Unify Data Sources for Improved Data Management and Deeper Insights

As digital ecosystems become more complicated, some organizations assume that they need expensive ETL (extract, load, transform) platforms to unify data sources. While an ETL platform can offer robust features, you probably don’t need an entire system dedicated to unifying data from diverse CRMs.

The right API solution can simplify your approach to real-time data unity. Plus, you don’t have to spend extra money on a high-cost platform. Instead, you connect customer data platforms, data warehouses, data lakes, and other systems through APIs that automatically combine unrelated databases.

Learn more about combining datasets from common and diverse databases by starting your free trial with DreamFactory.

Common Problems Created by Data Silos

Data silos can create numerous problems for organizations. Depending on your industry, you may encounter issues like:

• Incomplete customer segments from unconnected customer data platforms (CDPs).
• Failure to comply with GDPR, HIPAA, and other data guidelines.
• Irrelevant information that creates inaccurate data analytics and confuses marketing teams.
• Poor information flow that prevents machine learning and business process automation.
• Missing critical customer touchpoints that could increase sales.
• Poor goal alignment between departments and teams.

Data unity helps break down the silos that prevent your team members from accessing all of the information they need to track metrics, improve performance, and boost sales.

The Many Benefits of Unified Data

Unified data can potentially solve all of the problems listed above. Today’s companies tend to care more about some aspects than others, though.

Marketers Can Streamline the Customer Journey for Higher Retention

Understanding the customer journey is essential to attracting people and converting them into paying customers. Since you have to reach people where they are, though, a lot of retailers end up using diverse ecommerce solutions and websites. You might sell through Amazon, Salesforce, Walmart, and your own website.

Using diverse ways to reach customers is a good thing when it works well. Ideally, though, you could improve your approach by unifying data from multiple CRMs, analyzing the information, and determining which strategies give you the strongest ROI.

DreamFactory’s data mesh feature combines unrelated databases so you can identify strategies that work well and make them the backbone of your journey. After analyzing customer data, you might find that it makes more sense to invest in content marketing that drives customers to your personal ecommerce store, or you might discover that you make more money through PPC campaigns that push consumers to your Amazon page.

When you can compare data accurately, you can streamline the journey to increase sales, earn more money, and retain your customers.

Streamline Workflows With Analytics and Visualization Apps

Your company generates and collects a lot of information. In the era of big data, you cannot rely on human brains to make critical decisions until you have used analytics to uncover trends in your data. If you give your analytics and visualization apps data in different formats, you will not get comprehensive results. You might as well make decisions by rolling a dice.

When you unify your data, you can use analytics and visualization apps to answer questions like:

• Do my business processes include unnecessary steps that waste time and money?
• Could my organization save money by outsourcing some of our tasks to consultants?
• Would it make more financial sense to prioritize social media advertising or pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns?

Create a Single Source of Truth for a Unified View

You cannot make a definitive statement about your business or its processes until you create a single source of truth that gives stakeholders a unified view of the organization. When you have data silos, managers will reach different conclusions depending on the information they see.

Funnel all of your data to a single reservoir so every influential person has concrete, objective data that leads them to accurate decisions.

Review the long list of features offered by DreamFactory to see how the platform can help you unify data sources.

Unifying Data with DreamFactory

DreamFactory’s API platform can accomplish the data unity that most companies need. You don’t have to invest thousands of additional dollars on an ETL solution. Instead, you connect all of your applications, databases, and other digital assets through a single connection.

Start your free DreamFactory trial today to see how much more easily you can unify data when you have an API platform designed to match your needs.

Related reading: 

Introduction to Data Unity: What Is It and Why Is It Important