Head of CRM & Marketing Automation at Mountainise
Certified CRM Consultant with 10+ years of experience in Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketing Cloud implementations.
Salesforce holds 22% of the global CRM market, making it the most used CRM platform worldwide. However, integration is key for businesses to get the most value from Salesforce.
Nearly 70% of companies say system integration is critical to their digital transformation goals. Without it, data stays trapped in silos. Integration helps connect Salesforce with tools like ERP systems, marketing platforms, and customer service apps. It powers automation, boosts productivity, and delivers a 360-degree view of the customer.
In this post, we’ll discuss the essentials of Salesforce integration, including the different architectures, APIs, patterns, and best practices.
Key Takeaways
Salesforce holds valuable customer data, but it’s only one part of your business. When Salesforce doesn’t talk to your other systems, your teams work in silos. That leads to slow service, duplicate data, and costly mistakes.
According to Gartner, poor data quality costs businesses an average of $12.9 million each year. Integration helps fix this.
It connects your CRM to tools like ERP systems, accounting software, and marketing platforms. This gives your team real-time updates, complete customer profiles, and faster workflows.
With proper integration, you can cut manual tasks, improve customer service, and make smarter decisions all from one connected system.
Salesforce can be connected in different ways, depending on your needs, tools, and business size. Below are the most common integration architectures:
This is the simplest method. One system connects directly to another. It works well for small setups with limited tools. But as your systems grow, this setup becomes hard to manage. Each new connection adds more complexity.
In this model, a central “hub” handles all data transfers. Each system (spoke) connects to the hub instead of directly to each other. This setup is easier to scale and control. Tools like MuleSoft or Dell Boomi are often used as the middleware.
This method uses real-time triggers. When something happens in one system (like a new sale), it instantly sends that data to Salesforce or another app. It’s fast and keeps systems up to date without delay. Tools like Kafka or Platform Events in Salesforce support this setup.
Instead of moving data, this model creates a virtual layer to view data from many systems in one place. It gives users access to real-time data without copying it. Salesforce Connect is an example of this approach.
This method transfers data in bulk at scheduled times. For example, data might sync every night. It’s useful when real-time updates aren’t needed and you want to reduce system load.
This modern approach uses reusable APIs to manage data flow. APIs are grouped into three layers: system, process, and experience. This setup is flexible, secure, and easy to update. It’s ideal for businesses growing fast or needing strong control over data sharing.
Salesforce offers powerful tools to connect with other systems. These tools help move data, trigger actions, and share information in real-time or in bulk. Here’s a breakdown of the most commonly used capabilities:
This is the most widely used integration tool. It allows systems to send and receive data using simple web calls. REST is lightweight and great for mobile apps and web services.
SOAP is a protocol-based API. It’s more complex than REST but useful when strong security and strict rules are needed. It’s often used in large, enterprise-level systems.
This API handles large volumes of data. It’s built for speed and can move thousands of records at once. It’s ideal for nightly data loads or system backups.
This tool sends real-time updates when data changes in Salesforce. It’s perfect for dashboards, alerts, or live feeds where you need data pushed to you without asking for it.
Salesforce can automatically send messages to another system when a change occurs. No coding is needed. It’s a quick way to trigger simple actions in other systems.
Salesforce can call an external system’s API to get or send data. This is useful when Salesforce needs real-time data from another app, like shipping status or payment info.
This tool lets you view data from outside systems in Salesforce without moving it. It keeps your Salesforce light and fast while still giving users access to key data.
Heroku Connect links Salesforce with Heroku apps. It syncs data between your CRM and custom apps built on Heroku. This is useful for building flexible, user-friendly digital experiences.
Integration patterns are common ways to connect systems based on how data moves and what the process needs to do. Salesforce supports several patterns that help handle different business needs:
Salesforce sends a request to another system and waits for a response. It’s like asking a question and holding for the answer. This is useful when Salesforce needs real-time data or confirmation before continuing.
In this pattern, Salesforce sends data to another system but doesn’t wait for a reply. It’s fast and doesn’t slow down the user. Use this when no immediate response is needed—like sending a log or updating a status.
This method moves large sets of data between systems at scheduled times. It’s often used for backups or syncing old records. It helps reduce system load by avoiding constant updates.
Here, an external system sends data into Salesforce. For example, a website might send lead info directly to Salesforce. This pattern is common for web forms, e-commerce platforms, or external apps.
Data visualization allows Salesforce to show data from another system without storing it. It saves space and keeps Salesforce running fast. Users can view and use the data without copying it over.
This setup reacts to changes as they happen. When an event occurs (like a new order), it triggers a response either in Salesforce or another system. This is great for real-time updates and automation.
Integrating Salesforce can bring big benefits, but it’s not always simple. Below are some of the most common issues businesses face and how to solve them.
Mountainise offers expert support to streamline your Salesforce CRM integration:
Let’s help you get the most out of Salesforce. Contact Us now.
Salesforce integration plays a crucial role in enhancing business operations and improving data consistency across systems. By choosing the right integration approach, you can streamline your processes and boost efficiency.
At Mountainise, we work closely with you to design and implement seamless Salesforce integrations that meet your unique needs.
Reach out to us today, and let us help you get the most out of your Salesforce platform for greater business success.
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