The Real Reason Why You Need Integration (And Why It’s NOT Just to Sync Data)

By: Matt Klepac, Vertify CEO and Founder

The term “integration” has become a buzzword in the world of business and technology. I should know as I have seen the word and its usage evolve from 2006 to today. I tossed this word around loosely in the early days, but now I own an integration-first business, so my perspective has changed. 

The fact is, organizations across industries are investing heavily in integration solutions to connect disparate systems, streamline processes, and improve efficiency. While integration is undoubtedly crucial, the real reason you need integration might not be the integration itself. In fact, I have talked to countless companies and revenue leaders over the last five years who think they are simply coming to us for the “connection” of their systems and data.

Allow me to explain…

A mid-market company is in the market for a new Marketing Automation Platform, so they begin their search. They narrowed down their search to Marketo Engage (an Adobe company) and HubSpot. Then, when they begin the conversation with these two companies, they learn that there are some missing components to make the investment in this new technology worthwhile. 

You see, this company has SalesLoft, two Salesforce instances, and a homegrown database that they run all their reporting and warehousing out of. Their internal Marketing Operations team has indicated that without a connection to these other platforms, this new tech will not have the intended return on investment required to justify the budget. 

And, they are correct. 

Both Adobe and HubSpot have indicated that they have invested heavily in native integrations, including OpsHub on the HubSpot side, but these more complex use cases fall outside of what their technology can support. So, they recommend Vertify, a data integration and cleansing automation company. 

This company then comes to Vertify saying, “We need to connect our Marketing Automation Platform to these other systems”. Sure, we can connect these systems, but why do they really need the connection? It is not the connection itself that is important. 

Let’s explore the deeper motivations and benefits behind integration, going beyond the technical aspects, to uncover the true driving forces so that you – the marketing, sales, or operations team – is better equipped to expand and get the most out of your technology investment. 

The best way to defend your spend is to be equipped with data driven information. Let’s go!

Related: Defend Your Spend

1. Enhanced Customer Experience: Smart Integrations are Personal

One of the primary reasons organizations invest in integration is to enhance the customer experience. Modern consumers expect a seamless and personalized interaction with businesses. Integration enables companies to gather and consolidate customer data from various touchpoints, providing a 360-degree view of customer interactions. With this comprehensive understanding, businesses can deliver personalized services, address customer issues proactively, and build stronger customer relationships. You must get personal in today’s modern marketing and sales landscape, whether B2B or B2C. Integrations allow you to launch personal workflows that speak directly into the prospect and customer’s listening. 

Related: Marketing Campaign Personalization

2. Data-Driven Decision Making: Smart Integrations are Trustworthy

In the age of data, organizations are drowning in information. Integration is the key to transforming raw data into actionable insights. By integrating data from multiple sources and automating the translating of that data in real time, businesses can analyze trends, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions. This data-driven approach extends beyond the realm of marketing and sales, influencing strategic planning, product development, and operational efficiency. With smart integration technology, stitch together ALL mission critical data – including the data behind the data – and build smart answers where your teams need and want to report from. The result is a data set that is all encompassing and trusted. 

3. Business Process Optimization: The Cost of Inaction is Real

Integration is not just about connecting software systems; it’s about optimizing business processes. Many organizations have complex workflows that involve multiple systems, departments, and manual tasks. Examples:

• Lead Routing
• Cross Sell/Upsell
• Revenue Reporting
• Sales Accountability and Activity Reporting

Integration solutions streamline these processes, reducing errors, minimizing delays, and improving overall efficiency. When processes run smoothly, employees can focus on value-added tasks, leading to higher productivity and cost savings. There is an extreme cost to inaction when it comes to automating workflows. If you do not give your teams the tools to automate data centric tasks and their workflow frustration mounts, mission critical tasks fall through the cracks and revenue is lost. That is both a growth problem and a culture problem.

4. Competitive Advantage: Be Better, Do Better

In today’s competitive landscape, innovation and agility are critical for survival. Integration plays a pivotal role in enabling organizations to adapt to changing market conditions and customer expectations. By integrating systems and automating processes, companies can respond quickly to market shifts, launch new products faster, and stay ahead of competitors. Integration provides the foundation for digital transformation initiatives, making it a strategic asset for long-term success.

5. Regulatory Compliance: Minimize Risk

Compliance with industry regulations and data security standards is non-negotiable for businesses today. Integration helps organizations ensure compliance by facilitating data governance, security, and auditability. It enables them to track and manage data across systems, implement access controls, and respond promptly to compliance requirements. Furthermore, integration helps mitigate risks associated with data breaches and system failures by providing real-time monitoring and alerts. Ask yourself this: can you afford not to implement a regulatory compliance and risk management wizard? 

6. Scalability and Growth: We’re All Looking For Growth

As businesses grow, they often adopt new software applications and expand into different markets. Integration is essential for scalability, allowing organizations to seamlessly incorporate new technologies and adapt to evolving business needs. 

More specifically, here at Vertify we run into the multi-CRM dataverse all the time. Often organizations expand and grow through mergers and acquisitions. If that is your strategic imperative, then you will inevitably layer in additional tech stacks which adds complexity that can lead to chaos. 

But, this does not have to lead to chaos. You can turn complexity into value. Whether it’s adding new payment gateways, expanding e-commerce capabilities, adding CRMs or sales enablement, or integrating acquisitions, a well-planned integration strategy and solution ensures that growth is sustainable and efficient.

That’s a Wrap

While integration is undoubtedly a critical component of modern business operations, its true value lies in the broader benefits it brings. Enhanced customer experiences, data-driven decision making, process optimization, competitive advantage, compliance, and scalability are the real reasons organizations need integration. It’s not just about connecting systems; it’s about leveraging integration to achieve strategic objectives and thrive in an ever-changing business landscape. 

So, next time you are on the hunt for new technology or simply looking to get more out of your tech investment, recognize that integration is not an end in itself but a means to a more customer-centric, efficient, and competitive future. Want to be the hero in your organization? Implement a smart integration automation solution and watch what happens. 

Vertify offers a broad suite of automated data integration solutions, complete with data cleaning tools and automated multidirectional integration between over 80 platforms, including multiple CRM integrations at scale. Get started today, and see Vertify in action.