Your systems disagree because each one holds its own copy of the same information (customers, products, jobs, stock, prices) and those copies drift apart. Information is retyped instead of shared, systems update at different times, and codes don't match between them. These separate pockets of information are called data silos. The fix isn't usually replacing systems; it's agreeing which system owns each piece of information, connecting the others to it, and having differences flagged automatically. This article explains the common causes and how to fix each one.
Common causes of disagreement
Retyping
Every time information is typed into a second system, it can be typed differently: a slightly different customer name, a missed order line, a different price.
Different codes
The same job, product or customer has a different code in each system. Without a shared code, systems can't be matched reliably.
Different timing
The job system is updated daily, the accounts at month-end, the spreadsheet when someone remembers. At any given moment, they show different pictures.
Different rules
One system counts revenue when a job is invoiced, another when it's complete. One includes freight in cost, another doesn't. Both are "right", but they don't agree.
Workarounds
Spreadsheets that adjust or override system figures, kept by one person and not visible to anyone else.
A typical example
For example, if your job system shows a job at a healthy margin but the accounts show it losing money, the cause is usually one of the above. Supplier bills might be coded to the job in the accounts but never entered in the job system. A variation might be approved on site and added to the job system, but invoiced weeks later. Or labour might be costed at a standard rate in one system and at actual payroll cost in the other. Each explanation is reasonable on its own, but together they mean two people looking at the same job see two different answers, and neither fully trusts the other's number.
How to fix it
- Pick the figure that matters most, such as job profit, stock or revenue, and fix that first.
- Agree which system owns each piece of information, for example customers in the CRM, products in the stock system, invoices in the accounts.
- Use one code everywhere for jobs, products and customers, so systems can be matched.
- Connect the systems so information flows from its owner instead of being retyped.
- Agree the rules for how figures are counted, and write them down.
- Flag differences automatically, so mismatches are caught the same day, not at month-end.
When it's bigger than a quick fix
Steps 1, 2, 3 and 5 are mostly agreement and housekeeping you can do yourselves. Connecting systems and building automatic checks is where help is worth it, especially with several systems or entities. See one set of numbers and connecting your systems.
Frequently asked questions
What are data silos?
Pockets of information held in separate systems or spreadsheets that don't share with each other. They're why the same figure can look different depending on where you look.
Why don't my job system and accounts match?
Usually because of retyping, different codes, different timing or different rules for counting. Finding which one applies to each difference is the first step to fixing it.
Do I need to replace my systems to fix data silos?
Usually not. Agreeing which system owns each piece of information, using shared codes and connecting the systems fixes most disagreement without replacing anything.
How do I stop systems drifting apart again?
Connect them so information flows automatically from its owner, and set up automatic checks that flag differences as soon as they appear.
If your systems never quite agree, book a free initial chat. We'll help you find where they part ways and what it would take to fix it.