The three mechanisms
Each one handles a different kind of need:
- API — one system reads from or writes to another on demand
- Webhook — one system notifies another the instant something happens
- Automation platform (n8n, Zapier and the like) — orchestrates steps across several systems without code
What isn't worth automating
Automation comes with a maintenance cost. A flow that runs once a month, or that changes every quarter, usually costs more automated than done by hand.
The rule that works: automate what's frequent, repetitive and stable. What's rare or unstable should stay manual until it proves to be consistent.
Automation needs maintenance
Systems get updated, fields get renamed, tokens expire. Automation without monitoring fails silently — and the worst case is finding out weeks later that the data stopped flowing.
That's why Nexo treats automation as part of the ongoing operation, with failure alerts, and not as a one-time delivery.