Introduction

This document describes SyncSmart’s integration with the platform Introhive. Introhive is a CRM data repository that syncs with Hubspot using CSV data extracts and Google Sheets. The SyncSmart integration lets users take large data extracts and import them into HubSpot and associate them with the correct field mappings in a user portal for use in sales, marketing, RevOps, customer success, and other processes. 

Terminology and definitions will be specific to HubSpot, Introhive and SyncSmart and will cover features, capabilities, security, FAQs, and more.

What is HubSpot?

HubSpot provides cloud software to manage marketing, sales, operations, and customer service. It has the functionality of customer relationship management (CRM) software and content management system (CMS), marketing automation, and operational software. For example, HubSpot tracks and automates the journey a contact takes from when they first interact with the company’s marketing campaigns and website to the point sales closes the deal and customer service begins offering support.


What is SyncSmart?

SyncSmart.io is a cloud-based Integration-Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) provider, backed by Lynton, a HubSpot Elite partner. SyncSmart is the product arm of Lynton, providing a variety of integrations and products that range from self-serviced, packaged integrations to managed support packages. The integrations connect data from HubSpot accounts with CRM or ERP accounts in a bidirectional or one directional sync.

What is Introhive?

Introhive is a fast-growing B2B customer intelligence platform or data warehouse. Their solutions help businesses capture and deliver critical customer intelligence data to sales and revenue teams. Using that data, teams can find selling opportunities, win more business, and grow their customer accounts.

What Powers SyncSmart? 

SyncSmart is powered by iPaaS middleware and JavaScript technology, using the Tray.io Embedded platform, an OEM framework for SaaS companies to integrate with a wide variety of cloud software, databases, and files. SyncSmart is a top tier partner and customer of Tray, receiving the highest level of support from their engineering team.

SyncSmart’s first user interface (UI), a web application users log into via my.syncsmart.io, will soon be available for all integrations. 

Quick Overview of How The App Works 

Introhive is a data warehousing system that stores customer intelligence data, and could easily house millions of records. Introhive lets customers record and report within their system, but for many companies, they want to utilize that data in HubSpot to take advantage of the tools offered by the HubSpot ecosystem — namely sales, marketing, customer success, RevOps, and advanced reporting tools. 

The SyncSmart HubSpot + Introhive integrations takes Introhive data extracts — data dumps of contacts, companies, and other fields like activities, relationships, and scores — and pulls them into HubSpot via different API calls. Users will select a billing plan during install to determine what data extracts (more details below) will be pulled. Users can use the SyncSmart user interface/web application to launch their integration, with the SyncSmart team playing a supporting role at any time. 

How Does SyncSmart Protect Data? 

SyncSmart integrations are designed for performance, accuracy, reliability, and security. They are point-to-point integrations that transmit data between systems without mirroring to a data warehouse for analysis, which results in secure syncing. Data is encrypted with 256-bit AES encryption and located in data centers in the United States. SyncSmart uses OAuth and machine-to-machine authentication when applicable, and reserves the right to revoke HubSpot OAuth token-based authentication at any time. SyncSmart’s platform is also SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and each customer is hosted within a separate, secure customer account with their connector authentications, data cache, and integration runtimes.

Additionally, the integration uses OAuth to authenticate with HubSpot and API keys to authenticate with Introhive. 

The Benefits of The Integration 

SyncSmart’s technology helps companies using HubSpot and Introhive provide their various teams with the most accurate, up-to-date data necessary to achieve real business growth. Specific benefits and features include: 

  • Trust in reliable customer information

  • Elimination of manual data entry

  • More time developing relationships 

  • Ability to make better business decisions 

  • Proactive monitoring of the SyncSmart integration platform

  • Supported by a multi-step, multi-level security system 

  • Completely software-free, eliminating the need to learn or license a new system


Additionally, SyncSmart offers a comprehensive library of other integrations, apps, and products. The team is also backed by Lynton, SyncSmart’s parent company, which is a full HubSpot agency that offers services from web design and development to inbound marketing strategy. 

