Software integrations have always been around, but they didn’t become a standard consumer expectation until recently. While many software developers have always tried hard to facilitate important integrations, it was more of a luxury for end-users.
Today’s software developers can’t launch successful business applications without integrations. For many end-users, integrations are a deal-breaker, and they should be for you, too.
What are software integrations?
In a nutshell, software integrations are the combining of multiple modules or programs for the purpose of enhancing the functionality of that software. Integrations can be as simple or complex as the developers see fit.
Do you make use of the integrations available from the software you use to run your business? If not, it’s time to start. Here’s why your business will benefit from using software integrations.
- Integrations increase efficiency
When you have separate software applications for every department, your teams end up working in a silo. Even when they communicate important information to other teams, it’s not as effective as having all teams working from the same platform.
There’s something exceptional about having multiple teams logging in to use the same software platform, despite working in different departments. Teams will actually be more effective when everyone can see what other teams are up to without having to read summaries, bullet points, and lists.
For example, say you run a business where various parts are constantly being ordered, used, and replenished. When you integrate your accounting system with your maintenance software, when parts get used to fulfil a work order, the system will automatically adjust inventory value and expenses the correct maintenance accounts.
- Integrations make employees happy
Keeping your employees happy is an important task, and it’s easier than you think. Employee happiness doesn’t come from random cash bonuses or awards. While it’s true that recognition can go a long way, at the end of the day, employees want to be efficient and do a great job. In order to be efficient, employees need the right tools, and part of that requires software integrations.
Say your marketing team uses five different software programs to manage your email marketing campaigns and sales data. Does your CRM integrate with all of your software? If not, your employees will have to log into five different accounts to collect data from each one, and then manually crunch that data to make it useful.
When your CRM (or any main piece of software) integrates with other important software, you can make better sense of the data. Not only will your data be in one place, but some integrations will produce automatic calculations that would be challenging to manually work out.
- Integrations positively affect your clients and customers
When your business uses software integrations, your clients and customers will benefit in the end. Software integrations make workflows seamless and efficient, and can even help to automate much of the process.
When your software systems aren’t integrated, efficiency suffers. A lack of integrated systems can result in:
- Lost or wasted time
- Frustration
- Misunderstandings
- Unclear directions
- Incorrect escalations
- Missed service opportunities
- Excessive, unnecessary meetings
Using software integrations to optimize workflow is essential. An optimized workflow efficiency will help your teams produce better outcomes, meet deadlines easier, and be more thorough in their final projects. This will keep your clients and customers happy.
- Eliminate manual data transfer
If you’ve been attempting to integrate your data by manually transferring it from one application to another, you’re spinning your wheels. Manual data transfer is inefficient, prone to human error, and can be a security risk.
Every step involved in the manual transfer of data can cause delays, which will inevitably lead to poor workflow management, and ultimately, lost time.
If you’re still manually transferring data between individual applications, consider replacing the applications that don’t offer integrations. There are countless applications available for just about everything you could possibly need, and many of them support key integrations.
Start using software integrations to increase efficiency
The journey of integrating your software systems might be long, but it’s well worth your time and effort. In today’s world, businesses need to streamline every possible process, beginning with workflows. When your employees depend on software to perform critical job functions, that software needs to be integrated to maintain an efficient flow.
Once you start using software integrations, you’ll see the difference reflected in business outcomes, as your workflows become seamless and highly efficient.
