What are integrations and automation?
Integrations connect two or more systems so data moves between them automatically. Automation goes a step further and handles a whole process, such as creating a client in your CRM, raising the first invoice and sending a welcome email, without anyone re-keying the details.
What systems can we connect?
Alongside CRM and accounting platforms, most projects touch one or more of these:
- Microsoft 365, using only the Graph permissions each workflow needs. If your tenant itself needs work first, our Microsoft 365 team can help.
- Websites and forms, so enquiries land in the right system with the right owner.
- Industry systems with an API, such as practice management or job management platforms.
Where off-the-shelf connections aren’t enough, we can build a small service or portal as part of a custom software project.
Where should n8n run?
We use n8n for work such as staff onboarding, lead routing, document filing, scheduled reports and approval chains, and we support both of its hosting options (see the n8n hosting documentation). n8n Cloud is run by n8n, and its data is stored in the European Union, outside Australia. Choose it when you want less to manage and the data involved is lower risk.
Self-host when you need control over where data and credentials live, such as for data residency or sensitive client information. We can work with whatever arrangement suits you: we host and manage it for you, we manage it on infrastructure you own, or your team hosts it and we support them. We confirm the right platform licence for the arrangement you choose. Self-hosting only helps if the server is secure. Beyond hardening and patching it, we protect n8n’s credential encryption key and keep it out of backups stored alongside the database.
How do we keep integrations secure?
An automation platform often holds credentials to your CRM, accounting system, mailboxes and file storage at the same time. If it is compromised, an attacker gets all of them. We reduce that risk in a few concrete ways:
- Least privilege. Each connection gets only the permissions it needs, for example read-only access to one mailbox rather than the whole tenant, using Exchange Online application access controls.
- Protected credentials. Keys are encrypted, kept out of workflow steps and rotated when people leave.
- Ownership. Every workflow has a named owner in your business and documentation your team can follow.
- Logging and alerts. Failures and unusual activity are recorded and raised, not hidden.
