Business data synchronization

Choosing a master for each record type

The golden record

For each customer or product, there should be one authoritative record, sometimes called the golden record, held in the master system. Other systems hold copies linked to it by a shared identifier. When details change, they change in the master and flow outwards. If another system needs to change a detail, it either sends the change to the master or the master is set to accept that update according to agreed rules. Without a golden record, there is no reliable answer to the question 'which address is right?'.

Store each system's identifier for the record alongside the others, so links survive name changes.

Matching and deduplication

Rules for conflicts

How often to synchronise

Not every record needs to sync instantly. Stock levels and order statuses may need near-real-time updates, while supplier details can sync daily. Matching the frequency to business need keeps the integration simpler and cheaper. Where changes trigger actions, such as a customer's new address affecting a delivery, faster sync or event-based updates are worth the effort; elsewhere, scheduled syncs with change filters are usually enough.

Show users when data was last synchronised, so they know how current it is.

Deletions and merges

Deleting or merging records is where synchronisation often goes wrong. If a duplicate customer is merged in the CRM, the copies in other systems must be relinked to the surviving record, not left pointing at one that no longer exists. Decide how deletions propagate, whether by deleting copies, archiving them or flagging them, and test merges deliberately before relying on them.

Related integration topics

Methods for connecting systems and keeping integrations reliable are covered on the software integration pages; this page focuses on keeping the records themselves consistent.

Agreeing data standards

Synchronisation is easier when systems agree on formats: how names, addresses and phone numbers are written, which country and currency codes are used, how product variants are identified. Differences, such as one system storing a full name and another first and last names separately, need translation rules. Agree simple standards for new data entry too, so the problem does not grow back after the initial clean-up.

A short data standards document, owned by someone in operations, is often enough.

Personal data across systems

Copies of customer records in several systems multiply data protection responsibilities: updates, access requests and deletions must reach every copy. A clear master and linked identifiers make it possible to find and act on all copies of a person's data when they ask, or when it should be deleted. The ICO states that you must not keep personal data for longer than you need it, which applies to copies as much as to the master.