Loading data for our business

[fsmikwen]

Hello,

Thanks for the help with our questions. We are now benchmarking data integration solutions, with most of the tools interesting for our business.

We have been checking open source solutions and wonder which of the proprietary or open source software could be best for us. Knowing that our company is getting larger with a more important client base.



Thanks.

[Datagopherdan]

Not to promote my own business here but have you looked at having a Custom Access database designed that would be specifically built for your business requirements, which a boxed software most likely will not do for you.

Dan

[Datagopherdan]

I would agree to an extent. It all depends on what your business needs are. I can tell you from my experience that pretty much every business is ran differently even if they are in the same exact industry. They have varying processes, analysis, time frames for reconciliations, sequence of business events e.g. Customer Buys > Invoiced > Order Placed etc.

The big advantage with having an application built around your business is just that "It's being built around your business", not the other way around where your business is basing it's processes on the packaged software.

The other huge advantage is the flexibility, a custom built application offers room for growth and expansion where it can be designed to accommodate most types of unforeseen analysis needs that may arise in the future and in those events where it cant' enhancement cost is typically a fraction of the cost of what it would be to have a team of developers come in and add enhancements to a packaged type software to be customized to your specific business.

I won't mention the actual software companies but I have designed a number of applications to customize reporting and analysis needs that extracted data from the same data source as the packaged software did and to do that was a fraction of the cost that the software company was going to charge the client.

Dan
Access Development

There are advantages to using open source software. The program code is accessible to the software users. The program is usually free and directly downloadable from the company's website.

Most companies have forums to help you on problems, issues and support and maintenance can be given by the companies.

Look at programs such as Talend Open Studio for your data integration needs. It is an open source program.