Salesforce integration tools allow you to share the valuable data you collect in Salesforce with other systems. This means that anyone in your organization, also non-salesforce users can access the customer information they need, whenever they want to. That allows them to answer questions swiftly, anticipate customer needs and make data-driven decisions. If you want your business to grow and thrive, integration is essential.
Because Salesforce is a CRM system, Salesforce data integration tools often connect Salesforce with a complementary system such as an ERP (or enterprise resource planning) system, sharing data on customer accounts, inventory and business processes. But that’s far from the only useful Salesforce integration. If you use marketing automation or productivity software, for example, you might find a Salesforce integration very helpful.
To integrate Salesforce with another system, you need an integration tool. It is possible to do it yourself, but it’s difficult unless you have significant technical knowledge and the resources to maintain an integration long-term. For nearly all businesses, using a tool makes sense.
These are some of the most popular Salesforce Integration Tools on the market.
When it comes to Salesforce – Microsoft Dynamics data integration, Rapidi is a leader on the market. The RapidiOnline integration tool is a simple and robust integration tool that uses pre-configured templates to make Salesforce integration to Microsoft Dynamics ERP easy. It integrates Salesforce with all Microsoft Dynamics ERP (whether it is Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, NAV, 365 Business Central or 365 for Finance and Operations), but can also be used to integrate Salesforce with various other ERPs. RapidiOnline provides both out-of-the-box integrations as well as fully custom and everything in between, so most businesses looking for Salesforce integration will find what they need with the tool.
What makes RapidiOnline truly unique is that the tool does not only synchronize fields. It takes the integration one step further by allowing you to store and display the most meaningful and insightful ERP data (such as Sales History, Payment History, Open Orders and Financial Overview) wherever you need it the most in your Salesforce system.
By presenting the data in a format that is much easier to work with the standard Salesforce related lists, RapidiOnline greatly increases the value of the Microsoft Dynamics ERP data in Salesforce. Also, RapidiOnline comes out of the box with ready-to-use reports and dashboards that can be used as they are or easily customized to match your needs.
Salesforce-ERP data integration doesn’t have to be difficult or take up a lot of time and effort. With RapidiOnline, you can have everything up and running in hours for simple integrations, as well as receive ongoing support.
Commiercent is a cloud-based app designed to sync ERP systems with CRM systems, including Salesforce, that can be customized to fit the needs of any business. They offer plenty of flexibility and have a core team of developers who are constantly adding new integrations to the Commercient platform. They can integrate around 65 systems with Salesforce or another CRM, including popular accounting systems such as Quickbooks and Sage.
Integration does not require mapping, ETL or coding, reducing integration costs by up to 80 percent. Data can be synced in real-time or on any schedule and there are many add-ons, such as customized reports, sales territory set-up and industry specifics. There are two levels of support to choose from and product-specific resources so users can quickly adopt best practices for optimal implementation.
Dell Boomi, is a very technical platform and offers a scalable integration platform that can integrate Salesforce with various other systems, aimed mostly at larger businesses and those scaling quickly. The number of systems they can integrate make Boomi a great choice for enterprises that have the need to integrate a variety of different systems and databases. Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle Netsuite, Amazon AWS and Google Cloud are among the popular integrations supported.
The platform is designed to leverage all the advantages of cloud technology and can support complex architectures and systems. The visual interface tool allows users to access common integration components to create end-to-end integration workflows. No coding knowledge is needed, but the integration can still require a large number of hours to implement.
Jitterbit is a very broad integration platform for the high-end market. It offers API integrations to many different systems for businesses of varying sizes. There are three service levels available, depending on the amount of support needed and how many systems a business wants to connect. All Jitterbit solutions are available on a single digital platform called Harmony, which users can see quick results using a cloud, on-premise or hybrid model.
They’re focused on problem-solving and helping businesses meet their growth goals, with almost limitless options available and the ability to adapt integrations easily as a business grows. Jitterbit is designed to be used by both non-technical employees and technical, with even the non-technical being capable of building a new integration. However, it’s important to note that their ERP-CRM integrations require significant efforts for custom integration. Jitterbit works well for larger, fast-growing businesses who need the flexibility they offer.
