How to Combine Data from Multiple Business Systems
Most growing businesses rely on several different software systems to run their operations. Accounting systems manage financial data, CRM platforms track customer activity, ERP systems handle operations and stock, and many organisations also maintain additional spreadsheets or specialist applications for specific tasks.
Each of these systems holds valuable information about how the business is performing. However, because the data is stored in different places, it can be difficult to combine it into a clear picture of overall performance.
As a result, many businesses rely on manual processes to bring this information together. Staff export data from multiple systems and copy it into spreadsheets so that it can be analysed in one place. These spreadsheets are then used to produce management reports or dashboards.
While this approach may work initially, it often becomes increasingly time-consuming and complex as the business grows. Every reporting cycle requires new data exports, manual updates and careful checking to ensure the figures from different systems align correctly.
In many cases, the spreadsheet models used to combine this information become extremely complicated. Different data sources may use different formats, naming conventions or time periods, making it difficult to ensure that everything matches correctly.
The result is a reporting process that requires significant manual effort and often depends on one individual who understands how the spreadsheets work. This creates both operational risk and a significant drain on management time.
Even when the data is successfully combined, the reports produced may still be out of date by the time they are finished. Manual reporting processes make it difficult to provide real-time visibility of what is happening within the business.
Many organisations face this challenge as they grow and adopt more specialised systems. Each system performs its role effectively, but management teams still struggle to gain a clear overview of the business because the information remains fragmented.
One consumer products company experienced this problem while trying to analyse its sales performance. The business sold products through a network of distributors, each of whom supplied sales data in spreadsheet format. Staff had to manually consolidate the information from multiple spreadsheets before it could be analysed alongside the company’s financial data.
After implementing the Octelas reporting platform from illuminis, these different data sources were integrated into a single reporting environment. Distributor sales data could be imported automatically and combined with financial information from the company’s accounting system.
This allowed the business to analyse its sales performance much more easily and gain a clearer understanding of which products and customers were driving growth.
By bringing data from multiple systems together into one reporting platform, the company eliminated much of the manual work previously required to prepare reports. Managers could access the information they needed immediately rather than waiting for spreadsheets to be assembled.
For many businesses, integrating data from multiple systems can deliver significant benefits. When information from accounting, sales, operations and other systems is combined into a single reporting platform, it becomes much easier to understand how different parts of the organisation are performing.
This visibility allows management teams to identify trends more quickly, spot potential issues earlier and make better-informed decisions.
Illuminis helps businesses achieve this by integrating operational and financial data into the Octelas reporting platform. Rather than simply providing a reporting tool, illuminis works as a long-term data partner, designing and implementing reporting systems that bring together information from across the organisation.
This approach ensures that data from multiple systems can be combined automatically, eliminating the need for complex spreadsheet consolidation. Reports are generated automatically and updated as new data becomes available.
Many businesses initially explore tools such as Microsoft Power BI when looking for ways to analyse data from multiple systems. While these tools can connect to various data sources, they still require internal expertise to design the reporting models and maintain the dashboards.
Illuminis takes a different approach by delivering a complete reporting solution where the data integration, report design and ongoing maintenance are handled by an experienced team.
For organisations struggling to combine data from multiple systems, this approach can save significant time, improve accuracy and provide much clearer visibility of overall business performance.