Data Integration Write For Us – The process allows heterogeneous data from many different sources to be combined in the form and structure of a single application. It makes it easy for different types of information, such as data matrices, documents, and tables, to be merged by users, organizations, and applications for personal, business process, or function use.
The integration supports the analytical processing of large data sets by aligning, combining, and presenting each information set from organizational departments and remote and external data sources to meet the integrator’s objectives.
Data integration is typically implemented in a data warehouse using specialized software that hosts large data warehouses from internal and external resources. Data is extracted, mixed, and presented in a unified way. For example, a user’s complete data set may include extracted and combined information from marketing, sales, and operations, which are connected to a comprehensive report.
A data integration project generally involves the following steps :
Access to data from all sources and locations, whether on-premises, in the cloud, or a combination of both.
Data integration is such that records from one data source map records in another. For example, even if one dataset uses “first name, last name” and another “name, ape,” the integrated dataset will ensure the data goes to the correct place in both cases. It is a type of data preparation essential for analytics and other applications to use the data successfully.
We deliver integrated data to the business when needed, whether in batch, near real-time, or real-time.
Why do you need data integration in your company?
The business world is becoming increasingly consumer-focused. Focusing on customer service and listening for feedback was vital in the past. Still, today’s businesses need deeper insights into what customers want by collecting data ranging from product usage patterns to posts on social media.
A Price Waterhouse Coopers study, found that despite this new focus on customer experiences, 24% of CEOs don’t have enough information about what customers want. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said understanding what users value is among their top concerns.
Using data to get clearer expectations of customer demands is vital, and doing it cost-effectively is essential. However, many companies lack the tools to do so. An Experian study found that in marketing departments, only 30% of organizations have good data integration.
These are the 5 reasons why a company should focus on data integration:
Reduces the burden on business analysts
Business Intelligence professionals face an overwhelming workload trying to filter the huge amounts of data that enters the company daily. Eliminating data silos allows users to access different sets of information based on their specific needs. Giving teams direct access to relevant information leaves analysts with one less thing to be bothered about, allowing them to focus on more complex data sets that drive business value.
Eliminate double work
On many occasions, some organizations conduct a customer analysis to discover their demands and soon after find that a similar project was completed a few months ago in another department. You can avoid that redundancy with data integration, not only in large projects. Companies’ most common problems are customer data records in multiple places, documentation of processes in different systems, etc.
Maximize the value of data
An analysis that may be effective for 20 of the employees will be considerably less valuable if only five of them receive the report. Unifying data across different channels allows organizations to leverage different types of data alongside others to maximize their potential and ensure user groups have the necessary visibility. This transparency can be extended to internal and external stakeholders, driving collaboration within the company.
Improve decision making
Giving user access to key data embedded in their applications and services enables them to make great decisions when interacting with customers and partners. Integrating data into relevant systems makes information actionable in daily operations, giving users the insights they need to work as smartly as possible.
Take advantage of the various types of data
While leveraging varied types of data is related to maximizing the value of data, it’s important to recognize that different types of information create unique challenges. Information from spreadsheets, highly structured databases, social media reports, diagrams, white papers, and many other sources must come together to get comprehensive trading information, especially when emerging technologies like the Internet of Things bring even more data to business ecosystems. This diversity can easily become overwhelming and lead to data being left behind if users don’t have access to it to leverage information across their departments intuitively.
Data Integration Tools and Solutions
Given the large volumes of data organizations store and integrate, manual efforts are out of the equation for most integration initiatives. Using technology to integrate and consolidate data in separate sources can be more effective, efficient, and productive. Let’s discuss what are some of the common features you can look for in a data integration platform:
- The ability to pull data from various sources, such as SQL or Oracle databases, spreadsheets, and third-party applications.
- The ability to profile data sets and generate a comprehensive report on their status regarding integrity, pattern recognition, data types, formats, etc.
- The possibility of assigning attributes belonging to different data sources to highlight the integration flow.
- The ability to run data matching algorithms and identify records that belong to the same entity.
- The ability to override values whenever necessary and merge records between sources to get the golden form.
Advantages of cloud data integration
As cloud technology matures, the ability to move complex data and processes into cloud environments improves. It allows companies to integrate applications to gain immediate efficiencies while enjoying better information management.
A proper data architecture that can support on-premises, cloud, and hybrid solutions will help control licensing, storage, data integration, or bandwidth costs. Additionally, a business-aligned cloud architecture increases scalability and reusability. It, in turn, makes it easier for workers and improves their ability to meet changing business needs.
Working with a technology partner who helps understand the complexities of dividing application functionality across multiple solutions, both in the cloud and on-premises, as well as the implications from a data integration and data management perspective, helps companies to efficiently take advantage of cutting-edge technologies, benefiting from the main solutions.