HubSpot + Introhive Use Cases

Sync Introhive customer data to HubSpot.

Use valuable data such as customer status, assigned revenue manager, and more in HubSpot to create personalized marketing campaigns and workflows.

Equip revenue teams with recommendations.

Give revenue teams accurate data they can rely on to improve win rates and surpass revenue targets. Daily syncs of data will keep records up to date and increase team productivity.

Make sense of data to find opportunities.

When HubSpot learns which leads convert to customers, companies win with valuable reporting and automation. When Introhive syncs with HubSpot, users can unlock even more potential, including Reporting Add-on Dashboards, advanced list segmentation, and workflows.

Common Integration Definitions 

API


Application-Programming Interface (API) helps software developers design products that automatically connect to CRM like HubSpot’s. It means that a business can integrate previous data and start using CRM right away.

Company

Companies are standard HubSpot integration objects. They help the CRM distinguish between different companies, and store information properly so it can be reached when necessary. They also contain data like addresses, opportunities, etc.

Contact

Anyone who interacts with your company can be saved as a contact in HubSpot.

CSV

A comma-separated values (CSV) file is a delimited text file that uses a comma to separate values. Each line of the file is a data record. Each record consists of one or more fields, separated by commas.


Closed-loop reporting

Closed-loop reporting helps consolidate the data that marketing teams are collecting with the data that sales are collecting.

Configuration (config) data 

Workflows contain variables that may need to be set by the end-user of the solution. In the workflow config screen within Tray, these can be set as config data before being added to a relevant field in the step editor. With Introhive, the SyncSmart team has recreated the Tray config wizard in the UI/web application, so users will set some of these directly in a more user-friendly setup. 

Configuration (config) wizard 

When a user clicks to use a solution, a wizard will pop up that they can use to add their own authentications and configurations for the solution. 

CRM

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a set of processes and tools that help businesses build a better relationship with customers. HubSpot is a CRM tool that is extremely beneficial as it helps improve data collection and application.

Data extracts

The data that can be collected from Introhive in a CSV file via an Introhive API. The API provides access to normalized data suitable for input into an ETL process or used directly from various tools. Introhive provides updated data ONCE per day on a schedule, but it may be fetched at any time. 

Deal pipeline

Deal pipelines predict revenue and identify problems in sales. Each pipeline has multiple stages through which the customer typically has to progress in order for the deal to be closed.

Deal stages

Deal stages are parts of the standardized deal pipeline process.

For example, when a customer reaches stage #3, they can be offered a demo or a proposal. Deal stage simplifies the process for the sales team, and allows streamlined customer onboarding.

Default match field 

The default field / field property that the integration uses to match records.

Fields or properties

Fields or properties are information storages about companies and other objects. They can include contact information, deal stage, and any other information needed to improve marketing and/or sales. 


Implementation consultant / process

SyncSmart offers an implementation process to build and ensure integrations are working to meet a business’s specific needs. The implementation consultant, alongside a team of others, will guide the customer throughout a series of Zoom calls and Google spreadsheets. 

Integration platform as a service 

Integration Platform as A Service (iPaaS) is a cloud service that supports application, data and process integration. It combines multiple applications, sources, APIs and systems to create a central, accessible hub.

Leads and contacts

In HubSpot, leads and contacts are one and the same. 

MongoDB

MongoDB, used by the SyncSmart team for certain workflows, is a source-available cross-platform document-oriented database program. Classified as a NoSQL database program, MongoDB uses JSON-like documents with optional schemas.

Objects 

Objects, like contacts, companies, opportunities, and more, represent the different types of relationships and processes a business has. HubSpot has standard objects to perform various sales and marketing functions. SyncSmart integrations sync all standard objects and their associated fields. 

Opportunities and deals

Deals in HubSpot integration help identify opportunities for increasing revenue by boosting leads down the sales funnel. For example, companies can create a deal when a lead takes an important action such as booking a demo.

