Data silos hinder your organization's growth

Data silos, the issue of having your data trapped in separate apps with no means to link, sync, or edit it, is a serious problem that affects businesses of all kinds. Automating manual procedures is the answer to breaking down data silos that have been hindering your company’s growth. You will be able to advance to fundamentally redefinе processes and alter how your team operates without specialized tools.

According to Statista, one of the biggest business data research centers, the world will produce 181 trillion gigabytes worth of data by 2025. It’s clear — organizations produce enormous amounts of data every day, without being able to fully utilize it 100% of the time. And data silos prevent your organization from processing your data.

Why are data silos so harmful? Here’s 4 reasons why your business needs to start breaking down data silos today.

• Even slight issues with accessing data will cause limited collaboration across the business. Teams cannot make any decisions if there is not enough available information, causing employees to miss out on opportunities and reach the company’s goals;
• Isolated data will quickly become outdated and inaccurate;
• Generating analysis too becomes incorrect on an enterprise level;
• Worsening customer experience. Your clients expect provided data to be available across an organization’s teams 24/7. However, 64% of customers note that most of the time they have to repeat or re-explain information to different representatives.

Chances are, you don’t have a giant team of developers constantly working on state-of-the-art API integrations that would allow your other employees to effortlessly move data between your applications. For the same exact reason, more than 80% of businesses say they frequently struggle with data silos.

Breaking down data silos

These silos are isolated islands of data, and they make it prohibitively costly to extract data and put it to other uses. Thanks to modern solutions, such as no-code service integration platforms, managers are able to break down data silos, improving all business processes.

5 easy steps to follow if you want to move past the data silos problem:

1. Identify where the data currently sits, how it is collected, and how relevant or outdated it is;
2. Once you have gathered and audited data, ask your employees to pinpoint what challenges data silos cause;
3. Decide which platform you will use as your source of truth and which systems will be integrated to it;
4. Centralize and integrate data through the proper platform, as well as centralize data access;
5. Make sure to continue controlling data through a governance framework later on.

For example, AINSYS provides all tools necessary to redefine business processes, connect multiple databases, and extract data from multiple sources and load it to any app of your liking.

What characteristics do I look for in software to find the best option for fighting data silos?

The best platforms offer customizable solutions for dealing with any logic operations problems and connecting CRMs. At the same time, it needs to be available to non-tech personnel through a visual, drag-and-drop interface. In fact, teams often don’t want to worry about technical constraints at all, so you want to look for a platform that uses appropriate  architecture. However, if your developers team will want to get to the bottom of particular software, you also would need the platform to provide that opportunity.

Ruben Puentedura, an education researcher, offers one of the best methods for assessing software for service integration and preventing data silos. He has developed the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model, a taxonomy-based approach. This model groups business processes into the four categories mentioned, allowing you to assess technology platforms. As you evaluate software, you need to check if it’s suitable for your company on each level.

Here’s a tip: managers often focus on the first two levels, trying to plan out the data transformation process. They forget that enhancement is just as important. Teams in which the modification and redefinition have been embedded find more novel and immersive uses for the software.

Many seem to imagine SAMR as a mountain that needs to be conquered. However, effective technology integration doesn’t involve achieving the SAMR model’s pinnacle; rather, it involves being aware of the range of options it offers and selecting the best strategy for your company.

Start delivering value now

AINSYS platform will help you and your employees at every level of the SAMR model.

• On the substitution level, we help you to look at every single resource your company uses in its core products and later identify higher-performing, less expensive, or less scarce materials that will help you save time and money;
• You will be able to augment the sales process by adding CRM-to-ERP automation that not only logs new customer and sales order information in ERP but also quickly transfers data to the sales team. With an automated deal-close in the CRM, we can set off crucial revenue-related events, allowing for simple financial recording and team collaboration;
• By linking a campaign list and lead/customer database queries to our software, you can modify the marketing campaign process. Your marketing team won’t need to manage the campaign subscription list in order to launch a configured messaging campaign for a specific client segment. As a result, by using auto-refreshed data that never unintentionally contacts leads who have previously opted out, marketers significantly boost their performance;
• Customize a unique team experience using a variety of tools to redefine your work processes.

Automating manual procedures is the answer to breaking down data silos that have been hindering your company’s growth. You will be able to advance to fundamentally redefinе processes and alter how your team operates without specialized tools. Want to try out AINSYS? Learn how automation can help you prevent data silos and guarantee complete control over operations by registering for a free trial.

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