Connecting systems is difficult when they were designed independently. The problems repeat across an organization:

 

• The same person, asset, or other subject can have different IDs in different systems.

• Systems use different primary-key methods.

• They structure the same information differently.

• Field names and metadata do not match.

• It may be unclear which system has authority to maintain the record.

• Every additional system can create more interfaces, mappings, and dependencies.

• A change must reach every system that depends on the information.

• Changing one system’s structure can break its interfaces and force changes in others.