The top 6 SaaS integration challenges and how to solve them

Compatibility is probably one of the most common issues when it comes to integrating your SaaS system, especially if you’re trying to integrate with other third-party software. So, compatibility problems like mismatched naming conventions, syncing issues, or poor lead segmentation can create endless headaches or require lots of fiddly admin to resolve. Some SaaS systems, like Salesforce, can also have problems connecting with some older versions of Microsoft Outlook.

An advanced bespoke integration can help mitigate compatibility issues because you have complete control of where the data points to and from. And there’s also functionality to manually—as well as automatically—synchronise data, so data transfer is seamless.

Depending on the SaaS enterprise software you’re using, accessing API documentation can be tricky, and then trying to find the details you need within that can be time-consuming. This can cause lengthy delays, bugs, and other technical issues. This can be even more complex if you’re trying to share data between different SaaS systems, for example, HubSpot and Salesforce.

When we build our advanced bespoke integrations, we use our custom Si Middleware to facilitate the connections, so we don’t need to track down API documentation, and more importantly, our clients don’t need to worry about finding it either. Our Si Middleware is built and maintained by us, so we know it like the back of our hand, so if there are any issues, we can quickly identify and fix them without having to refer to complex documentation.

As your business grows and expands, you’ll more than likely come to rely on your SaaS software more and more. So, your integration needs to scale and adapt to suit. This can bring with it some very technical challenges, and often out-of-the-box API integrations limit what you can do, or your agency will struggle to push beyond the boundaries of what they’re already using. This leaves you with one option: advanced bespoke integration.

With an advanced bespoke integration, you can introduce or remove SaaS system connections, so as your business grows, you can keep your data flowing smoothly between your various SaaS solutions. And, if you find the business needs to move to a different SaaS system, that can easily be connected too. So you won’t need to go through the pain of a full rebuild, or spend more of your marketing budget on rebuilding parts of your existing system.

When it comes to data capture via forms, out-of-the-box integration solutions seem like a great option, but what about security? Data that’s collected from forms using out-of-the-box integrations can easily be manipulated and modified, which creates all sorts of data security issues for businesses, especially when it comes to GDPR. These standardised forms are also susceptible to spam bots, meaning your database will quickly fill up with useless data.

An advanced integration improves security by allowing for secure authentication and spam protection, so you won’t have to spend hours sifting through data to ensure it’s valid. You’ll also know the data is secure and safe. One less thing to worry about.

In terms of performance, fetching and serving data is a key area where your integration needs to be quick and seamless. Relying on an out-of-the-box integration means you’re also relying on a third-party API, which can be slow at getting the data you and your users need to the right places.

We’ve built our Si Middleware to handle all of this for us with our advanced bespoke integrations. We’ve streamlined the API so it’ll only be using what it needs, so data transfer is rapid with little to no delay. This has a huge benefit for both your business and your users. For you, it means the data you update elsewhere is virtually instantly updated everywhere else, and for your users it means they’re always seeing the latest, most up-to-date information available.

Maintaining your SaaS integrations is vital to ensuring it works at peak performance, is keeping data secure, and is aligning with any changes the SaaS system implements. But maintaining your integration can be complicated and time-consuming, especially when you’re dealing with a standard API provided by the SaaS developer.

Here at Si digital, we provide ongoing maintenance and support to ensure your business’s SaaS integration with your website, portal, or app is always up-to-date and running efficiently. Thanks to our bespoke Si Middleware, this is mostly under our control, so we keep on top of maintenance for you regularly. Find out more about our ongoing support services here.

When it comes to advanced bespoke SaaS integrations, we know it can be complex, and it has to be beneficial to your business’s growth plans. So we take a consultative approach to bringing your integration to life. Using our Faraday™ framework, we use our two decades of expertise to bring you a solution that aligns with your business goals and KPIs.

We’ve worked with clients like Harwin and Norbain so they can maximise their SaaS software throughout their business to improve internal processes, reduce admin, and cut costs, leaving them with more time to focus on business development, new products, and lead generation.

If you want to capitalise on your SaaS enterprise software integration, you can find out more about how we can help here, or get in touch to book a consultation.