments
- Damage to company reputation
- Expensive fines
The solution? By using integrated systems, businesses can easily secure all the systems and services. They can ensure that their business environment is compliant with the various prevailing regulations. You can also save yourself from having to pay expensive fines. Integration also allows for a streamlined auditing process. It can also be used to automate compliance monitoring.
How Can Integration Platforms Like APPSeCONNECT Solve Your Everyday Business Challenges?
Now that you are aware of all the challenges that businesses might have to deal with on an everyday basis, your next question would be how you are going to pick yourself the right integration partner who will bring an end to your daily struggles. Well, finding an appropriate integration partner isn’t an easy task. The internet is flooded with integration partners of all kinds. So, hitting the bull’s eye on the first attempt can be a difficult affair.
So, to make things a tad easier, we are going to talk to you about one of the most reliable integration partners of today – APPSeCONNECT. APPSeCONNECT is known for its highly customized and advanced integration solutions. The company has been helping businesses navigate everyday challenges and achieve enhanced business outcomes for quite a while now. With APPSeCONNECT as your business partner, your business will be in safe hands. Let’s see how:
| The Problem | The APPSeCONNECT Solution |
|---|---|
| Data Entry Errors | APPSeCONNECT’ ProcessFlow Designer can generate a data integration pipeline allowing you to integrate all your business data. You can also automate data tracking and error handling processes. |
| Financial Challenges | APPSeCONNECT comes with enhanced reporting and data analytics capabilities, allowing you to acquire in-depth financial insights. |
| Sales & Ops Misalignment | The pre-built connectors and templates help you to easily integrate the sales and business processes. You can also customize your solutions based on your exact business needs. |
| Poor Visibility | APPSeCONNECT’s low-code/no-code platform allows you to gain enhanced visibility of your business processes. It also allows flexible integration to meet specific business needs. |
| Compliance Headaches | APPSeCONNECT complies with geo-specific compliance regulations like ISO 27001, SOC 2 (Type II), GDPR, HIPAA, and the CLOUD Act. It also implements enhanced security measures like SSO, RBAC, SCIM provisioning, and 2FA. |
With over 1,200+ customers worldwide, APPSeCONNECT has indeed created a benchmark for itself in the world of application integration. See more about what our customers have got to say by going through our testimonials!
As per IDC, by 2028, 80% of CIOs will leverage organizational changes to harness AI, automation, and analytics, driving agile, insight-driven digital businesses, and all these requirements can be fulfilled by choosing APPSeCONNECT as your integration partner.
Wondering why APPSeCONNECT is better than MuleSoft or Celigo? Click here to know more!
Mini Case Study
Wilderness Trail Bikes, a leading dealer in bikes and accessories in the US, took the help of APPSeCONNECT to integrate Shopify Plus with SAP Business One. The integration helped the company in syncing 99% of its bulk orders. It was also able to improve efficiency and accuracy by over 50%.
Read the full case study by clicking here!
