Keys to Establishing a Single Source of Truth for Your Enterprise Data
Open communication is healthy for every relationship, especially the relationship with your data
The single source of truth (SSOT) architecture for enterprise data is nothing new. But hearing about it, liking it, and implementing it are three different things. If you’ve got data spread throughout your organization you need to make sure it’s all stored in a central location. This gives every department access to accurate, up-to-date, reliable information. Whether you pull data from a POS system, online forms, or a CRM, here are three key things to keep in mind when building your SSOT structure.
Investigate Native Integrations
Most software platforms make it easy to see their available integrations, but if you have a specific one in mind you should do your homework. Native integrations are great because they mean the two software platforms communicate seamlessly. They often come with a user interface that makes it easy to configure. Meanwhile, integrations built through an API are practical and generally give more flexibility in your data communications, but will require coding knowledge.
If coding isn’t your skillset you can also use integration support platforms, like Zapier, to see if another coder has already built what you need. GoFormz is proud to offer a wide variety of native integrations, but also has an open API for customizations. And our existing Zapier framework makes transferring data from your digital forms easier than ever.
Leave No Data Untouched
Don’t short-change yourself when it comes to building your SSOT architecture. It may be tempting to stick with platforms you already know or keep things in manually updated spreadsheets because it’s familiar. Embrace the learning curve of more expansive applications! Every single piece of data that your business records needs to be stored in your one single point of “truth”. Every communication, transaction, and visitor datapoint should be available to your entire organization.
For example, let’s look at a standard work order. This work order should prepopulate with data from your CRM if it’s an existing customer. For new customers, you should be able to send the work order information back to your CRM to create a new record. This ensures all contact information and previous details from the customer are accurate. It keeps your sales team informed about new transactions, and even helps your marketing team know which customers are most likely to engage with a remarketing campaign.
If you’ve opted to use a work order template from GoFormz, you also know all the individual pieces of data captured in that work order are uniform across the organization. This makes pulling reports and analyzing trends easier for every department. With data segmentation, you can also ensure data is sent to the department that needs to see it, as well as your main repository.
Always Ask Where Your Data Goes
Everyone has been told they need to track data, but have you asked yourself where it should end up? Data is only helpful when being put to use, and even sitting in your SSOT database isn’t doing much good. Data doesn’t work like a savings account, you can’t leave it alone and expect it to be valuable. The data needs to be able to flow freely between your other departments’ software and your SSOT repository. The free flow and open access of your data allow it to stay up to date and accurate, making it reliable for your whole team.
The next time you’re looking for a fillable PDF, ask yourself, “where do I need this data to go?” Are you trying to move away from manual entry? If so, a fillable PDF may not be enough — unless you’re a fan of manual record-keeping and have a group of excited interns ready to transcribe your data. This is the same way an integrated POS system is a lot better than a standalone cash register. At the end of the day, both a POS and your cash register will help you complete your sale. But an integrated POS system is also going to make sure your finance team accounts for the sale, and your fulfillment team can effectively support the order.
When you know where your data needs to be, you can make sure your systems all communicate. And no business can be successful without open communication, especially when it comes to data.
