003 Retrieval Once you’ve discovered and located all your data, it’s time to access the information programmatically and link it all together. This is the retrieval phase. The most effective way to retrieve your data is through an automated system. Automating the data- retrieval process frees up valuable time for analysis and campaign optimization. Manually retrieving and transferring data can be extremely laborious and time-consuming. Without automation, teams of analysts have to manually search for specifics on each platform and aggregate it all into a master reporting system. Fundamentally, this manual approach isn’t scalable. However, automation is not easy. There are two main ways marketers retrieve data through automation: API-connected retrieval and non-API programmed retrieval. 1. API-Connected Retrieval An API is an application programming interface — like a menu. There are many different APIs that allow marketers to retrieve information from databases. While APIs streamline the retrieval process, the time commitment for marketers can be cumbersome, especially when juggling multiple data sources. A single API might take 2–4 weeks to plan and develop, but the real-time effort is in the dedicated updates and maintenance. Given the fast-changing nature of marketing, this might be a time-intensive effort. Depending on how many marketing channels and data sources you have, this process may merit a full-time staff and years of ongoing work. 2. Non-API Programmed Retrieval Some marketing channels, however, have not yet developed their APIs. This presents challenges for developers who are trying to automate their data retrieval. To retrieve information from these channels, you can program retrieval through cloud storage, private storage, or internal databases. This programmed retrieval process requires the same kind of development and upkeep as API-connected retrieval, but the process itself ranges in complexity depending on the source. To handle non-API programmed retrieval, you need to build a system agile enough to process any type of file, smart enough to categorize all your data, and fast enough to retrieve data in real time. How can Kwanzoo’s Open GTM Platform help? People: all stakeholders in the marketing department can retrieve data with all clicks, no code, across various integration methods (both API and non-API alike) Process: the entire retrieval process from creation, maintenance, and update is automated for you, so you can focus on data action and insight rather than data discovery and maintenance Product: out-of-the-box, automated API and universal connectors partnered with storage methods that are accessible for all members of your organization Kwanzoo