Standardized and Automated Data Imports Using Informatica Cloud
May 24, 2016
Standardized and Automated Data Imports Using Informatica Cloud
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Informatica Cloud Data Integration
Informatica Cloud is an application integrated with TargetX SRM and Salesforce.com. It is currently used by the Office of Admission, and eventually the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies as well. Informatica Cloud is used for importing data into our CRM (TargetX) through the use of built-in data mappings.
- Informatica Cloud is a great tool for automating data imports. Raw data files can be scheduled to run at designated times, and using pre-built mappings ensures that the data goes into the system accurately each time.
- It is also a great tool for converting raw data into specific formatting. For example, configuring the mapping so that the first letter of a first, middle or last name is always capitalized.
- Additionally, Informatica Cloud has a built-in field-matching tool so that records that already exist are updated rather than having duplicates created.
- Learning the syntax for formatting the data can be difficult, and some of the functions are not as intuitive as they could be.
- Power Centers are difficult to create on your own. A power center is a tool that converts one file type to another prior to importing the data: for example, changing a .txt. file to a .csv file.
- Making sense of certain error reports can also be challenging. When a file errors and does not import, the system will provide a report so that errors can be fixed. These reports do not always provide straightforward reasons why the file did not import.
- One positive ROI is that Informatica Cloud ensures that data is being imported in the same format each and every time so a user can be confident of data integrity.
- Secondly, being able to match of certain fields prevents record duplication.
Informatica Cloud (IC) and Dataloader are similar products, and we actually use both. IC is a much better tool for automating and standardizing data imports, but Dataloader is much better suited for ad-hoc data imports.