Azure Data Integration Improves CRM Accuracy and Operational Efficiency

Electromed, a fast-growing Minnesota-based medical device company, is known for developing and manufacturing SmartVest®, a therapeutic device that helps patients manage chronic respiratory conditions like COPD and Cystic Fibrosis. As the company expanded, so did its operational complexity—especially the systems used to manage customer relationships and clinical operations. Internally, Electromed relied on two key platforms: Brightree, an electronic business management system widely used in the healthcare sector, and Microsoft Dynamics 365, their enterprise CRM. However, the lack of effective integration between these two systems had become a major barrier to growth.

The existing setup used an asynchronous, semi-manual data syncing process that often resulted in inaccurate, duplicate, or incomplete data. Teams were burdened with constant data clean-up, and the downstream effects were slowing down clinic onboarding, record management, and billing cycles. Particularly problematic was the inability to consistently link multiple records tied to a single clinic location, creating fragmented views of client data and increasing the likelihood of human error.

Electromed recognized that as their business scaled, the cracks in their data systems would only widen—threatening operational efficiency, team productivity, and ultimately, patient service. They needed a solution that would not only address their immediate data integrity issues but also lay a solid foundation for continuous improvement and scalability. That’s when they engaged Emergent Software to help them rethink, re-architect, and reinforce their data synchronization strategy between Brightree and Microsoft Dynamics.

The project began with a detailed discovery process where Emergent Software partnered closely with Electromed to understand how their internal teams used both systems day-to-day. This effort surfaced the core challenges around data syncing, inconsistent records, and user friction points. Emergent proposed a phased integration strategy anchored by a cloud-based service to act as a data validation and matching layer between Brightree and Microsoft Dynamics.

At the core of this solution was a new service designed to establish a unique key that could be used to match and merge clinic records. This service would intelligently identify possible duplicates, inform users when a “close match” was found, and allow them to either merge records or create a new entry with full visibility. Rather than simply syncing fields between systems, this service introduced business logic to evaluate and enforce data consistency—drastically improving the quality of data that made its way into the CRM.

Building this required careful coordination between engineering, quality assurance, and business stakeholders. Emergent used Azure to build and host the new service and leaned on Microsoft Dynamics APIs to handle CRM updates. Throughout the development cycle, Emergent and Electromed adopted a collaborative testing strategy: Emergent would validate technical acceptance criteria, and Electromed’s subject matter experts would then conduct final acceptance testing to ensure the features met their real-world needs.

This approach allowed for iterative feedback, faster resolution of issues, and reduced rework. Importantly, it also gave Electromed’s internal teams greater ownership and confidence in the final solution.

As the team progressed, they encountered additional business rule complexity and previously unknown data inconsistencies. Rather than delay or derail the project, both teams made the strategic decision to absorb these adjustments into the existing timeline. Emergent’s agile delivery framework gave them the flexibility to reprioritize tasks on the fly without compromising scope or quality. Having planned from the outset for unforeseen complexity, the teams were able to adapt without disruption.

By the end of the initial six-month engagement, the new data synchronization layer had been deployed successfully. Electromed saw immediate benefits: duplicate records were significantly reduced, user error was minimized, and CRM data integrity improved. Even more importantly, teams were able to shift their focus away from manual corrections and toward high-value initiatives like patient experience and operational innovation.

The project delivered measurable improvements across multiple dimensions:

Operational Efficiency: Electromed’s teams now spend far less time triaging bad data or manually reconciling duplicate records. The new data sync layer automates much of what was once a manual, error-prone process. The system proactively identifies clinic-level data overlaps and ensures that clean, consolidated records enter Microsoft Dynamics.

Employee Experience: The improved data foundation allows Electromed’s internal users—from sales reps to clinical coordinators—to trust the information in front of them. This not only increases productivity but also reduces frustration and frees up time for strategic work that drives business growth.

Scalability and Flexibility: With a modern integration architecture in place, Electromed can now layer on additional workflows and system enhancements without the fear of data chaos. The solution wasn’t a one-time fix—it was designed with scalability in mind, making it easier to onboard new clinics, support new product lines, and evolve alongside business needs.

Trusted Partnership: Following the success of the initial project, Electromed chose to continue working with Emergent through a continuous development engagement. Together, the teams are implementing new workflows, building a sandbox environment for safer development, and identifying additional automation opportunities to support ongoing improvement.

Long-Term Value: What started as a technical integration project quickly turned into a foundation for digital transformation. Electromed is now well-positioned to handle future growth with greater efficiency, resilience, and agility. The collaboration with Emergent didn’t just solve a data problem—it empowered Electromed to better serve their customers, scale their operations, and pursue innovation with confidence.

In a highly regulated, patient-centric industry like medical devices, clean data is not just a technical requirement—it’s a business imperative. With Emergent Software’s partnership, Electromed now has a reliable data ecosystem that supports their mission to improve lives, one SmartVest at a time.