SQL Server Integration

SQL Server integration with MS Access, MS Excel, and commercial accounting and ERP systems are quite common. Proper integration with SQL Server can streamline business workflow, and avoid unnecessary, inefficient and error-prone manual data management. The engineering effort required to develop an SQL Server interface can vary significantly, so it is important to select the method most appropriate to the business need.

SQL Server Integration Methods

SQL Server integration methods can include ETL scripts that support file-based data extraction and import, ODBC or web service connections, or API-level integration. Each method is capable of supporting one-way or bi-directional data integration. ODBC, web services or API-level integration methods are often the best approach for continuous, real-time data integration needs. The method one chooses is driven largely by two factors: whether the same data elements need to be accessible by both systems (vs. a logical flow of data from one system to the other), and what the frequency of updates is needed by the business.

The SQL Server integration method one chooses is driven largely by two factors — whether the same data elements need to be accessible by both systems, and the frequency of data updates required by the business e.g. real-time, daily, weekly, monthly.

Infrequent updates from one system to another needn’t be over-engineered; Frequent updates to two or more systems should not be under-engineered.

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Case Studies


Pepsico

PepsiCo is the world’s fifth-largest food and beverage company, with 15 brands — each generating more than $1 billion in annual retail sales.

We designed and developed a custom Maintenance Repair and Order (MRO) application to track and maintain PepsiCo refrigeration and fountain assets around the globe (Europe, Latin America, Middle and Far East). Smart Client solution replaced 50+ proprietary MS Access systems, and includes highly-flexible, dynamic reporting capability. Components include: MS SQL Server 2008, .NET Smart Client, and SQL Server Reporting Services, and 3rd-party Grid control.

Custom Supply-Chain Planning Solution Enables PepsiCo to Optimize Manufacturing and Distribution Against Seasonal Sales Demands — Achieves Transparency and Best Practices Within Entire Supply Chain Planning Process and Consistent Performance Metrics.

Most of our facilities weren’t quite ready for SAP, but did require more sophistication and consistency than Excel spreadsheets could provide. Ultimately, we needed to connect key people and processes, all under PepsiCo’s best practices – which many commercially available software tools struggled to support.”

Integrating SQL Server With Accounting And ERP Software

Integrating SQL Server With MS Access

Many businesses that manage core business data a highly customized version of MS Access eventually outgrow the limited capabilities that MS Access can offer. More users, more data, the need to support remote users in different locations, are among the primary factors that necessitate migration of an in-house MS Access system with SQL Server. We specialize in migrating MS Access to SQL Server, to handle growing business needs. Learn more about Excel and/or MS Access to SQL Server migration services.

Integrating SQL Server With MS Excel

Integrating SQL Server With MS Excel

Two popular business scenarios for integrating MS Excel with a SQL Server database include using MS Excel as a flexible front-end calculation engine to perform “what-if” business functions that would otherwise be too expensive to build into SQL Server. Another popular scenario involves using Excel for SQL data selection and interactive charting functions. Both SQL Excel integration scenarios can provide a powerful, cost-effective way to manipulate large sets of data stored in a SQL Server database and take advantage of Excel functions.
Learn more about integrating MS Excel with SQL Server.

Integrating SQL Server With MS Access

Integrating SQL Server With MS Access

Many businesses that manage core business data a highly customized version of MS Access eventually outgrow the limited capabilities that MS Access can offer. More users, more data, the need to support remote users in different locations, are among the primary factors that necessitate migration of an in-house MS Access system with SQL Server. We specialize in migrating MS Access to SQL Server, to handle growing business needs. Learn more about Excel and/or MS Access to SQL Server migration services.

Integrating SQL Server With QuickBooks

Integrating SQL Server With QuickBooks

SQL Server – QuickBooks integrations can take on several forms. The easiest, low-cost approach is file-based integration, where a select set of data is exported from SQL Server and then imported into the QuickBooks application. This approach is very common for occasional / intermittent data integration needs like exporting work orders from SQL to support monthly invoicing in QuickBooks. Using the same approach it is also common to export customer or invoice data from QuickBooks into SQL Server for reconciling accounting and service functions. File-based data integration can also be automated via SQL Server “jobs” to support more frequent / repeatable data update needs. An alternative SQL Server – QuickBooks integration involves connecting the two applications in “real-time” via the QuickBooks Application Programming Interface (API). This approach requires more engineering, but is very useful for high frequency data integration need like when accounting and services functions must mirror each another during the workday.