Mastering integration: Comparing workflow automation platforms vs. iPaaS

In the continuous race towards efficiency and modernization, the key to edging out your competition is building an operational infrastructure that is both agile and resilient. At the core of these adaptable operations lies an integrated tech stack.

As you start exploring your integration options, you’ll find there are several solutions that can help you reach your goals. However, not all of these solutions support the flexibility and scalability your business requires.

By comparing integration solutions, you can find the best fit for your business. Let’s unpack the benefits and challenges of two common integration solutions: workflow automation platforms and iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service).

Workflow automation platforms

Workflow automation platforms help you streamline and automate specific tasks and processes within your organization. By connecting different applications and services, users, including business users enabled by the no-code UX design, can create automated workflows. Workflow automation platforms are often used for routine activities like data entry, email notifications, and task assignments.

While this solution is great for task-based use cases, it’s often used incorrectly for data integration. Workflow automation platforms have limited data integration functionality, and they typically place limits on data volume, concurrent flows, and API calls. Exceeding these limits can result in non-performance.

On top of that, workflow automation platforms can be difficult to manage at scale because they are designed for individuals or business teams, not to address complex business processes that span multiple systems. Visibility and error handling on these platforms are limited to individual users, with no centralized dashboard or error management functionality. This prevents IT teams from providing adequate support for business teams.

Due to these limitations, workflow automation platforms are best for simplifying repetitive tasks and ensuring a smooth sequence of actions rather than complex integrations.

Benefits

• Fast and easy to implement
• Designed for business users
• Accelerate task-based process automation

Advanced iPaaS

Advanced iPaaS solutions provide a single, centralized platform for both technical and non-technical users to integrate applications and automate business processes. This solution offers developers the robust capabilities they need for efficient development, execution, and governance of integration flows. And, it provides business teams with an intuitive interface embedded with AI that helps bridge the knowledge gap between IT and business users–empowering them to build, manage, and monitor their own integrations.

This not only accelerates your time-to-value, it democratizes integration tasks to eliminate backlogs and bottlenecks. Your business teams will gain the agility they need to react to changes in the market with the necessary oversight for IT to ensure compliance and security.

Additionally, with no practical limit to the number of applications, flows, or size of data, iPaaS is ready to scale with you.

Benefits

• Low total cost of ownership
• Faster time to value
• Enables business users to promote agility and automation
• Optimized efficiency
• Greater scalability

Challenges

• Training business users

iPaaS: Your scalability partner

Unlike workflow automation platforms, advanced iPaaS solutions offer the best of both worlds for your teams. Your IT teams get the capabilities they require to manage complex integrations, while your business teams are provided with a user-friendly platform to drive their own automations. This allows you to quickly adopt new innovative solutions and scale your business.

With iPaaS as your integration solution, you can build a scalable, resilient operational infrastructure that is ready for whatever the market throws at you. Contact us today to get started.