Introduction
Manufacturers seek out an integration to make their software easier to manage. Unfortunately, there are a lot of integration options out there and not all of them will be the right fit for your business. It can be overwhelming to try to decipher the nuances between different integrations, but there are some key red flags to watch out for when it comes to finding an integration platform. These are the top integration red flags we see for finding a new integration.
The “One-Size-Fits-All” Integration
A “one-size-fits-all” integration is when a vendor or consultant claims that their integration is adaptable for everyone and works with a wide variety of industries. We have seen integrations like these, that proudly promote that their product works with manufacturing, trading, pharmaceutical and other industries! Ironically, this “one-size-fits-all” mentality is the sign of a problematic integration. Let’s take the example of an integration that supposedly works with manufacturing, trading, pharmaceutical companies. Do these industries have some needs in common that an integration can likely address? Certainly. Do these industries also have a lot of specific needs that are totally unrelated to each other, and within those industries, a specific company would have even more requirements if they want to maximize their system? This is the problem with a “one-size-fits-all” integration. Rather than choosing an integration that may be decent with many industries, find an application that is exceptional for your industry and has most of the customizations you need OOB. Unity: Integration by Datix was developed expressly for manufacturers and complex distributors based on 25 years of experience supporting their software needs. With Unity, you can operate out of one system to create a single source of truth at your organization.
Too Much Customization Required
With customization, efficiency should be the priority. You want to develop a system that meets your business needs, but in the simplest way possible. This will save you the most time and money during the implementation and over the years as your needs and software evolves. Some integration consultants claim that their integration is easy to customize yourself (meaning they don’t have to do it). These customizations may have some kind of prebuilt graphical interface, but their functionality is likely limited. In this scenario, you are expected to come up with the best possible strategy for executing your business processes when it is the consultant’s job to use their expertise to develop the best solution for you. No matter how excellent your IT department is, they do not specialize in integrations and making them customize an integration will take their time and energy away from their primary tasks. Even if the customizations seem to work at the implementation, your system needs to continue to function when your ERP, CRM or other software gets updated. The more complicated your customizations are, the more likely it is that something will go wrong, and potentially break over and over throughout the year (read more in Why a Prebuilt Integration Beats a Fully Custom One). With Unity, our team of experts will work closely with your team to determine exactly what customizations you need and configure these as efficiently as possible for you. Because Unity is designed for manufacturers, our clients usually don’t need that many customizations, so even a fully custom configured integration can be completed in as little as three weeks.
A Drain on IT
IT is integral to most manufacturers, meaning that they have to manage their time wisely. As a department that frequently gets bombarded with technology-related tasks, it is necessary to maximize their efforts and allow them to work as proficiently as possible. As we mentioned in the last paragraph, some integrations place the burden of customizing, maintaining and supporting an integration on you and your IT department. This places a lot of strain on IT, pushing them away from their main priorities so that they can keep the integration functional and avoid unplanned downtime because of software issues (read more in Why an Integration Saves You Time). Instead of draining IT’s time and resources, look to an integration that comes with a trustworthy integration team. Unity clients enjoy a seamless, fully managed integration experience by working with our Unity Support Team. After working closely with you to understand how your company works, our team executes an implementation that is tailored to your needs, oversees all the daily maintenance and updating, and is ready to rapidly troubleshoot any problems that arise. We asked our Unity clients how they felt about our support team and 100% of them said that our team cares about their account and their success. Learn more about how we treat our clients at Datix.
Integration Remains Static
If a developer doesn’t care about improving their integration, then even a good product will no longer be competitive in a few years. Look for an integration that evolves as technology advances. In addition to standard maintenance to adapt when your ERP, CRM or other software updates, Datix also offers complimentary Unity updates to make sure that our solution remains the best application on the market. With continuous growth in mind, we ensure that you get the maximum value you can out of your integration. If you unsure how an integration will evolve over time, look to its scalability track record. Unity was designed to be fully scalable and has already processed over 350 million records. Discover how Unity could work for you.
A Consultant Who Doesn’t Understand Your Business
Lastly, the biggest integration red flag is not with the integration itself: it’s with the consultant. A consultant who promises a lot without any intention of delivering will make your integration implementation a struggle, no matter how good the system is. We have all experienced the struggle of working with people that assure you they will take care of everything and mysteriously vanish when it is time to do the work, or someone who won’t answer your calls or emails when you are having pressing issues with your system. We can all agree that it is paramount to avoid uncommitted consultants, but it can be hard to distinguish an imposter from the real deal. Our advice: listen to what they focus on because it will indicate what’s important to them. If a consultant is constantly referencing that their product is cheap, then they likely put price over value in every aspect of their business. Companies that strive for constant growth and long-term partnerships with their clients are the ones that are invested into offering real solutions and doing what it takes to keep their customers trust. If a consultant is saying yes to all your ideas without asking critical questions or challenging you to reflect on your business model, then they are looking at you like a checkbook instead of a business they want to help. At Datix, we strive to Be the Best with the Best by working with organizations that want to break through the status quo and change their organization for the better. Speak to a consultant to learn more about what we offer our clients.
Wrap Up
When picking an integration, avoiding these red flags will make your implementation and daily experience easier. An integration should be made for your industry, not require extensive customization, give you fully managed support, come with complimentary system updates from the developer, and allow you to work with a consultant that you grow to know, like and trust. If you are looking for an application with all these advantages and more, turn to Unity.
Read more in our Ultimate ERP and CRM Integration eBook
About Datix
With over two decades in the industry, Datix is the ERP and integration consultant of choice for manufacturers and distributors. We believe in “being the best with the best” and look for partners who match our commitment to solving real issues and doing what it takes. Our in-depth analysis of our clients and their business needs allows us to maximize their software investments to the fullest.
