Digital transformation is driving ubiquitous buzz, with 90% of organisations undergoing some kind of evolution, according to McKinsey & Company. From cloud services to ERP, the goal is clear: better efficiency, stronger strategy, and results through innovation. The issue is that, whilst 90% of companies are already actively engaged with technologies like AI, and platforms like AWS and Microsoft Azure, most efforts to enhance technological capabilities are still hindered by outdated strategies for integration.
The pitfalls of traditional integration
According to Salesforce, businesses spend an average of $3.5 million per year on managing their in-house integrations. This is before any troubleshooting, maintenance and upgrades are considered. Unless the third-party provider is willing to share its system backend openly, which can put it in unnecessary danger, companies must build custom integrations – each needing constant patching and updates to stay secure. This soon results in unplanned costs and a heavy IT-burden, with IT teams buried in patching and firefighting – leaving little time for real innovation.
Security and compliance risks
Security breaches and compliance failures are critical risks, particularly in industries handling sensitive data. Government research has shown that 44% of British businesses already face significant risk due to gaps in compliance and security – making additional issues due to legacy integration problems even more costly. Migration to the cloud further heightens this risk, as overstretched IT teams battle to build complex middleware from scratch alongside a constant barrage of troubleshooting requests. Failure to step up consistently could result in breaches and fines, permanently damaging company reputation.
Why traditional integrations don’t scale
Scalability is another major issue with traditional integration. Many custom solutions struggle to keep pace with growing data demands, reducing return on initial investment whilst limiting future potential.
Even with third-party vendors, companies often face costly, rigid contracts that stifle growth. With both in-house and external traditional integration approaches, internal teams end up burdened with low-value work, focussing more on reactive rectification than on proactive business expansion or innovation.
The LEO way: faster, safer, smarter
Our managed integration service, LEO, provides an effective solution to these problems. Designed to eliminate inefficiencies, security risks and the financial unpredictability of in-house integration, it enables businesses to focus on innovation rather than maintenance, ensuring progress in digital transformation.
Unpredictable cost remains one of the biggest challenges of in-house methods. LEO removes this uncertainty with a fixed-cost model, allowing organisations to plan and allocate budgets more effectively, without unexpected expenses derailing financial plans.
Beyond cost savings, LEO also significantly reduces IT workload by automating integration processes. Teams no longer need to map and build custom connections, instead benefitting from pre-built solutions that are consistently monitored and upgraded externally, on their behalf. Not only does the time saved create more room for innovative use of internal IT services but it also eliminates the security risks associated with overburdened teams and manual applications. Indeed, LEO is hosted on Microsoft Azure, ensuring that all modern regulatory standards are met, whilst safeguarding data integrity. With seamless, API-driven integration, businesses can deploy any new tech solutions rapidly, enhancing their overall security posture as they also benefit from improved time to value.
Real-world success
When Auto Trader began migrating to Unit4 Cloud, it quickly realised that the custom integrations built by its in-house team could not be fully supported. This threatened to completely derail operations. By switching to LEO, Auto Trader was able to modernise its approach, reducing IT overheads and ensuring a smooth, cost-effective transition to the cloud, boosting scalability whilst enhancing – rather than limiting – the efficacy of its digital change solutions.
Similarly, when RSBG began using LEO’s AI Invoice Recognition Connector to automate its AP processing, it was able to derive maximum value from its chosen AI-powered solutions. IT overheads were significantly reduced, as human errors were kept to a minimum, saving time and driving greater business efficiency whilst also significantly enhancing security.
Ready to modernise your integrations?
With pre-built EPR, finance, HR and CRM connections, to name just a few, LEO makes third-party tool integration fast and hassle free. This eliminates vendor lock-in and rigid integration constraints, allowing businesses to thrive in flexibility-driven markets.
As IT costs continue to rise and the adoption of cloud services increases, the need for efficient, vulnerability-proof integration has never been greater. Delaying modernisation will only lead to inefficiencies, financial strain and increased exposure to security threat, putting businesses in grave danger.
LEO eliminates the above stressors, meanwhile optimising digital transformation by eliminating the need for costly, in-house, custom integration solutions. With no unnecessary expenses or complex delays, businesses can introduce new technologies seamlessly and start reaping the benefits from day one.
Ready to eliminate the hidden costs of integration?
Book a free consultation with us. We’ll assess your current setup and show how LEO can cut costs, reduce risk, and accelerate digital transformation – without the usual headaches.