Our partners want ready access to our data from within their own systems.
We want to provide that data but not have to manage complex permissions or utilise complex data mapping and import routines.
Data security is front of mind too, as financial records are being shared and license keys. We need to have confidence that our data being shared is secure.
This would normally become a major project (with all the expense that entails) to share sensitive data in a secure way.
Why would businesses share data?
Every company is going to have their own internal systems and procedures. In this instance our partner is using Sage CRM as a platform to run their business and they want to be able to view our license data and invoices from within their own CRM.
Having the data stored internally allows them create their own reporting structure and procedures around handling renewals and reconciling invoicing. It could be a license increase or reduction that is missed, the license record is accurate but the automated renewal to be issued has been missed for an update.
CRM Together publishes license and invoice data nightly from our CRM system and from our accounting system (XERO).
With CRM Together and the partner using Data Islands we can share these datasets (that only contain the partners data) and the partner can get the datasets into their own database and surface it in their own Sage CRM system.
These processes are automated and don't require any access points into the CRM Together servers to be open keeping our environment secure. Likewise the partner retrieves the data via an automated Data Islands job, also without opening up access to their environment.