Ever since businesses started using multiple platforms for different purposes, the hassle of handling data storage arose. It is because the information is separately stored on these platforms. When it comes to data analytics, the work becomes complex as the experts need to apply their analysis on each storage. That not only unnecessarily stretched the task but also gave inaccurate results. In order to correct this, data integration solutions are used. They provide the ability to integrate all the available information on these various platforms into one place through the ETL process. Once collected, it can be used for any business tasks.
Importance Of Data Integration: This has become one of the most crucial aspects of business, as almost all of them have become data-driven. If the data from all sources is not collected at a single place, it can create several problems. In order to get the most fruitful results out of their collected data, businesses should go for proper data integration solutions that can help them manage their information in their cloud storage.
Selecting The Solution
However, with so many ETL solutions available in the market, it becomes typical for businesses to choose one. We have collected some key features that they can look for in these tools before finalizing one so that they do not invest in a useless product.
Speed
As everyone says, time is money. It stands true for most of the businesses. So they should opt for only those methods that can make their overall processing faster. That is one of the significant reasons behind switching from conventional program-based ETL solutions to the current automated tools. The prior ones did the procedure quite slowly and made the work even more complicated.
Therefore, this should be the first feature to look for. Businesses need to see whether the speed of the data integration solutions fit in their requirements or not. If the processing goes slow, the results might not be the same as the data will get older.
All-In-One
Nowadays, the all-in-one trend is what all tools are following. Developers try to put in as many features in the platform as possible. It enables the user to keep their work sorted at a single place. They do not have to switch tools to get different information or perform various tasks.
This can be the second feature to give importance to. The right ETL solution can cover both data integration from third-party data sources and data migration between clouds. As the procedure is almost the same, it can quickly implement both of them. It will save the business efforts and costs as they will not have to invest separately into different tools.
Compatibility
There are thousands of data sources and several cloud platforms available in the market. It will be okay if the data integration solutions’ compatibility matches the business’s current requirements. However, experts should seek a tool that is compatible with as many platforms as possible. It will enable them to use the same platform for any of their integrations.
If they do not look for this feature, then the business would have to reinvest in tools for their different purposes.
User-Friendly
This feature comes without saying in almost all tools. The reason being, no tool interface is complete if it is not friendly enough for the users. From the user side, they cannot use the tool if they do not know how to use it. Though they can read manuals or take technical support, it is never enough for a tough to understand interface. Businesses should look for an ELT solution that provides them with an extremely user-friendly interface. Only then can they get their hands-on other features.
Conclusion
Businesses have to look into several factors before making even the smallest of decisions. It is because each choice makes a difference in where their business would go in the future. So how can they not look into features while selecting data integration solutions, which is one of the essential parts of their setup? Along with the features mentioned above, people can also see whether the ETL solution is reliable enough or not, as the valuable data cannot be left in the hands of a faulty tool.