Sandbox account

A test environment where a user can experiment with the integration without affecting anything live in production. 

Solutions

Using Tray, users create a 'solution' based on the workflows contained within a project. The solution will include all of the project workflows. Via the Tray API, this solution can then be included in the application and will be available for your End Users to activate and configure for their own use.

Solution Instance 

When an end user activates a solution for their own use, they create a solution instance. 

Solution Installer 

The solution installer is used to create the solution instance and can be called after the solution instance exists to change the config vars.  The Google Sheet/SyncSmart UI or web application dictates the object and the direction of field mappings that will sync.

Sync / data synchronization 

Data synchronization is the ongoing process of synchronizing data between two or more devices and updating changes automatically between them to maintain consistency within systems. Syncing refers to the process of flowing data between HubSpot portals. 

Tray.io

Tray.io believes “any organization can and should automate.” SyncSmart uses the platform to help run integrations. The Tray platform “organizations can easily automate complex processes through a powerful, flexible platform, and can connect their entire cloud stack thanks to APIs.” 

Tributary 

Tributary is a distinct solution from which the SyncSmart team creates an instance for each customer of Tributary-based integrations. While the base integration, such as Introhive, is responsible for pushing data from external sources or CRMs into a middle database, Tributary is responsible for the leg of the journey from MongoDB into HubSpot. An Introhive customer will have an Introhive solution instance that pulls data from Introhive, formats it into a schema known to the Tributary codebase, and then pushes that data into MongoDB. The customer will also have a Tributary solution instance generated upon Introhive install that reads data from MongoDB (once inserted by the actual Introhive integration) and copies that data into HubSpot

Webhook

A webhook is a lightweight API that powers one-way data sharing triggered by events. Used with an API, they enable applications to share data and functionality.

Workflows

Workflows are a way of automating processes by triggering relevant actions based on context. For example, if a lead books a demo, they can be automatically sent a deal. When thinking about workflows in terms of this integration, consider this definition provided by Tray: “workflows are the 'building blocks' of your integrations. A Tray workflow is what you use to build a sequence of related actions.” 

Introhive Sync Features & Capabilities 

Below is a list of objects synced between Introhive and HubSpot: 

  • Introhive Contacts -> HubSpot Contacts

  • Introhive Company -> HubSpot Company + Custom “Industries” Object (integration creates automatically)

Below is a list of HubSpot properties created automatically by the Integration:

 

