Smart Integration in Seven Steps - Slide 3

2. Break Down IT Silos

Any data integration vendor will tell you, its No. 1 competitor is hand-coded integration. Our Loraine Lawson talked with IT leaders who say it's just simpler to write a few lines of code – they don't need a “data integration platform.” But how much do those few lines of code – and the problems they create later, when there's no documentation on the integration – cost them in the long run?

Sometimes, change can be worthwhile. The key is knowing what's worth pursuing and what's not. One way to tell the difference is to see what emerges time and again as a best-practice recommendation, from various sources. With that in mind, Loraine Lawson identified seven integration steps that experts say are worth the time and money. (For more on these pointers, be sure to check out Loraine's blog).