Mulesoft’s Anypoint platform is a Salesforce-owned, high-end API integration platform used by enterprise companies with high complexity integrations. It’s a highly flexible integration designed to connect Salesforce with a plethora of other applications. You can build API support and then apply additional integration functionality in additional layers.
They work best for larger businesses and huge enterprises who have enough internal technical resources to use the platform to its full potential. Integrating with the help of Mulesoft is not as quick and easy as with some of the other tools, but it gives big companies the ability to integrate a few applications at the same time. Mulesoft is central to applications and services we use every day, including Spotify and Netflix and is used in over 60 countries.
Orbis offers a flexible integration system offering integration of various programs, including Salesforce,with ERP systems, giving businesses flexibility and agility. It is very SAP-centric, mainly designed for integrating SAP and Microsoft Dynamics.
Based in the Netherlands, Orbis works with mainly SMEs around the world. They have a track record of creating innovative software solutions and offer a range of off-the-peg integrations as well as bespoke add-ons. Their systems are flexible with on-premise, cloud and hybrid operating models. Their programs support the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, real-time analytics, third-party systems, business networks and more.
Tibco Scribe is a very generic tool with connectivity to many platforms. It is a cloud-based system with specialist solutions available for large businesses, SMEs and SaaS providers. Focuses mainly on Salesforce-ERP integrations but can also create integrations with business intelligence software such as Hubspot. These tailored integrations allow users to create integrations that handle their unique configurations and customizations. Some template support is provided.
Tibco Scribe software manages decisions, information, and processes for over 10,000 customers. It utilizes a self-documenting graphical user interface, ideal for non-programmers to deploy integrations. It is easily maintained with a management console to track multiple integration schemes.
Salesforce data integration tools are not all equal. On the technical side, they differ in what programming languages they use and how they store data. On the user side, some are designed so that anyone can use them, others are aimed at technical teams who are able to do their own programming when needed.
Some tools are simple to use for almost anyone and can be up-and-running very quickly. These tools tend to use pre-set templates to speed up the process and are great for businesses that need a fairly standard integration of Salesforce with an ERP or other common connection. Others offer infinite flexibility, but are generally more complex and may need some degree of technical knowledge.
How to Choose The Right Salesforce Integration Tool
All Salesforce integration tools can be used by most kinds of businesses. But not all tools are the best fit for everyone.
Some tools work best for larger businesses with big budgets and in-house technical teams. They tend to answer complex needs and come with an array of different options. Small and medium-sized businesses will often do better with a more focussed, specialist tool than one designed to meet extremely varied needs.
Ask yourself whether you need lots of functionality and the ability to connect to a wide variety of programs, or whether you simply need to integrate Salesforce with an ERP system (as the majority of businesses do). Straightforward Salesforce-ERP integrations don’t require a complex, expensive platform.
But whatever your business, and whatever your wider needs, you should always look for a tool that offers:
Support at whatever level you need it. Think about what your team can do internally and what they might require help with.
Set up in the timeframe you need. If you’ve got a new project to get off the ground that relies on data integration, you might need a tool that can be set up quickly (some take hours, others weeks).
Experience integrating Salesforce with the ERP or another system (or systems) you use.
The ability to scale. Even if you’re not growing now, data integration tends to drive growth, so you might find that changes.
The ability to keep working regardless of new versions (upgrades) of your systems. The solution needs to be future proof.
All the integration tools we’ve featured here work well for a wide variety of businesses. For bigger businesses able to provide some of their own technical support, the flexibility offered by Mulesoft Anypoint and Jitterbit is great. For smaller and medium-sized businesses, the Salesforce experts at Rapidi offer excellent, user-friendly solutions that suit most budgets and business goals.
Read also: Salesforce serves you better with ERP insight
Read also: Supplementing Salesforce CRM with a Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution
Read also: All you need to know about Salesforce-ERP connectors
Georgina Rodgers
Your business is 10 steps away from perfectly integrated data systems. Learn about key preparation, best practise and more in our data integration handbook.
