When done right, system integrations bring your various SaaS platforms and applications together in an organized and well-governed ecosystem. Learn how system integration can help your business.
With millions of employees working remotely or in a hybrid framework, businesses continue to turn to SaaS platforms and applications to bring their teams together.
If you’re a business leader in 2024, you’re probably juggling many of these cloud-based solutions to manage data and work processes. But doing so can be complicated, so much so that SaaS solutions can often become burdens.
That’s where system integration comes in. In what follows, we’ll dive into what system integration is and why it matters, then highlight exactly why it’s worth the investment.
Why does system integration matter?
Here at Boston SoftDesign, we think about system integration as a means of automating your business processes. When done right, system integrations bring your various SaaS platforms and applications together in an organized and well-governed ecosystem.
Today, the average SaaS portfolio contains upwards of 370 applications. But while such software certainly has its benefits, its use can also slow down operations. System integration—and integration platform as a service (iPaaS)—allows organizations to avoid such issues and increase efficiency by streamlining data management and automating key processes.
The rise of business AI makes system integration more critical than ever. As companies continue to adopt these technologies, system integration can support process automation by making it easier for AI tools (particularly those that rely on retrieval augmented generation, or “RAG”) to quickly detect anomalies from monitoring metrics, identify potential customer churn, and even trigger proactive measures to retain them. Elsewhere, system integration can buttress AI-powered customer customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) by personalizing customer service chatbots or automating (re)ordering when inventory levels fall below a given threshold.
What are the benefits of system integration?
In this context, system integration can improve a company’s operations in six key ways.
1. Seamless process automation
Because iPaaS solutions are built with autonomy in mind, workflows that were once manual can now be automated. By eliminating many of the manual tasks that employees spend unnecessary time on, these solutions also reduce the possibility of human error.
The example of Workato illustrates just how simple it can be for a company to streamline their entire revenue process with iPaaS automation. By integrating a CRM system to other invoicing, finance, or payment systems, every transaction—from product configuration and pricing to revenue recognition and renewal—becomes transparent.
2. Increased operational efficiency
Automating your company’s data and business business processes has the added benefit of increasing operational efficiency. Thanks to its streamlining of communication between applications, system integration allows technical and business users to make better use of their time and resources while also improving their response time to market changes.
Take Celigo, who has been putting AI tools to work for their integration platform since 2019. With its AI-driven error management, for instance, the Celigo Platform automatically corrects integration run-time errors. Celigo users also have access to an AI-powered chatbot, which can operate as a tailored personal assistant for tales teams thanks to its ability to securely analyze companies’ products and data.
3. Scalability and flexibility
When looking for an integration partner, it’s important to choose one whose iPaaS offering will grow with your business and allow you to outpace competitors. System integration solutions such as those offered by Syncari do just that by using real-time data to ensure scalability. This enables organizations to not only automate processes but makes it possible for developers to custom build complex systems (like Customer 360) in weeks instead of months.
Similarly, thanks to the professional IT support that many iPaaS vendors offer, leaders can customize their system integration solutions to meet their company’s unique needs without worrying about server capacity or additional software licensing.
4. Reduced IT burden
When it comes to deployment and maintenance, iPaaS solutions are quicker to set up and require less hands-on management. This is because service providers handle updates, security, and infrastructure maintenance, which also significantly reduces the burden on one’s internal IT teams. What’s more is that cloud-based systems integration also allows companies to enjoy the benefits of on-premise resource storage without needing to pay for hardware maintenance.
Boston SoftDesign works in lockstep with many of these iPaaS platforms. For example, it helps many of its customers connect to Celigo, whose low- and no-code UI approaches make it simple to create integrations that connect their apps in minutes. This empowers business users to manage integrations, reducing dependence on IT for these tasks. It also allows for faster implementation of integration projects.
5. Enhanced security
Some business leaders worry that bringing their applications and data together will lead to additional security risks. In fact, the opposite is true: system integration solutions help prevent cyber incidents by reducing your attack surface, and iPaaS solutions regularly offer data encryption and privacy features (such as authentication and authorized controls) to keep unwanted users out.
The iPaaS platform Boomi, for instance, has a robust compliance structure and is one of the only iPaaS vendors that is FedRAMP authorized.
6. Lower operational costs
While iPaaS solutions tend to be associated with subscription fees and vendor lock-in, they can actually lead to lower operational costs. While some companies might think that on-premise system integration will be cheaper, they soon realize that doing so wastes employees’ time and leads to hidden costs for additional IT security and administration.
That’s why, in addition to freeing up employee time and reducing IT burdens, smart system integration can ultimately save you money in the long run with a centralized, personalized, and scalable platform.
BSD makes system integration easy
As companies continue to grow their SaaS portfolios, system integration will ensure that they’re able to make the most of these tools. With the right partners, companies can maximize efficiency, make the most of advancements in business AI, and minimize security risks—all without negatively impacting their bottomline.
This is where Boston SoftDesign comes in.
