The benefits of good software integration have been acknowledged for a long time, but integration can be achieved at so many different levels, with differing levels of automation. Integrated software or a suite of integrated applications allows users to complete multiple business functions within the same interface (like Microsoft Office), however bigger benefits for businesses are unlocked when your operations and business functions start to work together seamlessly.
Selecting systems for your business often leads to a common dilemma; whether to focus on solutions that meet all the requirements, but perhaps some of the quality is impaired or the range of functions is compromised, or focus on selecting the ‘best of breed’ applications that are high quality and have the potential to deliver advantageous cost savings. This sliding scale of system selection can polarise much decision making and often leads to the best fit for the business being overlooked and ultimately excluded.
Where there is flexibility to select the best of breed application, the need for integration with existing core business systems like CRM and practice management systems becomes vital if an organisation aims to be efficient and transfer information reliably between processes. Further adding to the complexity of ‘stitching’ systems and processes together will be the existence of any ageing legacy systems or applications that lack the ability or desire to assist with integration and data transfer. Developing an interface or integration with a legacy system can often be very restricted by the structure or availability of the data too; missing key information like a common reference to match records between systems for example.
Luckily changes in technology enable data integration to overcome these challenges and can revolutionise business processes where once this proved difficult to achieve. The ongoing adoption of common development environments such as the Microsoft .NET Framework and file formats like the Extensible Markup Language (XML) can enable information to be exchanged between systems more easily and at reduced cost to the business.
thewealthworks has built a considerable amount of experience in tailoring its systems and providing custom integration with other partner systems. This has further allowed our clients to take full advantage from the best of their software, selecting niche software that exceeds their business needs and still achieve high levels of automation through integration. thewealthworks, through carefully designed integration tools, can allow you to gain a clear advantage over your competitors without compromising the best fitting software for your needs.
