Data synchronization ensures accurate, secure, compliant data and successful team and customer experiences. It assures congruence between each source of data and its different endpoints. As data comes in, it is cleaned, checked for errors, duplication, and consistency before being put to use. Local synchronization involves devices and computers that are next to each other, while remote synchronization takes place over a mobile network.
Data must always be consistent throughout the data record. If data is modified in any way, changes must upgrade through every system in real-time to avoid mistakes, prevent privacy breaches, and ensure that the most up-to-date data is the only information available. Data synchronization ensures that all records are consistent, all the time.
The importance of data synchronization grows in step with increased accessibility to cloud-based data as well as access to mobile devices. Mobile devices use data for basic operation as well as personal information for apps, websites, and email. Updates to information generated by the user as well as the end target must be constant and secure. This synchronization process requires clean, consistent data for product and service competence, but also for data governance issues like security and regulatory compliance. Data conflicts can result in errors and low data quality, which consequently leads to a lack of trusted data down the line. With data synchronization properly implemented throughout a system, a business will see performance improvement in many areas, including:
Data accessibility and error resolution afford time savings, allowing emphasis to be put on important business development processes like marketing, new product development, and strategic decision-making. Virtually everyone benefits from clean, synced data.
There are a few types of data synchronization methods. Version control and file synchronization tools can make changes to more than one copy of a file at a time. The other two, distributed and mirror, have more specific uses.
Organizing your business data sounds like a simple task. But consider the different systems in a single business — CRM, product management, employee portals, customer support, billing, and invoicing. Multiple users enlist data from the cloud on different applications, while maintaining security and integrity. The process can become a time and cost burden at best, a nightmare at its worst. What kinds of challenges are associated with data synchronization?
Security and confidentiality are two non-negotiable governance issues that businesses must carefully manage. How data moves through your system needs to meet certain regulatory standards as they relate to specific industries as well as to privacy laws. Unique systems have different policies and access requirements. Your data encryption methods must be compliant and consistent within each system. A synchronization tool ensures that changes made to your data are updated in a manner that meets the standards set by your specific security needs. Data breach or leaks, problems with trade licenses or government regulations, and reputation loss are just a few of the negative consequences of a system that doesn’t work. All of these effects typically lead to a loss of customers and revenue.
Multiple systems used by multiple business users mean that data is structured differently throughout its lifecycle. Ongoing updates and constant validation must be integrated and synchronized from all sources while maintaining strict integrity of information within a secure environment. Without a seamless synchronization system in place, data transactions and authorization can be delayed, and management controls can be affected by inaccurate data. Regular synchronization of sources and targets continually improves the value of your data but making it work specifically for your business.
Data organization has to be managed and integrated in real-time to ensure accuracy and prevent errors like rejected records or data that is in an incorrect format. For example, manufacturing needs updates on time to assure product readiness. Customers want to know when they will see delivery of their order. Real-time synchronization is the only way to meet these expectations.
In order to successfully synchronize your data it must pass through five phases:
If any of these steps are missed or incomplete, it can impact the end result. Especially as the cloud produces a large volume of data, synchronization must be a priority to keep performance at its peak.
Data formats must change and grow with the addition of new vendors and customers, as well as to meet the needs of continuous technological advances. The more data the more complexity becomes an issue to appropriately interface data in new situations, while enabling it to continue to work with the old systems. Further, as technology changes, data that is updated to a new system must be consistent with its original source and target. Data synchronization stabilizes the incoming and outgoing data making sure it is updated and compliant across the board. Download Choosing the Right Data Quality Tools now.
The importance of data synchronization cannot be understated. Without it, every aspect of your business can be fraught with delays, errors, miscommunication, and inevitable profit loss.
A good data integration strategy can set your business on the right track from the beginning, ensuring the data organization and consistency necessary to run a successful endeavor — locally, globally, and in the cloud. The easiest way to conduct real-time data synchronization is with a solution designed specifically to ensure data quality. Once set up to the specifications of your business, it runs automatically, day and night.
Our company is a comprehensive suite of apps specializing in data integration and data integrity. By providing services for every aspect of your data’s synchronous journey — collect, transform, govern, and share — We ensures data quality while delivering real-time results. It’s Time to begin your data synchronization journey.