To keep data in sync across business systems, give each type of record a single source of truth, decide whether each flow needs real-time or scheduled synchronisation, define how conflicts are resolved, and monitor every sync. Most data problems come from unclear ownership rather than technology.
Choose a source of truth
For each type of data, such as customers, products, prices, orders and invoices, decide which system is the master. Other systems receive updates from it rather than editing independently.
Real-time or scheduled?
- Real-time (webhooks or events): when people act on the data immediately, such as new orders or bookings
- Scheduled (every few minutes or overnight): for reporting, large volumes or systems without real-time APIs
- Mixed: many businesses use real-time for operational data and scheduled sync for analytics
Handling conflicts
If the same record can change in two places, define a rule: the source of truth wins, the latest change wins, or a person reviews conflicts. Write the rule down and build it into the integration.
Matching records
Use stable identifiers shared between systems rather than names or emails, which change. Store the other system's ID on each record so updates go to the right place.
Monitoring
- Log every sync and its result
- Alert someone when a sync fails or stops running
- Run periodic reconciliation checks that compare totals between systems
Want help putting this into practice? Explore our Systems Integration services or see related work in our Himanshu Tours & Travels case study.
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