Application Integration

Application Integration, two pretty common words, but when put together these two words open an endless world of possibilities. In the world of technology, application integration is the coexistence of two separate processes that are linked together to perform better. Each application feeds information from one platform to the next, creating a dynamic link where expertise is shared.

A business might have 3, 4, or even 20 different software applications that each specialize in a different business function. A CRM or Customer Relationship Manager would keep track of sales leads and customer preferences, a Sales software keeps track of the amount of product sold, expected revenue, and issue invoices, while a Marketing software would create marketing material, launch social media and email campaigns, and track their success. Each of these applications serve a necessary function for the business, but they can become more insightful and helpful when they are linked through application integration.

For example, a marketing campaign deployed by the Marketing software could lead to newly generated sales leads which become a part of the CRM database. Once a product is sold to the new lead, the Marketing software needs to be updated to indicate that the marketing campaign was a success. Additionally, the Sales software would be updated to reflect the increase in revenue, the Inventory Management software needs to be updated to reflect the decrease in inventory, and so on. Essentially one action from one software can have a rippling effect across all the applications the business uses.

Here is another example of how an online shoe business would use integrating applications.

The shoe store has two key processes that they need to monitor and control pretty closely, the first is inventory and the second is sales. Each of these business processes are completely separate and require their own specialized software to work through their processes, one to track how much inventory the business has, and one to track the sale and how much money they have made. However, they must also work together. If a pair of shoes sell, then the inventory level goes down, and the sales revenue goes up.

Long ago, when computers did not exist (yes, there was a time when computers did not exist), the shop owner would write down what pair of shoes sold and for how much. At the end of the day, they would take out their spreadsheets and calculate (in their heads, because calculators did not exist either) how much money they made. They would also use a different spreadsheet to track which pair of shoes sold and calculate how much inventory they have left. Now this would happen for each pair of shoes sold, and the shopkeeper had to be meticulous to not make a mistake.

Today we have computers (hooray!) that do all of these calculations and tracking for us. But this tracking still happens in two separate software applications, much like the spreadsheets. However, with application integration it is possible for the two applications to continue their calculations and tracking processes while sharing information with each other.

In today’s market it is essential for businesses to integrate their software to be as efficient as possible. Applications that lack integration are more prone to errors, as data is manually moved from one application to the next. Data entry by humans as they translate information from one system to the next can lead to typos and missed information. Additionally, data entry takes time and can lead to costly delays.

Application integration solves this problem, by allowing the different business applications to talk to each other and share data. Using our previous example, we can see how the data is shared between the Sales software and the Inventory Management software. When a customer buys a pair of shoes, the sales application records the amount of sale, who the customer is, and where the shoes are being shipped to. This information is sent to the inventory application that removes the pair of shoes from the available inventory list, places an order from the manufacturer to restock the store, and creates a shipping label for the shoes to be mailed to the customer. All of this happens simultaneously and without human intervention.

You may be saying to yourself, “why doesn’t the business just have one application that completes the whole process?” And the truth is that many businesses do. But applications that “do it all” don’t always do it well. Out-of-the-box software and software that tries to complete too many different processes can become complicated and require more human interaction to maintain and control. However, software that is specialized in one aspect of the business is more reliable and consistent. You wouldn’t hire one person to be your accountant, marketing specialist, and lawyer, in much the same way you wouldn’t use a word-processing software to create a spreadsheet.

Software that specializes in one aspect of the business provides the same expertise and dedication that an accountant or lawyer would. Having one application to control each part of the business, exactly how it should be controlled is essential to success. Adding application integration takes this one step further by allowing these applications to talk to each other and share their data. Now, both applications are running at peak performance for their expertise with the same information, making the business even more successful. 

CM2 Software offers fully integrated and customized software solutions that will set your business up for success. Email us (info@cm2software.com) to find out how we can integrate your business applications.