Digital Builder: A Straightforward Approach Data Integrations

Integration myths and misconceptions

To get the most value out of integrations, you need to make sure everyone understands what they are—and what they’re not. Let's clear up a few common misconceptions.

Definitions may vary

One thing the Agave team sees all the time? People assume "integration" means the same thing to everyone.

"There's an assumed definition of what an integration is, and when everyone says 'integration,' it means the same exact thing. But the reality is there are a lot of different types of integrations," explains Tom.

Integrations come in all shapes and sizes—from simple file exports to fully automated, real-time data syncing. Some are triggered by schedules, others by specific updates.

With all that in mind, it's critical to define what "integration" means for your team—and what you need it to do—before you dive in.

And remember just because a vendor says they have an integration doesn't mean it works the way you think it does.

Integrations are plug-and-play

Another misconception, says Tom, is that integrations are plug-and-play. Some people may think that "you can just glue tools together and everything works very quickly and instantaneously."

But this view is far from the truth.

"Anyone who's done integrations understands that these are very complex systems. And even for a small company, there are a lot of configurations and customizations you might add. Not all integrations are the same, and they're not plug and play."

Tom likes to describe it as plug-and-configure:

"We can stitch together your systems—that part is relatively straightforward. However, there's a lot of configurations that we'll need to fine-tune to ensure that systems can talk to each other in the way that your company needs them to."

Integrations can solve ambiguous business processes

Some people see integrations as a silver bullet that can magically streamline everything. And while they can drive efficiency, they only work when your processes are already clear and well-defined.

As Tom puts it, "integrations don't solve ambiguous business processes. They codify processes that you've already defined."

When your processes are confusing or inconsistent to begin with, an integration may only exacerbate the issue.

"Often when we're adding an integration for a company, it surfaces misalignment or undefined processes. If you try to integrate on top of that, that's going to be very difficult and introduce a world of pain," remarks Tom.

Mitigating the challenges of integrating your systems

Integrating your software can unlock tremendous benefits, but as we alluded to earlier, it can also create friction and delays if you dive in without clear goals or alignment. Here are the steps you can take to ensure your integration journey is as smooth as possible.

Have those internal discussions

Start by hashing out your needs, objectives, and ROI with internal teams. According to Tom, this will help everyone gain clarity on what an integration is really meant for. Ask yourself and your teams:

• What systems do we want to connect?
• What are we looking to get out of this?
• Who are the teams that are impacted, and who's entering data?

From there, come up with a list of requirements. That way, you can walk into vendor conversations with a plan.

"Put them in a spreadsheet or a bullet format. If you can come to a vendor or a consultant with a rough set of requirements, that makes the conversation much more productive," says Tom.

Ensure you have a clear source of truth for your data

Another tip? Decide which system owns which data type and stick to it.

"We like to recommend having a clear source of truth for each type of data," remarks Tom. "You don't want to have two systems that are the sources of truth, which inevitably compete."

Understand the systems you're integrating

Tom says it's crucial to gain hands-on experience with the tools before attempting to connect them.

"Make sure that you are using and familiar with the systems that you want to integrate. It's a prerequisite, and it's often a blocking factor for adopting a new system."

Narrow your scope

The phrase "don't boil the ocean" often sounds cliché in corporate circles, but that's because it's good advice. And this same mindset applies to construction integrations.

"We recommend narrowing the scope in whatever you do," says Tom. Doing so helps you build trust with stakeholders, especially those who may have been burned by poor software implementations in the past.

So, start narrow and develop proof points that you can validate. And depending on the results, you can expand the scope later.

Have robust core systems

Before exploring shiny new apps or AI-powered add-ons, see to it that your foundation is solid. That means having reliable, integration-ready core systems. This may include your ERP, accounting, or HR platforms.

"If your core systems don't have a means to integrate with the growing ecosystem of cloud applications, that's going to hinder your business," says Tom.

Outdated tools can slow down decision-making, create data silos, and even make it harder to attract modern talent.

"Ensuring the systems that house most of your data are connected—if they're not already—should be a top priority," he adds.

The importance of clean, accurate, and timely data

Even the best integrations can't deliver results if the information that runs through them is messy or outdated. For your integrations to truly provide value, your data must tick three boxes:

• Clean - Well-formatted and error-free, clean data can be processed without triggering validation issues across systems.
• Accurate - Accuracy reflects how closely your data matches real-world events. If a change order happens in the field, your system should reflect that ASAP.
• Timely - Timely data minimizes lag between what happens on the jobsite and when it's recorded in your systems. The faster you capture and share data, the quicker your teams can act on it.

"Clean, accurate, timely data puts guardrails in your systems," says Tom. "Have hard validation rules so you can at least capture data when it happens fairly quickly, but also accurately."

Avoiding the pitfalls of corrupted data

Even if your systems are technically "connected," poor integration practices can introduce corrupted, inaccurate, or unusable data. To keep your data in good shape across platforms, follow these strategies:

• Document your field mappings - One of the most common issues? Misaligned fields between systems. "For example, you're going to have a vendor in one system and a vendor in the other. Which fields map? Am I mapping the name to the name, or am I mapping the name to the description to the other system?" says Tom. Always document your mappings clearly so your team can debug and maintain consistency over time.
• Eliminate manual data handoffs - Manual exports, spreadsheets, and VLOOKUPs create risk. "It sounds as messy and error-prone as it is," Tom adds. Instead, aim for predictable, automated workflows that don't rely on someone juggling Excel files between systems.
• Maintain end-to-end control - Avoid too many middlemen. "You don't want a bunch of moving parts... You want one party managing that in-between kind of bridge," says Tom. Fewer handoffs = fewer surprises.
• Stay away from black boxes - AI and third-party tools that operate without transparency can break trust. "You want deterministic behavior. It's hard to audit a black box," he warns. Choose tools with clear logic and audit trails.
• Audit transformations regularly - Even minor errors, such as rounding differences, add up. "We audit to make sure... do the line items actually add up to that number?" says Tom. Build in checkpoints to catch issues before they spread.

Questions to ask when discussing integrations with tech providers

If you're a contractor evaluating vendors, it pays to go beyond the product demo and dig into the real-world implementation details. Here are some of the questions and discussion points Tom recommends you bring up in conversations with tech providers.

"Here's what we're trying to do—does this make sense?"

Start with your goals, even if they're not fully defined yet. The right partner will help you clarify them, not just nod and sell.

"I always like customers asking, 'Can you try to poke holes in this?'" remarks Tom. A great vendor will sense-check your plan, point out blind spots, and be honest if their tool isn't the right fit. "If the vendor just sells you regardless of what you say, they're probably not a good partner to have," he adds.

"What does implementation look like and how long does it take?"

"A lot of software vendors have really good sales pitches, maybe even great products, but the implementation is where the rubber meets the road," Tom points out. He warns that even great software can go sideways if it's misimplemented.

That's why he recommends getting into the nitty-gritty of implementation early on.

Ask: Who will be managing your setup? How long does it usually take? Can you talk to customers like you who've been through it? Knowing these things will enable you to understand potential pitfalls and avoid them later.

"Why don't your customers renew?"

This is a bold question, but it'll lead to even more productive and insightful conversations. Tom advises taking the time to understand why customers might churn. Are there implementation issues? A price hike? Something else? Whatever the case, the answer will reveal how transparent and customer-centric a provider truly is.

"An honest vendor will tell you, and they'll have data to back things. It'll stoke a great conversation around renewals and shed light on where the friction is and how to mitigate that upfront."

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