Unifying data from multiple systems
When ERP, CRM, and spreadsheets disagree, leadership stops trusting reports. The fix is not another dashboard — it's a reliable data layer underneath.
Map your sources first
Inventory every system that holds business-critical data: owners, update frequency, APIs available, and known quality issues. This audit prevents surprises mid-project.
Choose your integration pattern
- ETL/ELT pipelines — batch loads into a warehouse (best for analytics)
- Real-time APIs — event-driven sync for operational dashboards
- Data warehouse — single source of truth for BI and reporting
- Semantic layer — consistent KPI definitions in Power BI or Tableau
Governance from day one
Define who owns data quality, how often pipelines run, and what happens when source schemas change. Without governance, unified dashboards drift back into inconsistency within months.