Whale-Sized Challenge of Data Management
- Shawn Duffy
- Apr 16
- 5 min read
How SMBs can harness scattered information without drowning in spreadsheets
Have you ever questioned your total sales from new customers last quarter? Does your team get stuck debating where the correct information is sourced or how it gets calculated? Do you spend more time consolidating information than analyzing results?
Simple questions, but if you're like most small business owners getting accurate answers might involve exporting data from multiple, disparate systems into spreadsheets and a complex data consolidation effort. By the time you have your answer, the information is likely already outdated or inaccurate based on a single typo or poorly updated Excel formula.
This is the reality for many SMBs. Critical business information scattered and siloed across multiple systems with no easy or apparent method to bring it all together other than manual, brut force. This is the equivalent of attrition warfare with your time and resources. The good news is the solutions your larger competitors employ are equally available to organizations at all sizes. They scale and facilitate solutions for the multi-billion and multi-million dollar enterprise. A trusted partner can help pilot you through the landscape, let's explore how.
Understanding Your Data Landscape
Before diving into solutions, you need to map your current data landscape. Most SMBs are surprised to discover how fragmented, siloed, and disparate their business information actually is. Baleen Data can help document your data and information systems to provide a clear, actionable, and detailed understanding of your organization's information, including recommendations for streamlining and improvement.
We suggest you start by listing all the software and systems where business data lives:
Financial data in Sage Intacct, QuickBooks, or Xero
Customer information in Salesforce, HubSpot, or another CRM system
Production and Inventory in your SAP, NetSuite, or another ERP/management system
Employee data in your Paylocity, ADP, Workday, or other HR software
Critical flat files and translation files
Now using those systems, identify your most crucial data points and measurements (i.e., Key Performance Indicators, Operating Key Results, etc.). This is the information you need regularly to make business decisions and manage your business. Finally, we suggest you then pinpoint your biggest "data pain points". These are situations like when you need information desperately but are forced to wait for it to be available, cleansed, merged, prepared, validated, and presented. This could also be wanting information but not having the detail or accuracy necessary to act. This all helps you identify the primary integration targets or hot spots in your organization's information management as well as areas of optimal improvement.
Common Data Integration Challenges for SMBs
Small and medium businesses face unique challenges when it comes to data integration:
Limited budget vs. demonstrable ROI: Unlike enterprises, SMBs need to see clear, immediate returns on technology investments. The good news is that data integration pays for itself quickly through the time saved from manual, brut force data consolidations alone. One retail client saved 15 hours weekly just by automating their inventory-to-accounting reconciliation. Consider the "double savings" of time as the analysts no longer spent 15 hours each week wrestling with data, instead they analyzed and put that data into action improving the organization. We always suggest starting small with a targeted use case to facilitate proving of these gains. Trust us, everyone involved will want more after seeing the benefits.
Technical resource constraints: Without a dedicated IT team, technical solutions can seem intimidating. Today's integration platforms increasingly cater to non-technical users with visual interfaces and pre-built connectors for popular SMB software. If pre-built connectors are not available, then solutions based in custom Application Programmable Interfaces (or API's) are much more attainable for SMBs as many platforms readily offer these connections into their data stores. With a little custom development, these connections can be built into a Power BI report or directly feeding a database for consolidation with other data.
Resistance to change: Many small businesses have established manual processes that, while inefficient, feel comfortable to staff. Addressing this resistance requires demonstrating concrete benefits and providing adequate training during implementation. People are an often forgotten aspect of all technology projects. They are in fact the most important aspect in prioritizing, optimizing, and adopting the new technology. We leverage them as key resources to ensure all are successful.
Implementation Best Practices
When implementing your integration solution:
Set clear goals and metrics: Define exactly what success looks like. Is it time saved? Error elimination? Faster decision-making? Track these metrics to validate your use case and return on investment (ROI). Without setting clear objectives before starting, the focus will lack a finish line.
Start small & Identify a Use Case: Begin with one high-value integration between systems or key deliverable rather than attempting to connect everything at once. This approach reduces risk and provides quick wins to build momentum. This allows for quick win/loss evaluation without significant investments of time or resources.
Maintain data quality: Integration magnifies the impact of data quality issues. Everyone's data is as messy as their garage, meaning you always have a false sense of cleanliness. Establish standards for data entry, deduplication, cleanup procedures, and maintenance across systems before integration mitigates the classic "garbage in, garbage out" scenario.
Select Appropriate Platform or Tools: The market is flooded with platform and tool options. Selecting the most appropriate platform is based on a combination of factors, including current in-house skill sets, integration options, ease of use, and scalability.
Case Studies: SMB Integration Success Stories
Consumer Packaged Goods/Retail Example: A boutique food retailer with both online and physical stores struggled with inventory management across channels. By integrating their e-commerce platform, POS system, and accounting software, they eliminated manual data entry/tracking, reduced inefficiency by 20%, and gained critical visibility into their best-performing products across all sales channels. Interested in learning more about this CPG/retail use case, then reach out to us.
Professional Services Example: A law firm integrated their time management tool with their accounting systems. This allowed them to automatically calculate matter profitability, identify performance metrics in real-time, and track personnel and matter efficiency without manual data transfer. The result was faster billing cycles and a 20% improvement in matter efficiency. Interested in learning more about this professional services use case, then reach out to us.
Manufacturing Example: A local manufacturer connected their bill of materials, production planning, and sales order systems. This integration enabled them to offer more completely view their production process, identify delays or lagging steps, increase the accuracy of delivery dates to customers, reduce inventory carrying costs by 15%, and respond more quickly to material pricing fluctuations. Interested in learning more about this manufacturing use case, then reach out to us.
Conclusion
Data integration doesn't have to be overwhelming or expensive for small-to-medium businesses. By understanding your specific needs, working with a trusted and experienced partners, selecting the right approach, and implementing a thoughtful use case, you can eliminate your "five spreadsheets problem" and get clear, unified insights from your business data.
Unsure where to start with integrating your data or assessing your Data Systems? Contact Baleen Data for a comprehensive data systems review. Let us help you unlock the full potential of your data, driving enhanced efficiency and strategic insights.