Today, companies use a wide variety of on-premise and cloud-based software and platforms designed for business process automation. Adopting several state-of-the-art solutions sounds good in theory, but unless you can get them to work together, it can be hard to get the most out of your technology investments.
The organizations that fail to integrate their systems suffer from data entry errors and unproductive teams. According to a survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence, 54% of the 1,200 IT decision-maker respondents said their biggest technology hindrances to being productive are applications not integrating with one another and information being siloed in different applications.
That’s where Integration as a Service, also known as IaaS, comes in.
What Is Integration as a Service?
You’ve likely heard of Integration Platform as a Service (IPaaS) – a platform for developing and deploying integrations to connect cloud-based and on-premise systems.
Well, Integration as a Service (IaaS) is similar. It’s a combination of professional services and software designed to connect on-premise and cloud systems for streamlined data search and retrieval and enhanced collaboration. It eliminates the need to manually move data between applications, improving accuracy, productivity, and error rates.
According to Gartner, IaaS covers all integration functionality delivered as a service, including secure B2B communications, data and message translation, and adapters for applications, data and cloud APIs.
IaaS connects backend systems, sources, operational applications, document management platforms, and more, enabling integration across the cloud – all in real-time. Not to mention, IaaS allows you to connect new solutions to your existing ones, making it possible for data to continue to reside in the platforms your employees are used to using. No need for them to learn a new system in order to access the information they need.
How Does Integration as a Service Work?
Now, you know that IaaS solves the software connectivity problem that many organizations are currently facing – but how does it work?
An IaaS provider will work with you to develop and implement the right integration plan for your specific needs. Typically, vendors will build, test, deploy, and manage the integration solution, scaling the technology with your organization as it grows and overseeing the interconnectivity of your backend systems. Services often include providing the infrastructure and middleware to close the gaps between the systems you use and eliminate data silos. Top partners can work with your IT team to ensure systems are properly integrated within your existing infrastructure and security requirements are met.
Here’s an example of how an Integration as a Service solution might work:
- Documents and data are captured from existing systems
- Each document is ingested and classified based on document type
- Data is extracted from the documents and validated against data in the target system using defined business rules
- Discrepancies and exceptions are detected and re-routed to the appropriate team or person for review
- Data is uploaded into the target system
- Tasks are kicked off and streamlined with robotic process automation (RPA)
What Are the Benefits of Integration as a Service?
IaaS offers several advantages to organizations. For instance, it drastically increases productivity by improving data accessibility and eliminating the need for employees to manually enter data from one system to another. This elimination of manual work also decreases data entry errors. And all of these benefits result in another very important one: cost savings.
With IaaS, you can save on labor costs and expenses brought on by human errors. Not to mention, outsourcing your digital integration reduces the costs of managing and maintaining disparate applications.
By driving efficiency, reducing errors, making data easily accessible, and, ultimately, making technology investments worthwhile, Integration as a Service helps organizations continue their digital transformation journeys.
Achieve a Successful Digital Transformation with an Experienced IaaS Partner
With the right Integration as a Service partner, you can realize all of the benefits above and more. The key is finding that right partner. You need one who doesn’t just sell automation tools but offers a way to integrate them effectively.
At MetaSource, we work with clients to evaluate their current technology as well as their needs for integration before providing a solution to consolidate and optimize business processes. We have decades of experience in IaaS, as well as a suite of workflow automation and document management software to help optimize your organization’s data management – from start to finish. Our team specializes in digitally transformative solutions to help companies overcome the challenges of siloed business applications.