Object/Entity

Name

Internal Name

Field Type

Contact

Current Company ID

ss_current_company_id

Number

Contact

Department

ss_department

Single-line text

Contact

Full Name

ss_full_name

Single-line text

Contact

Internal Contact

ss_internal_contact

Single-line text

Contact

Introhive Contact Id

ss_introhive_contact_id

Number

Contact

Introhive Created At

ss_created_at

Date picker

Contact

Introhive Delta Operation

ss_delta_operation

Single-line text

Contact

Introhive Owner Email

ss_introhive_owner_email

Single-line text

Contact

Introhive Owner Name

ss_introhive_owner_name

Single-line text

Contact

Introhive Updated At

ss_updated_at

Date picker

Contact

Other Emails

ss_other_emails

Single-line text

Contact

Photo URL

ss_photo_url

Single-line text

Contact

Relationship Capital Score

ss_relationship_capital_score

Number

Contact

Relationship Strength Score

ss_relationship_strength_score

Number

Contact

Title Score

ss_title_score

Number

Contact

Viewable Contact

ss_viewable_contact

Single-line text

Company

Company Capital Score

ss_company_capital_score

Number

Company

Introhive Company Id

ss_introhive_company_id

Number

Company

Introhive Created At

ss_created_at

Date picker

Company

Introhive Delta Operation

ss_delta_operation

Single-line text

Company

Introhive Owner Email

ss_introhive_owner_email

Single-line text

Company

Introhive Owner Name

ss_introhive_owner_name

Single-line text

Company

Introhive Updated At

ss_updated_at

Date picker

Company

Logo URL

ss_logo_url

Single-line text

Company

Relationship Strength Score

ss_relationship_strength_score

Number

Company

Total Capital Score

ss_total_capital_score

Number

Industries

Code

ss_code

Number

Industries

Description

ss_description

Single-line text

Industries

Industry Group Code

ss_industry_group_code

Number

Industries

Industry Group Code Description

ss_industry_group_code_description

Single-line text

Industries

Introhive Company Id

ss_company_id

Number

Industries

Introhive Delta Operation

ss_delta_operation

Single-line text

Industries

Introhive Unique Id

ss_uniqueid

Single-line text

Industries

Sector Code

ss_sector_code

Number

Industries

Sector Code Description

ss_sector_code_description

Single-line text

Industries

Type

ss_type

Single-line text



Introhive Data Extracts 

The following are examples of data files/extracts from Introhive and their associated description. During install, the SyncSmart integration supports companies (with industries and scores) and contacts (with scores and relationships) or just contacts and just companies. Additional data extracts can be supported with minor development if a user expresses interest, as it requires more than just custom configurations on the SyncSmart team’s end.

 

Endpoint

Description

/api/analytics_extracts/activities

All email and meeting activities recorded by the system.

/api/analytics_extracts/activity_participants

Details of users and contacts who participated in email and meeting activities, including their role in the activity.

/api/analytics_extracts/users

List of users in the Introhive system.

/api/analytics_extracts/user_company_scores

Roll up of relationship scores by contact company.

/api/analytics_extracts/contacts

List of contacts tracked by the system.

/api/analytics_extracts/contact_scores

Roll up of relationship scores by contact.

/api/analytics_extracts/relationships

List of relationships tracked by the system. Relationships are between internal users and external contacts.

/api/analytics_extracts/companies

List of companies tracked by the system.

/api/analytics_extracts/company_domains

List of domain names by company.

/api/analytics_extracts/company_industry_codes

List of SIC and/or NAICS codes associated with companies.

/api/analytics_extracts/crm_contacts

Mapping of Introhive contacts with any known Contact records in your CRM (if applicable.)

/api/analytics_extracts/crm_accounts

Mapping of Introhive companies with Account records in your CRM (if applicable.)

/api/analytics_extracts/contact_social_networks

List of social media networks for contacts.

/api/analytics_extracts/contact_attributes

List of various contact attributes.



The Setup Process 

Please note some important prerequisites before reading the setup process: 

  • Users/clients must contact Introhive to turn on data extracts for the entities and properties that are desired to include in this integration (Contacts, Companies, Industries, etc.). They should ask for a particular format — JSON. Data extracts must be turned on for the integration to work properly.
    Additional note: The server process at Introhive creates and runs data extracts, effectively updating a user’s data, ONCE a day at midnight. This integration does NOT run in real-time, but SyncSmart’s technology looks for updates early after midnight for the most up-to-date data possible.  

  • Users/clients must have an Enterprise tier HubSpot portal so that the custom “Industry” object can be created and used in their portal (only Enterprise portals can have custom objects).


Getting up and running with the HubSpot + Introhive integration takes a few steps on the user/client’s end:

  • Navigate to the HubSpot app marketplace and click “Request to install.”

  • Be directed to the installation link.

  • Select the HubSpot portal to sync Introhive data into. 

  • Choose your objects.

  • Choose a support package.

  • Fill in billing information.


  • Select your Hubspot portal. 

  • Authorize access via HubSpot OAuth. 

  • Configure the API and enter additional details:

    • Name your custom objects. 

    • Enter the Introhive API Key from Introhive. 

    • Select error reporting email address. 

    • Select the Introhive owner to be associated as the owner of contacts in HubSpot by default. 

  • Hit submit and run your sync! 

    • Users will receive a message saying the install was successful and the custom object and properties created in their portal will show up in HubSpot after seeing the success message for initial configuration (i.e. API Key then submit).

