SmartConnect has always been an import and automation tool. The new build of SmartConnect provides functionality to make it an export tool as well. This functionality is essential in closing the integration loop in a complex multi application environment.
The ‘old’ SmartConnect gave you just 2 main destinations of GP or CRM – but now you have the destination of a txt, csv, excel or xml file. The building of a SmartConnect map does not change – but rather than pushing an output file to CRM or eConnect (GP) this option will turn your source of data into the file specified.
So when you are working on a multi application project you can not only accept but now you can produce all the desired file formats to pass to an external application. All this without any code and via the simple SmartConnect interface. This feature of SmartConnect takes away one of the great mysteries of working with GP – ‘How to generate export files in a predefined format, on a scheduled basis – without talking to a developer’.
The export process is very simple and uses the base functionality of SmartConnect. In the same way you always have done – you select a data source, and then map this data to a destination. The only difference is that the destination is a list of columns you would like in your export file. When the map runs – instead of importing it exports.
