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Managed File Transfer solution - the 7 pitfalls of a patchwork approach

Organizations often start with a single solution and then add new software when they need a new feature. Ultimately, this results in a file transfer environment that is no longer under control, resulting in malfunctions and excessive costs. In this article we share the 7 main pitfalls of a self-built patchwork of file transfer solutions.

Managed File Transfer solution - the 7 pitfalls of a patchwork approach

At ECS International we have successfully implemented integrated Managed File Transfer solutions at more than 1,000 clients. In many cases, we were asked to replace a wide variety of different, not-at-all integrated solutions. There were combinations of different types of software for FTP and FTPS in addition to some standard options available in the operating systems. On the side, we saw additional software being used for VPN, AS2 communications etc. Typically this situation was grown organically over the years, starting with a single solution and then adding another – ultimately resulting in a file transfer environment that was basically out of control. In this blog article we highlight the 7 most important pitfalls of creating a home grown, ‘patchwork’ style file transfer environment and the benefits of an integrated Managed File Transfer solution.


1. Complexity

Home grown systems and scripts are often created and managed by a small team, or even one single engineer. As long as everything works as expected the complexity and dependency go unnoticed, but fixing issues in these complex – and often poorly documented – environments can be a very difficult, slow and costly process.


2. Limited Visibility and Control

Point solutions can’t ensure the proper levels of insight and visibility into transfers. There is no end to end logging and track & trace, preventing your file transfer environment to offer the auditability needed. Companies don’t have a ‘single point of reference’ on all data streams within or outside of the organization, simply because the separate software packages are not connected or integrated.


3. Employees using consumer grade solutions

Employees who have to wait for the IT department in order to share or send information, tend to turn to unsecured e-mail and cloud services such as Dropbox and WeTransfer which do not offer adequate protection in the standard variant. Without proper protection, this information can be intercepted or modified without your or your receivers’ awareness.


4. Ensuring security

The lack of auditing and visibility mean that there is no record of what is entering or leaving the organization. Data breaches by hackers make it to the headlines easily. But more often and likely, data breaches are caused by human error or willingly bypassing corporate policies.


5. Cost and efficiency

Single-purpose file transfer utilities, such as FTP, are costly to maintain and simply cannot offer the secure data transfer capabilities required of enterprise B2B integration software today. A single, centralized Managed File Transfer solution can be implemented and managed at a fraction of the cost of multiple point solutions.


6. Predictability

File transfers must work as needed, when needed. Transmissions must be logged, data may not be compromised and corporate policies and regulations must be followed. With every new file transfer point solutions you add, the reliability and therefore predictability of your file transfer environment regresses.


7. IT workload

With all these issues at hand, the IT department faces a growing workload managing and supporting the file transfer patchwork. Time to resolve issues becomes longer than average and finding and understanding the root cause of the problem at hand may prove impossible.


The benefits of a Managed File Transfer solution

Replacing your ‘patchwork’ environment with a single managed file transfer solution will make a significant difference. It will help you manage all your data streams in a uniform and predictable way, resulting in a much more reliable and secure file transfer infrastructure. Your benefits: better visibility, track & trace, maintenance and full insight, auditability and lower maintenance costs. Not only will this benefit your (external) B2B process, but for sure also your internal (A2A) data transfer capabilities.

Are you ready to unwind the patchwork and regain control? Then contact us to discuss the shortest possible road to improved control and efficiency or click on one of the Ebooks on the right to learn more about MFT.