The foundational step for any complex CRM transformation is the discovery and evaluation phase. Before selecting specific tools, connectors, or middleware, an Integration Architect must first understand the business context and data landscape of the organization. Universal Containers has data fragmented across three distinct silos: Marketing, Outlook, and an ERP. To achieve a "single view of the customer," the architect must evaluate how these systems are currently used and how they need to interact with Salesforce in the future.

Evaluating data and system usage allows the architect to define critical integration requirements:

Mastery and Ownership: Identifying which system is the "System of Record" (SoR) for leads, contacts, and financial data. For example, do leads convert in Salesforce and then push to the ERP, or does the Marketing system maintain control until a certain lifecycle stage?

Volume and Latency: Determining if Outlook sync needs to be real-time or if nightly batch updates from the ERP are sufficient.

Transformation Needs: Understanding the complexity of mapping ERP billing structures to Salesforce Account and Opportunity objects.

While exploring connectors (Option C) and middleware (Option B) are essential implementation steps, they are secondary to the initial evaluation. Proposing a technical solution before identifying the actual requirements risks building a system that is either over-engineered or missing key business functionality. By prioritizing the evaluation of data usage, the architect ensures that the resulting integration architecture is scalable, cost-effective, and directly supports the strategic goal of providing a unified customer view.