The information shared between the company databases and the website can often overlap. Integration is about making your applications work together and automating the sharing of information.
A company database can hold almost any type of information. At Datum Connect we have dealt with many of the database solutions available on the market.
Integration is a process that takes information from your database and displays it on your website and vice versa. For example, products from your stock management system can be displayed on the website and stock levels are updated in real time so that when a product runs out, the website reflects this.
"When we update our system the website is updated too. It is easy to use and saves the company a lot of time."
Nathan Thorowgood - Saddlery Warehouse
Datum Connect has integrated with the following databases:
Features & Benefits
- Saves time by eliminating double data entry
Having systems talk to each other saves on the frustrating and error-prone job of entering the same information in multiple locations.
- Eliminating manual data entry helps to ensure accuracy of information and orders
- Automated updating of information across different websites and application software
Automating updates also means a person does not have to remember to do this task, further reducing reliance on manual human intervention.
- More timely and frequent updates help customers to get the latest up-to-date information
It is critical that customers and staff can trust the accuracy and timeliness for information.
- Improved workflow information between sales, accounts, production and dispatch
Multiple systems are required to capture and fulfil a product or service. It is important these systems talk to each other to ensure seamless delivery.
- Extends the useful life of existing software and systems
Many large legacy systems lack the functionality that is available online. Integration allows information to be exported from legacy systems and imported into online systems to provide additional functionality.
Return on Investment
Of all the services offered by Datum Connect, integration can provide the best return on investment. The benefits are instant and the ROI can be clearly calculated even before the project begins.
| ROI scenarios |
| Automatically updating 3,000 products (prices, stock, images and descriptions) saves one full time job and increases online sales by 250% in the first year. |
| Importing website orders into the accounting systems saves 35% of an accounts person's time manually entering orders. |
| Automatically updating supplier stock and price information saves 2 hours per day updating supplier information on the website. |
| Automatically exporting products and images to Trade Me increases online orders by 20% and saves 1 hour manually entering information. |
| Receiving reseller orders automatically enables preferential supplier relationships and accounts for 10 additional orders per day from a large reseller. |
| Reps on the road can see stock levels and create orders online, saving numerous calls to customer services each day. Orders can be dispatched as soon as they are entered, saving a half day lag between the rep getting the order and faxing or emailing it later. |
| Customer services staff can view the customer account balances on the CRM system and deal with accounts enquiries instantly, saving 1 hour of the accounts person's time each day and reducing customer accounts enquiry time by 50%. |
Common business problems / challenges and solutions
My marketing database is in 3 to 4 different places.
Customer information will always be in multiple places as different systems doing different jobs. Accounting systems to keep payments, eCommerce systems to take online orders, email marketing platforms to send marketing messages, online banking to receive payments, email client to send and receive daily emails etc. The best method to centralise marketing information is through a CRM system and supporting systems that can talk to your CRM.
Stock and prices on the website are always out-of-date!
Depending on your accounting package, product stock levels and prices can be automatically updated to your website.
We are so bogged down in customer support that we don't get anything done!
The team at Datum Connect are a small team of 10 supporting over 800 live customers, working on over 100 customer website projects and constantly developing their service levels and products. Having one central online integrated system is the key to getting things done quickly and efficiently. Datum Cloud is the new product that was developed to help companies to support existing customers and complete existing agreements while attracting new customers.
What if the online stock does not reflect what is in the warehouse?
Depending on your accounting/stock system, stock levels on the website can be automatically updated. If stock is less than three or another predefined amount, a message can be posted on the website directing customers to call to confirm if stock is available.
Questions and Answers
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How often will the website be updated?
Brent - Technical - Publishing |
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That depends on what type of information is being updated. Product descriptions and images should be updated once a day while stock information may require updating 4 to 5 times a day.
Danny - Founder - Datum Connect |
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How do we get the information from our Database system on to the website?
Tom - Director - Wholesaler |
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There are 6 main ways to transfer data. 1. Manual data entry, 2. Exporting and Importing, 3. FTP, 4. HTTP request (Website to Website), 5. Email attachments or 6. Using our specially developed Datum Connect integration tool. We will install the Datum Connect integration tool on to your computer and this will automatically extract information from your Database and push it to the website.
Jon - Web Developer - Datum Connect |
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How do I know if my Database can be integrated to the Website?
Tony - Director - Flooring |
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Most open databases can be integrated into your website. If in doubt we can contact the developers of your database and ask if getting access to the databases information is possible.
Danny - Founder - Datum Connect |
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