When developing enterprise software for your business, it’s important to consider integration. In other words, how well will your in-house developed software integrate with popular systems used by management and workers? Integration can’t be an afterthought. It needs included into the process from the beginning. Otherwise, it’ll be clear that it wasn’t properly thought out.

Continue reading to look at four reasons software integration needs to be a primary consideration for software developers working on enterprise software for their companies or other businesses.

1. Productivity

Greater productivity is one of the benefits if your team keeps integration in mind during the enterprise software-building process. You can ensure that the enterprise software you’re developing can work with your business’s other critical applications. 

Will people in the finance department be able to use the applications they rely on to work seamlessly with the enterprise software? You should also consider how much time people in different departments take to communicate if they have to do so manually. 

Suppose someone in the finance department needs to speak to someone in the maintenance department about a budgetary matter. The processes will be faster and easier if they can be done through an integrated system rather than manually. The flow of information won’t be impeded. And when people have access to the information they need when they need it, they can be more productive. If you want to boost workplace productivity, ensure enterprise software plays well with other systems. 

2. More Efficiency

Another reason to consider integration when developing enterprise software is the efficiency factor. It can sometimes be counterproductive to have different departments using different applications — especially when the systems don’t talk with one another. While that might not be a big deal for inter-department communication, it could be a logistical nightmare if someone in one department needs to communicate with someone in another department. 

This is particularly the case if important decisions need to be made sooner rather than later. If people need to input data manually and then send this information to people in other departments, workplace efficiency may take a nosedive. Knocking down the proverbial walls that often turn software applications into their own islands without the workforce is critical.

When your enterprise software is integration-friendly, employees will benefit. They’ll easily be able to access data. Time won’t be wasted since what workers need will be at their fingertips.

3. Better Customer Service

Customers want what they want when they want it. And since they have options, they won’t settle for so-so customer service. The benefits of integration don’t just apply to employees. There are customer-facing benefits as well. For instance, employers won’t have to transfer customers from department to department or from staff member to staff member. 

When various systems are integrated, your company can ensure workers have the relevant information required to render the level of service customers need and expect. Your company can considerably reduce the time it takes between a customer query and a resolution, which will lead to more satisfied customers. 

4. Higher Workplace Satisfaction

While it can be counterproductive for businesses to support too many applications, some popular solutions bring added value and make the lives of employees easier. So, it makes sense to ensure that approved applications used by different departments can be used with enterprise software. 

Do you need to integrate a maintenance system with an ERP accounting system? Do you want to integrate enterprise software with your human resources or sales department applications? Ensuring that third-party software integrates with enterprise solutions will benefit workers.

When developing enterprise software, you need to consider how it will integrate with other solutions used across the company. There’s no single solution that can meet all the needs of all employees and all departments in a business. 

So, it’s critical to consider integration and ensure the enterprise software you develop plays well with other software for the good of the end user.