  •  Continue working with the SyncSmart team as needed.

Guided Implementation Process 

Despite having a web application/user interface (UI) option, users can opt for SyncSmart’s guided implementation consultant process at the moment. That looks like:

  • Kick-off call to introduce the team, confirm use cases, present object mapping and field mappings, discuss dropdown and owner fields, and more. 

  • Close the loop on any clarifications or questions and install mappings, including filters, and build out the sync. 

  • Perform extensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with the customer and the SyncSmart team, launch the integration with an optional historical sync to get up and running with pre-collected data. 

  • Offer ongoing support as needed through managed services and support and premium support packages. 

Note: Customers going through the implementation process can expect to launch their integrations within six to 12 weeks – which is based on the customers being involved heavily throughout the process. If a user is not responsive to certain phases of the implementation process - particularly the UAT phase, the timeline can be stalled and nearly halted, resulting in a bogged-down integration launch. To ensure the timeline meets the customer's and SyncSmart’s expectations, consultants should address the importance of open communication and collaboration in the initial kick-off call and continue to address it throughout the process. 

Examples of support packages: 

How Much Does The Integration Cost?

The HubSpot + Introhive integration comes with several pricing options to meet user needs. They are: 

  • Billing Plan A: Contacts [$600/month] = contacts + scores + relationships

  • Billing Plan B: Companies [$600/month] = companies + scores + relationships + industries

  • Billing Plan C: Contacts + Companies [$1200/month] = contacts + companies + scores + relationships + industries

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: How does data sync?

A: The SyncSmart HubSpot + Introhive moves Introhive data like companies and contacts into HubSpot using Introhive data extracts or CSV files. Introhive provides CSV files for contacts, companies, and other fields that SyncSmart can support that will flow into HubSpot after a user installs the application and goes through the setup and implementation processes. Unlike other integrations, this app does not run in real-time. It updates once a day. 

Q: How can a user turn on Introhive data extracts?

A: Data extracts within Introhive must be turned on for the integration to work properly. Please contact your Introhive representative to turn on data extracts for the entities and fields desired to include in this integration. It is recommended that users request a JSON format. 

Q: Can users request a sandbox account or environment? 

A: Yes. The SyncSmart team can work with clients to enable a sandbox account to test the integration. When creating the integration, the SyncSmart team worked with Introhive to set up demo/sandbox environments to test out functionality before creating any client/customer-facing applications. 

Q: What can a user do to have a successful sync?

A: Clean Introhive data to the best of their ability, looking for any duplicates, outdated, or inaccurate data. Be present in the implementation process and ensure that internal teams, particularly those benefiting from the integration the most, are on the same page. Ask questions about the UI/web application when necessary. Opt for a support package to maintain the health of the integration. 

Q: Can companies integrate more than one system?

A: Yes. Simply add all the systems to the pricing and building tool. SyncSmart makes integrating tools with HubSpot easy and touchless. Once an integration is up and running it operates seamlessly in the background. Browse possible integrations here.

Q: Does a company need a developer on their team? 

A: While it may be helpful, it is not necessary with SyncSmart integrations. They require no IT experience and are backed by integration experts. All the heavy data importing is done on SyncSmart’s end, with no integration software to learn.

Q: What happens if the integration stops? 

A: The SyncSmart team actively monitors for errors to prevent this. If the sync does stop, it will pick up where it left off. 

Q: What is a system of record or “single source of truth?” 

A: A system of record should be one of the two systems that are integrated that will be the authoritative data source, or a “single source of truth.” When selecting a system of record, choose the lowest denominator of data entry – i.e., where the most critical company data goes first and where losing it may cause risk. Generally, companies choose their CRM. 

Q: How long will the integration process take?

A:  The integration process currently can take several weeks. With the UI/web application, users can set up their integrations on their own in a matter of minutes. 

Speak with an Integration Expert 

Have additional questions or need help with a product? Talk to the SyncSmart team today.