Data is currently the biggest asset of any company either be it product-based or service-based. As more and more technological advancements are coming through the need for data has increased equally.
All of the data needed by any organization needs to be collected and extracted with the help of Data Integration Tools. These tools perform transformation, mapping, and cleansing of data.
To pick out the perfect Data Integration Tools for your business can be a little challenging. There are tons of things that need to consider before picking out one for long term use and to ensure a good ROI.
Guide to pick out the Right Data Integration Solution to Ensure ROI
Here is a list of things that needs special consideration before you pick out the right Data integration tool that follows a proper Data integration process for the greater good.
1. Data Warehouses
An advanced and strong Data Integration tool must have the proper functionalities of the Data warehouse as its core need. Organizations rely largely on Data warehousing to store all the data and keep it organized so that it can be accessed as per the need persists.
Every tool must have the capability to carry out the process combining such a process to be able to store tons of volumes of information of large organizations. All of this data needs to be arranged and maintained that cannot be singly handled by only the Data Integration process which is if your organizational needs are different it must contain the integration of Data warehouses.
2. ETL Data Integration
ETL is the process of Extraction, Transformation, and loading data. It is an integral part of Data Warehousing that helps to transfer data from one source to another. With the use of the ETL process into data integration tools provide connectors to common data sources like databases, flat files, mainframe systems, XML, etc.
The tools also support transformation scheduling, version control, monitoring, and unified metadata management. Some of the ETL tools are even integrated with BI tools.
3. Data Mapping
Data Mapping is a very important factor when it comes to picking out the right Data Integration Solution for your business. This process is generally used as the basic task in any Data Integration process.
In a layman’s term, it is about to map a source data field to their related target data fields. To carry out a successful Data Integration, Data Mapping tools help bridge the differences in the schemas of data source and destination, allowing businesses to consolidate information from different data points easily.
4. API Connectors
Data Integration applications or tools make use of connectors to connect to the system with the help of APIs. Such connectors make it easier for the Integration applications to work these specific APIs that are exposed from the system. Moreover, if you are looking to connect to the system or access information of some specific part of the system which otherwise would not have been possible, using a Data Integration solution along with this could be the best way out.
5. Business Intelligence
BI or Business Intelligence is a set of processes, architectures, and technologies that convert raw data into meaningful information that drives profitable business actions. Data Integration simplifies Business Intelligence along with the process of analysis. With data integration, analysts can compile more information for more accurate evaluation without being overwhelmed by high volumes. BI uses present and past data to make proper business decisions.
6. Service Support
Lastly, another important aspect of the Data Integration tool is proper Customer Support from the organizations providing such tools. Having a good customer support facility will make things easier for the organizations using the Data Integrations tools to understand every aspect and the features related to it. Moreover, there are times when due to server issues or any technical errors things may go wrong for which a 24×7 customer service is needed.
Conclusion
Having a Data Integration Solution in every organization only makes things faster and easier for the IT team to extract and use data collected from multiple resources. Apart from all the factors mentioned above, you can also check out about Data Lake Management, Unified Interface, Data Migration, etc to name a few.
Well, it is very clear that Data Integration isn’t only about Data warehousing or Aggregation. It also includes tons of other things that will make your business reach new heights. While selecting any tool make sure you understand what you need the Data Integration tool for and what purpose it may serve. A good service can be a major factor apart from everything else in choosing the right tool.
