Integration: The key to data-driven success!
Data is the fuel of every modern organization but without proper integration and access to data sources, this fuel remains unused and your organization misses out on many opportunities.
Do you want to make decisions that are truly well-founded? Then access to current, reliable, and consistent information from various sources is crucial. By smartly combining data sources, you gain insights that would otherwise remain hidden.
HSO's Technology Experts Merlijn Koppejan, Solution Lead, and Arjan van der Bijl, Strategic Consultant, emphasize that Data and Integration are inextricably linked.
According to Arjan, integration is the starting point for high-quality data. "By seamlessly connecting applications and data platforms, you harness the full power of your data. This gives you real-time insight into what is happening within your organization, allowing you to innovate in response to market developments and customer demands."
Merlijn underscores this: "Without a central, decoupled integration architecture, innovation and modernization remain out of reach. With a cloud integration platform like Azure, you connect disparate data silos into a cohesive and secure reliable data connections with external parties. This way, you share data securely with externals and maximize the value of your data."
More than numbers
Data is the cornerstone of successful business operations. Arjan explains: "Data is more than numbers and statistics. It's about the stories behind those numbers. By smartly combining data, you discover insights that make your decisions more powerful. Every system contains a wealth of information, but data that remains siloed only tells only part of the story. How do you truly optimize the data from all those sources?"
Integration is the key
According to Merlijn, the answer is simple: integration. "This is the key to extracting more value from data—both your own data and that of external sources. By connecting systems, applications, and databases, information comes together seamlessly. This promotes collaboration, improves decision-making, and ensures everyone is on the same page."
Harmony in the data landscape: stronger together
For effectively leveraging data, collaboration between data and integration teams is essential.
Integration teams focus on the exchange of data between systems, while data teams are concerned with collecting that same information. This leads to inefficiencies and places unnecessary pressure on source systems.
An integrated approach not only reduces development costs but also relieves the source systems. This means near real-time data in your data platform, with updates, for example, every fifteen minutes instead of just once a day. You build one efficient pattern that serves both teams, ensuring everything works optimally together. “This creates a harmonious data landscape ready for the future," says Merlijn.
Data integration is essential for creating business value. It enables organizations to merge data from various sources and perform insightful analyses. Examples of effective data integration can be found in retail and manufacturing. In retail, integrating receipt data, customer profiles, and social media feedback can lead to targeted offers and better inventory management. In manufacturing, integrating machine data, quality control data, and sales data can lead to more optimal resource utilization and a reduction in excess inventory.
Opportunities with AI
As organizations collect more and more data, the importance of integration grows. How does Arjan see the future? "The rise of AI and machine learning offers new opportunities for data analysis and integration. Data and integration are inextricably linked. Data provides the insights needed to optimize and innovate, while integration ensures these insights are accessible and usable."
Merlijn adds: "Investing in a solid data and integration strategy is essential for organizations that want to extract more value from their data. Many organizations already have a data platform, but that doesn't guarantee they are ready for the future. Modern integration platforms like Azure connect various systems and applications, often via APIs and other advanced technologies. This allows you to share, analyze, and visualize data in real-time."
HSO is ready to integrate existing systems and create a solid, future-proof foundation. With our expertise, we build seamless interfaces that optimize communication and improve data flow. Our offerings are tailored to your unique situation. With our accelerators and apps, we help you overcome digital obstacles. The result? More business value through an effective data and integration strategy.