Identifying The Need For Software Integrations

Think of the technology behind the small, midsize, and enterprise-level businesses of today. These technologies are a piecemeal collection of task-specific software.

Early on in a business’s life, a business owner adopts accounting software, like Quickbooks, to control the finances.

As the business grows, the business owner brings new solutions onboard to handle other tasks, such as customer account management, inventory management, communications, and more.

Each piece may be well-designed; however, none of them can work together to create a centralized, all-in-one platform where employees can access everything needed to run the business.

This is where software integration comes in to save the day.

The Importance of Software Integrations in Modern Business

Let’s face facts. We live in a digitally-operated world where business processes are controlled via task-specific software solutions.

Business owners must obtain workflow optimization-focused software and back-office systems to maintain organization, accountability, and open communication for businesses to prosper.

Modern businesses have a diverse set of needs.

This is why businesses leverage powerful, robust, and scalable software solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing business systems.

These software integrations allow different business departments to connect, communicate, and collaborate more effectively.

The Global System Integration Market is expected to rise from its initial estimated value of $320.44 billion to an estimated value of $601.95 billion by 2026.

According to 451 Research, 90% of companies are on the cloud, meaning that cloud infrastructure services account for the highest growth.

These statistics clearly demonstrate the value that software integrations offer to modern businesses.

It’s safe to say that in the near future (and even now), system integrations will become a business requirement as business needs continue to evolve.

Because customers demand immediate service, typically in real-time, businesses must meet that demand. This makes it essential for current software solutions to have the capability to deliver, exchange, and update information readily and continually.

Software and system integrations open up seamless communication between software applications, creating more opportunities for enhanced efficiency, customer experiences, and cost-efficiency.

Do I Need Software Integrations For My Business?

Business owners everywhere have asked themselves this question at one point or another, especially in the early stages of business development.

Businesses of all sizes and industry verticals require software solutions to streamline business processes.

However, it can sometimes be difficult for business owners to pinpoint the right time to implement software integrations.

To provide some guidance on this matter, it’s recommended that you factor in your business needs with your business workflow budget.

Think about what you require as a business to function efficiently.

For instance, if you run a business that requires your salespeople to discuss products and services over the phone, what would you need?

Well, obviously, you’d need a system for VoIP-based telecommunications.

This requires a complete set of components, including compatible hardware and software to enable communications, input and output devices, the right communication channels, reliable communication networks, and analog/digital signaling, and more.

There are several types of telecommunication software solutions on the market to choose from. Off-the-shelf software solutions are available and ripe for the picking.

However, you’ll soon find that these systems prove ineffective when they’re not utilized to their fullest potential.

To get the most leverage out of these solutions, software integrations are necessary.

Combining your telecommunications software with your other business processes, such as your network resources & inventory database, business support systems, CRM, ERP, and accounting systems, allows your team to complete tasks quicker and more efficiently.

This saves more time, which in turn saves more money.

This also promotes enhanced customer experiences since your salespeople will be able to provide more information in real-time, which is the number one demand of all customers.

Reasons to Consider Software Integration

It’s understood that moving forward in technology can be a scary proposition.

When a small business is comfortable with its current technology level, it can be difficult or slow to adopt something new.

Larger businesses may worry more about the logistics of developing a new IT model since it typically affects the company on an interdepartmental level.

However, most software integration examples involve companies that have improved their operational and communication processes by making the transition.

There are several reasons to consider software integrations, including:

Merging Different Systems

Every business, big or small, requires different systems for executing different tasks.

Generally speaking, there are six functional areas of business management. These six areas include:

1. Strategy

2. Marketing

3. Human Resources

4. Finance

5. Technology & Equipment

6. Operations

Each of these business management areas requires its own workflow tools to organize, execute, and manage tasks efficiently.

This means that you’d need to leverage six separate software tools and/or solutions to handle tasks categorically.

Software integration accomplishes combining these tools to create an all-in-one solution categorized by labeled modules that enable business owners and employees to streamline business processes.

In other words, instead of purchasing all of these different off-the-shelf products, you could integrate software features with your existing solutions to create a custom-tailored approach.

For example, you could integrate your inventory management software with your back-office and accounting systems to generate accurate financial reports, gain enhanced supply chain visibility, and meet product availability & ROI goals.

The easiest way to accomplish this type of integration is to find an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with a built-in inventory module that needs your business needs.

Enhanced Interoperability, Flexibility, & Scalability

Software integrations enable enhanced interoperability, meaning that your current information systems, devices, and applications will work together with other business systems without any restrictions.

The most important industry vertical to adopt interoperable software solutions is the healthcare industry.

Health information exchanges (HIE) enable clinical information to move electronically amongst disparate healthcare information systems and facilitate access to and retrieve essential clinical data safely, timely, and efficiently.

Modernizing Legacy Systems With New-Age Apps

Equally as important as integrating new software features and functionalities with existing business systems is achieving legacy system modernization.

Most companies look for software solutions that modernize their legacy systems, providing either a complete transformation of their current systems or by integrating their systems with modern applications.

Either way, leveraging software integration tools ensure smooth, secure, and seamless data migration practices to modernize your legacy systems effectively.

Increased Multi-Functionality

Let’s say that you want a solution that allows you to execute a particular set of tasks, but unfortunately, the solution doesn’t exist as an off-the-shelf product.

Software integrations allow for increased multi-functionality within an existing product, allowing you to get the most out of your solution without having to settle for something that’s subpar.

Gaining A Competitive Advantage

Almost every business out there has at least one competitor.

Even if you’ve dominated a specific business niche, there will always be another hungry entrepreneur lurking behind the corner, ready to steal your thunder.

For this reason, business owners are always looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition.

Software integrations can help your business gain a competitive edge by incorporating a business process that your competitors don’t have.

There are countless ways to accomplish this, but the true gospel of the situation is that a prepacked or off-the-shelf software solution alone won’t cut it.

You need a custom software solution to maintain a competitive advantage relative to your competitors.

Automation Decreases Manpower & Reduces Human Error

Software automation integrators promote a friendlier software ecosystem where you can automate your workflows.

This helps to eliminate manual, repetitive tasks and reduce human error.

By automating repetitive business processes, employees are now freed up to focus on other projects!

The possibilities are endless regarding the tasks that you can automate with the right software tools. Automate anything from personal productivity to lead management to customer communications and everything else in between.

The Bottom Line

Complex business domains require systems that promote enhanced interoperability, flexibility, and scalability. Software integrations decrease downtime and enable enhanced workflows, allowing for more business growth opportunities to arise.

Implementing custom features and functionalities into your existing business systems enables employees to perform multiple data entries into multiple systems in one swift motion.

This saves a significant amount of time since you’re no longer weighed down with having to enter information more than once. With software integrations, information is exchanged and recorded on multiple channels with just a few mouse clicks.

As the market changes, you can alter your business processes to keep up with the current trends. Custom software integration allows you to make these changes so you can always remain current and ever outdated.

If you’re a business owner looking to achieve greater business continuity and growth, then give Chetu a call. Our software developers, programmers, and engineers have many years of combined industry-specific experience, designing custom-tailored software solutions for businesses like yours.

We understand every industry vertical, and we’re highly proficient in integrating customizable features and functionalities within your existing software.

At Chetu, we’re confident that we can pinpoint the areas of your business that need improvement and leverage the best tools available to revamp your business processes.

For world-class software integrations, implementations, and development services, Chetu can help you elevate your business to new heights.