The downside of Modular Software Integration.
This is continuation of our series on Modular Software looking at pros and cons of software integrations.
The downside of using modular software Integration is that instead of dealing with one source of truth for everything, you now have several parts of disparate information. This makes a difference as sometimes the bolt-ons don’t sync perfectly. For example, HubSpot does a good job of replicating Dear Systems order statuses, but it is a different software, written for a different purpose, so some things just don’t come across as much as you would like. With and ERP system that is built from the ground up, you have a more integrated experience.
This also comes into play when syncing payment services, if you have a problem and you disconnect and resync then you may get some interesting results, including duplicate entries or missing ones. That’s when each provider starts blaming the other for the problem and it can be difficult to get a resolution. This is also one of the drawbacks with cloud solutions, is that you won’t have a backup to restore, prior to the problem occurring. Everything is live so you just have to deal with the situation as best you can. This is where I usually create a test tenant which is useful to make sure everything is working before going into the live.
Testing Software Integration.
Most Vendors can provide demo environment for testing purposes but the time period is limited. For Dear Systems it is 14 days with another 14 if required. . In those situations, its best to work with limited sample data (i.e 20 products, 10 suppliers and customers) just to check that the principle is working. The same goes for whatever you are syncing to. Xero has a 30 trial and with Shiptheory you have a free version that allows you to print basic address labels. This allows you to have the freedom to post dummy transactions and test reports knowing that your live system will remain clean. In software terms, a Sandpit environment.
Which is the best Type of Software.
As a business the decision to go either lean and agile with modular options on the more robust traditional ERP solutions should be based on the size and complexity of your organisation. Smaller business’s appreciate the flexibility of this new plug and play environment, where larger organisations with more staff with multiple sites in different territories would require the discipline and structure of more comprehensive multi-relational database. There are no hard and fast rules but this is where a good understanding of your business model is essential in order to find the right software fit for your organisation.
If you need unbiased independent advice on your software requirements please contact us directly on the email above.
