Anatomy of a Software Hairball

All data driven apps such as QuickBooks (Accounting) and Salesforce (CRM) run on databases made up of tables with records. Neither of these systems are considered the single version of the truth, which is a term given to the master data source (e.g. customer record), responsible for controlling other data sources that share the same record information.

Without a controlling record source, when apps “connect” which by definition is an automated copy and paste duplication function (you didn't think Zapier was magic did you ?), updates and deletions on either side of the record have no master version orchestrating decisions about how to synchronize the data, and  eventually things spiral out of control. At BizAutomation we refer to this as a “software hairball”.  As duplicated data loose their integrity and become fractured, comprehensive reporting, forecasting, and workflow automation – all vital business functions – become untenable. To make matters worse, the “Customer” table is but one of many, which further compounds the problem as more and more apps are connected. This is why virtually all medium to large businesses run on ERP software, which puts all core systems on a single database. This removes duplication thanks to its “referential integrity”. 

If these Data Silos are roughly representative of your business, how would you answer these questions ?

Question 1 - Will ALL apps be updated if a company name changes from ABC Inc. to XYZ Inc. or is deleted from one of these systems ?  Answer - Almost never

Question 2 - What if an Item Name is modified, archived, or deleted from one of these systems / data silos... will they all synchronize the change ? Answer - Almost never

Question 3 - What if you create a duplicate of a  company in CRM, will it synchronize with all connected apps that have only one record of this company ?  Answer - Almost never

With end-to-end CLoud ERP software, all systems leverage a single database, so there’s only a single version of the truth.

RECAP

• Cloud ERP Software provides a single version of the truth, putting all core systems on a single database. There's no duplication because everything (aka Apps, Modules) resides on a single "Normalized Database" with "Referential Integrity". This eliminates the duplication that happens when connecting/stringing together apps that create an out of control mess (what we refer to as a "software hairball").
• There's only 3 ways to grow your business:  (1) Increase sales (2) Cut costs and/or (3) Increase productivity - A properly matched and implemented Cloud ERP system dramatically helps improve each of these areas of growth and is invaluable in scaling out your business via the least friction. This is why virtually all enterprises run on ERP, and why companies like BizAutomation are dedicated to bringing the same efficiency benefits down to the small business (aka SMB / SME) market.  
• Cloud ERP is also CRUCIAL if you're selling from multiple marketplaces because the more channels you add, the more complexity you create which as demonstrated in our data silo example, crates so much disorder that it brings businesses to their knees in coordinating all the moving parts. This gave rise to the term "Omnichannel ERP".

If you liked this blog, and are considering Cloud ERP Software, I highly recommend you checkout our own cloud ERP solution at BizAutomation (see below) and read my Blog article titled "5 Mistakes Business Owners make when negotiating Big-Tech ERP Software Proposals"

Credit BizAutomation Cloud ERP for small business