As businesses continue on their digital transformation journey, they are met with a major roadblock: integration challenges. According to a new report from integration and API platform MuleSoft, IT teams spend more than a third of their time working on integration projects.
Based on a poll of 800 CIOs and IT decision-makers, the report states that custom integrations cost large enterprises an average of $3.5 million in annual labor.
However, integration is considered a “critical factor” in determining the success and speed of digital transformation. It is also vital, as data silos remain a challenge for almost all (90 percent) organizations. If these trends continue, MuleSoft warns, businesses may be prevented from delivering key initiatives.
An organization will use an average of 843 applications, with less than a third (29 percent) being integrated. Less than a fifth (18 percent) of organizations have integrated end-user experiences across the omnichannel, with almost half (48 percent) suggesting this was difficult to accomplish.
Still, those that succeeded are now reaping the benefits, such as increased customer engagement, business transformation, and innovation.
One of the ways organizations are trying to lessen the burden on IT teams and improve integrations is by reusing existing ones, MuleSoft concluded. However, the reuse of code, APIs, and best practices templates has plateaued over the last two years.
