1. Overcoming Integration Nightmares Using Cloud Solutions
Nate Tucker

2. Overview
For application developers, interfacing systems with one another is the most frustrating part of a project.
It’s even more frustrating when CSV/Text Files are used to import/export data.
Programming has to be developed to ensure data integrity is not compromised; duplicates (adds versus updates)
New advancements in technology have significantly decreased these frustrations

3. Old Way for Interfacing
Create process for exporting data in specific format
CSV
Fixed Format
Create process for importing data from file created

4. New Way for Interfacing
API - Application Program Interface
It is a set of clearly defined methods of communication between various software components.
Often includes specifications for routines, data structures, object classes, variables or remote calls

5. Updated Software Systems
Vendors made changes to their systems to adopt the API methodology
No common standards left programmers building interfaces with newer technologies that simply replicated the older CSV and Flat File formats methodology

6. Cloud-Based Interface Applications
Developed to create a set of standards that applications could connect with
Actions based on
Triggers
Service
Data

7. IFTTT.com If This, Than That Automated home
Started in 2010 for personal automation activities and later included limited business automation services
Automated home
Time of day
Location awareness

8. Enterprise Solution Considerations
Syncing
Challenges include delayed data availability in destination system
Reporting data delays
Even here you can eliminate CSV and Text Files if syncing directly between applications that have APIs built
Real-time
Mixture of both

9. Ellucian Ethos Got into the game of APIs late Higher ED data standard
Interfaces built for internal products
Partners will integrate with Ethos
Store data for all systems allowing for integrated data analysis

10. Current Lee API Usage 90 Day data verification/confirmations
Read & Update student data via Portal using Student Self-Service APIs
Future modifications processed through Ethos

11. Lee Admissions Process
Collect data
Forms
Testing imports
Process data
Initiate Campaigns
Accept student
Process enrollment

12. Current Tech @ Lee Salesforce for Admission Recruiting
Informatica – imports and exports with Salesforce
iData – uses ELF processing within Colleague (4 hours of processing)
Axiom – writes directly to SQL tables (near real-time) – Can solve your CAMS problem
To write directly to Ellucian Ethos in future

13. Informatica Interfaces with common data sources
CSV and Fixed File Format
MS SQL databases
Other ODBC OLEDB data sources

14. Skyvia
Data integration
Backups
Query
Connect via APIs

15. Zapier Connect Apps Develop Workflows Real-time actions
Detailed configs

16. Microsoft PowerApps & Flow

17. Lee Marketing Example Facebook AD Zapier Salesforce Marketing FB Form
Capture data
Send data
Salesforce
Receive Data
Campaign Processing

18. Summary
A lot of vendors have built APIs that interface with cloud providers such as
Informatica
Skyvia
Zapier
If you are still using the CSV or Fixed File Format methodology, take advantage of newer technologies

19. Questions & Answers

20. Thank You!
Nate Tucker