STRATEGY

Which systems you connect, in which direction, with which source as truth.

Four decisions per integration: source of truth, sync direction, implementation technique (native, marketplace, middleware or custom) and who maintains it. We design the architecture and map the data flows before a single API call is written. Otherwise you end up with integrations that work until someone renames a field.

Book a strategy call Take the Maturity Scan first

What do you get?

01
Integration blueprint All systems, sync direction and source of truth per object
02
API mapping Field-by-field mapping and transformation rules
03
Implementation choice Native, marketplace, middleware or custom per integration

The observation

Integrations are usually accidental, not designed.

One integration is a Zapier, the next is a native app, the third is a custom script built by a former employee whose login credentials are stored nowhere. Nobody knows which system leads on "Customer", data loops in circles and downtime only gets noticed when sales sees no new leads for a week. An integration strategy takes a careful look at this once and for all.

Source of truth is missing

Three systems all claiming to hold "a customer record". Which one leads? The answer differs per discipline.

Mix of integration techniques

Native connectors, Zapier, custom scripts and manual exports all mixed together. No consistent strategy, high maintenance, fragile.

Sync direction unclear

Two-way sync sounds appealing, but causes conflicts when there is no priority rule. Changes overwrite each other.

No owner for downtime

When the integration breaks, nobody knows who is responsible for reconnecting it. This is usually only noticed once data has already been lost.

Approach

From integration spaghetti to a clear map.

A four to six week engagement. We inventory, design and deliver a blueprint your IT team or integration partner can execute.

01 Week 1

System inventory

All systems on the table with their role, owner and current integrations. Including shadow IT, Zapier flows and manual CSV exports. A brief intake with IT and the data owners in marketing, sales, service and finance.

Wat je krijgt System map with all sources, targets, current integrations, ownership and maintenance status

02 Week 2-3

Source-of-truth decision

Per object (contact, company, deal, product, subscription, order): determine which system leads and who wins that discussion. Often the hardest phase. Marketing, sales, finance and IT need to reach a shared decision. We facilitate; you choose.

Wat je krijgt Source-of-truth decision document per object, with rationale and sign-off per stakeholder

03 Week 3-4

Sync design

Per integration: direction (one-way or two-way), frequency (real-time, periodic, batch), transformation rules and fail-over. Conflict resolution: who wins when both sides change simultaneously. No two-way sync without necessity, as that is the root cause of 80% of integration pain.

Wat je krijgt Sync blueprint per integration, conflict resolution table, API mapping and transformation rules per field

04 Week 5-6

Implementation choice

Per integration the technique decision: native HubSpot app, marketplace connector, middleware (Workato, HubSpot Operations Hub, Make) or custom API. Per option the TCO over three years, the maintenance risk and who builds and manages it.

Wat je krijgt Implementation choice table with TCO, risk and ownership per integration, phased rollout plan, monitoring spec

What you get

System map with all sources and targets
Source-of-truth decision per object
Sync blueprint: direction, frequency, conflict resolution
API mapping and transformation rules
Implementation choice per integration with TCO
Monitoring and ownership document

Who helps you

The architect and the specialist.

Integration strategy is technical work with business impact. You work with the CRM architect and the HubSpot specialist, with Carel as strategic lead.

Carsten Huiskamp

CRM Architect

Conducts the system inventory, designs the sync blueprint and determines which technique fits each integration. The architect behind every integration strategy.
Carel Schrier

RevOps Lead / Strategist

Facilitates the source-of-truth discussion between marketing, sales, service and IT. Ensures technical decisions serve the business interest.
Yoni Lammens

HubSpot Specialist

Evaluates native apps and HubSpot Operations Hub functionality. Builds the integrations that can be handled in-house, and guides the IT team on the rest.

Case · B2B mid-market

From seven separate integrations to three maintainable middleware flows

A B2B organisation had seven integrations running: Zapier, a native HubSpot-Salesforce bridge, two custom Python scripts, a Workato flow and two manual exports per week. Nobody knew which one led on customer data.

In five weeks we redesigned the architecture: Workato as the middleware layer, HubSpot as CRM source of truth, ERP as finance source of truth. Seven separate integrations became three middleware flows, with error handling and ownership assigned.

What clients usually ask.

Honest answers to the questions we hear before almost every engagement.

How do you break down silos between marketing, sales and service?

Silos arise not from poor teams but from disconnected systems and inconsistent definitions. We therefore start not with the technology but with a shared source of truth (usually HubSpot), a lifecycle that runs across all three teams and firm agreements on who hands over what and when. Only then comes the technology: integrations, sync direction and ownership per field. The result is a customer view that marketing, sales and service share, rather than three versions of the truth.

Do you also build the integrations yourselves?

We deliver the design and the mapping. The build can be done in Workato, Make, Tray.io or natively. Many clients opt for a RaaS retainer where we also handle the implementation. Otherwise we deliver the blueprint and hand over to an implementation partner.

Does this work for enterprise environments with SAP or Dynamics?

Yes. We have experience with integrations to Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Salesforce, NetSuite and a long list of niche tools. The pattern is the same: source of truth, sync direction, technique and ownership.

What is the difference from a tech stack audit?

A tech stack audit looks at which tools you still need and which can go. An integration strategy looks at how the remaining tools communicate with each other. Many clients do them in sequence: clean up first, then connect.

How long does it take until new integrations are live?

We deliver the blueprint in four to six weeks. The actual build is a separate phase of two to six weeks per integration, depending on complexity and technique choice.

Ready to get started?

Ready for integrations that do not frustrate you?

Book a strategy call. We take a brief look at your current systems and pain points, then give you an honest scope.