Data is key to business success but so often it can feel overwhelming.
Data analytics, big data, data visualization, data integration, data, data, data… You know that data can provide your business with fresh insights and metrics that help fuel growth, but how do you maximize the potential without drowning in the details? And how do you ensure that your data is reliable and available when you need it?
Business intelligence solutions have come a long way and provide an effective way to process and interpret your data. Data integration solutions can help make sure your data is up to date and collected in a reliable repository, usually your ERP system or a data warehouse.
There are two questions you need to ask when looking at data integration solutions:
- How can you handle large amounts of data? And
- How do you standardize the data across your systems?
Let’s look at question #1 first — how to handle the large amounts of data.
When you’re assessing your business’ data integration requirements, it’s important to decide first what the system of record is going be. That becomes the destination and all source data will then be mapped to that destination.
Next, ask what are your potential data sources? What subsystems are you working with that can feed information into your system of record? Automating this data feed can not only provide better and more up-to-date data but can also eliminate duplication of entry and the potential for errors.
Finally, what data do you need and where is it available? Having data just for the sake of having it may not be doing your organization any favours and could be adding to the noise. What metrics are most important for you to be measuring and where does that information reside? What metrics are the most actionable for you to use?
A strong system for your data integration is key, as is standardizing the data you use across your networks. If your team is looking at different information from different sources, you’re not necessarily using the same numbers, and this will likely result in time lost and efforts wasted.
If you’re looking at implementing business intelligence solutions, determining your end goal for data integration could be the place to start. For example, your team might benefit from:
- Benchmarking — comparing your data to industry bests.
- Data visualization — putting data into a visual context, such as charts, graphs, heat maps, infographics, and more.
- Dashboards — a visual method of displaying the current status of metrics and KPIs for your organization.
Each of these has different benefits and will give different returns to your company. What will be most useful to your team?
Whether you pick one or all of these solutions, it has to be accurate. Missing data, incomplete data, and duplicate data can slow down your organization. If your business intelligence solutions aren’t catching these items, it could be hindering your growth.
SHEA Global has the business intelligence solutions you need. Our development team can connect multiple systems together to eliminate duplication, errors, time delays, and manual processes. Learn more at SHEAGlobal.com or call 1-866-239-1113.