Native integration or still a custom link

Spoiler alert: There is an even better option.

Meanwhile, as you may know, many Marketing and Sales tools have lots of integration capabilities. Some even have their own marketplace for links to other tools. Note, these integrations often work super, but just because they exist doesn’t mean you can use them to do everything your organization needs. At the same time, a custom-made integration is not always the right solution either, which is why we list the pros and cons so you can make an informed choice. At the end of this blog, we have
yet
an option that circumvents many of the drawbacks of native and custom integrations.

Native integrations

Native integration, or standard integration arranged by the SaaS partners themselves, has great advantages.

Here are the main benefits:

1. Ease of use is by far the biggest advantage. A native integration is often easier and faster to set up. For Marketing and Sales managers, for example, that means less time spent on technical implementation, allowing them to spend more time on strategy. “What are we going to do with all this new data and insights?”.
2. Because native integrations are officially supported by platform providers, help and
   technical support
   usually readily available. This lowers the risk of long-term failures.
3. 
   Updates
   are made automatically, keeping systems up-to-date and secure without extra effort from the marketing or sales team.
4. These integrations are extensively tested, making them generally
   reliable
   are less error-prone. Although this is theoretically true, in practice we unfortunately see that this does not always hold true.

These are the main disadvantages:

1. Native integrations may not offer
   not all specific functionalities
   that an organization needs. They are often limited to the most common use cases. So what should you think about?
   –

• You also want to forward event dates but that option is not there.
• In the native link, the data can only be passed as text, whereas you need a true/false (boolean).
• The date notation in system 1 is mm/dd/yyyy and in system 2 you want dd-mm-yy. use.
  

1. You are
   dependent
   on the provider’s development priorities and schedules, which can lead to frustration and delays.

Custom integration

Custom integration may also be the best choice for your situation.

Here are the main benefits:

1. 
   Flexibility:
   Changes in business processes or objectives can be made more easily than with native integrations.
2. 
   Competitive advantage:
   Customization allows an organization to develop unique workflows and processes that are difficult for competitors to replicate.
3. 
   Customizability:
   A custom integration can be tailored precisely to an organization’s unique needs and processes, giving you a solution that perfectly aligns with your marketing and sales goals.

These are the main drawbacks:

1. 
   Time and resources:
   Designing, building and testing a custom integration requires significant time and technical expertise, which may not be feasible for all organizations.
2. 
   Risk of errors.
   : Because custom integrations are unique, there is a higher risk of bugs and errors that can lead to system downtime or data inconsistencies.
3. 
   Maintenance and support:
   The company is responsible for its own maintenance and any updates, which can lead to additional strain on internal or external IT resources.
4. 
   Cost:
   Developing and maintaining custom integrations can be significantly more expensive than using native solutions, especially upfront.

One solution

To get rid of most of the drawbacks, you can use an integration partner.
A good integration partner uses a self-developed standard link that they can customize to your needs. This gives you access to all the functionalities that a custom integration would also offer and you can request modifications at any time.

It also takes less time and capacity because it uses a standard. With multiple companies using partially the same integration, teething problems are resolved more quickly than with a custom integration.

The cost is lower than a custom integrate due to efficiency and a fixed base, but will almost always be higher than the native link.

Conclusion

For many managers, it is crucial to balance the need for specific functionalities with the available resources (time, budget, technical knowledge). Native integrations provide a fast, supported and often cost-effective solution that meets standard needs. Custom integrations, on the other hand, offer unmatched flexibility and adaptability for unique business processes, but require more investment and maintenance. The choice ultimately depends on the specific requirements of the organization and the value each option adds to the business strategy. There is an option to get the benefits of a custom integration without the drawbacks by finding an integration partner with a customizable base link.