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RICK SHERMAN'S BI COLUMN

Understanding key data integration trends and business drivers


Rick Sherman, Contributor
09.30.2009
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This is a two-part article on data integration:

  • Understanding key data integration trends and business drivers

  • Understanding the latest data integration strategies and technologies

    • This decade, and especially this recession, has seen a tsunami in demand for the data needed to make sound business decisions. Yet businesses continue to fall behind when they don't approach data integration as a business-wide effort that not only drives sales and profitability but also allows data to provide transparency, privacy and security.

    As information needs have evolved and grown, so has the path of data integration. Some of the important data integration trends and business drivers are described here.

    Businesses need more and more data

    Businesses today are hungrier than ever for information. They depend on accurate, timely information to fuel efficient operations, growth and customer responsiveness. As the volume of data grows, so does the complexity of integrating it.

    Some trends fueling the exponential growth of data:

  • Companies are generating more data internally. For example, the marketing group is collecting more detailed customer data from Web analytics and other customer touch points. Global companies have data from various countries to integrate, analyze and manage.
  • There's more external communication with partners and suppliers. As communication increases, so does the amount of data being passed back and forth. Inventory levels, ship dates, product descriptions – each company needs the latest information so it can share it internally and with its customers. Are we going to receive our shipment of widgets in time to meet our production goals? Is the partner's product we're selling on our website available in enough quantity to meet our holiday rush?