CData API Server vs. Workato

Well Suited

• Business Process Work Flows, File Management, Small/Medium # of Records Queried (<~1000)
• Closing a sales deal in system one kicks off work flows in system two for implementation
• Notification of key events in system one via text, outlook event, etc
• While I note management of two-way integrations needs improvement, it is a strength of Workato and easier to set up here than in any other tool.
• Support for connectors business processes require (Docusign, Dropbox, Outlook, Quick Base, Salesforce, etc)

Needs Improvement -

• Management of two-way integrations. It's often a bit of a struggle to create the appropriate fields in both systems to ensure redundant jobs are not run nor infinite loops created. That said, Workato does provide some documentation to counter this.
• Working with Large Data Sets (1000+)

Incentivized

• Workato is very easy to pick up and use. You'll be creating complex recipes within days. The UI, workflow, formulas, and other features are very intuitive.
• Workato is very powerful. The native connectors it has to hundreds of software already, allows users to make substantial automation and integrations, but the HTTP connector makes it seem like it has no boundaries. If you are using software that isn't a native Workato connector but it has an API, you can use their HTTP connector to make calls to and from.
• Workato is always making improvements to its platform. This includes adding more connectors, more features, updating current connectors to be more powerful, or expanding on other tools it offers.

• Customization has a bit of a learning curve associated with it. Be prepared to expand your programming knowledge for any deep customization, however having the option to customize is critical
• Online training material is out there, but can be a bit cumbersome to read through and retain. More straight-forward online training material would help 10 fold

We need to develop Enterprise Application Integrations and Workato was not designed for this

The sheer work Workato eliminates from people's daily jobs is simply a great contribution to people's productivity and a boost to capability. It actually strikes the balance between business and tech teams. It also reduces dependency on developers, and speeds up their delivery too. The only reason it's not a full 10/10 is for the price - it's a bit expensive for what we'd like, and their batch or high data volume processing can be improved.

They employ an extremely knowledgeable team of problem solvers. I've never had a disappointing interaction or one that has left me still searching for answers. I know that when I ask for help, they'll partner with me until we find a solution together

Incentivized

We discovered that we could not use Workato for our more complex, large enterprise integrations. It was useful for simple workflows that matched the prebuilt recipes.

We found Workato to be easier to use, more powerful and more robust than other solutions we tested at the time. It simply does the trick and allowed us to implement all that we needed in all the precise details we needed. It gave us all the power, flexibility and autonomy we needed without bogging us down with unjustified complexity. Workato came through for us and that's why we keep using it after three intense years.

• Workato is an unusual type of software in that it’s very much middle-wear, which means it’s extra important for stake holders in your company (especially those who won’t be interacting with Workato on a daily basis) to see the ROI that Workato can provide. Typically ROI is in developer time, as well as replacements for other SaaS tools. For our team, we move 2X as fast and need 1/2 the developers, so the ROI is just incredible.