Creating User Profiles by Integrating Multiple External Data Sources (Multi-Source Integration)

Overview

In Josys, you can create your User Profiles based on external SaaS tools.
Reference: Integrating with External Systems (External Data Sources) to Create User Profiles

By enabling a support source, you can retrieve certain fields from the support source, allowing you to cover fields that are not maintained in your primary source.

This page explains how to create User Profiles using multiple master sources.

Target Audience

IT Administrators

Key Capabilities

1. Consolidate Information from Multiple Data Sources: Retrieve and centrally manage user information from multiple systems, such as IdPs (Identity Providers) and HRMSs (Human Resource Management Systems).
2. Improve User Data Completeness: Build more accurate and comprehensive user profiles by combining basic account details (email address, name) with HR information (departments, job titles, user IDs, start dates, etc.).
3. Flexible Attribute Mapping: Map different attribute names from each data source to Josys's standard attributes or Custom Fields.

Role of the Primary Source

The primary source is the essential data source that serves as the baseline for user management in Josys. It performs the following three roles:

1. User Creation: When a new user is added to the primary source, they are automatically created in Josys.
2. User Deletion: When a user is deleted from the primary source, they are also deleted (or deactivated) in Josys.
3. Basic Information Provision: Provides basic account details such as email address, name, and status.

Role of the Support Source

The support source provides additional attributes for existing users. It performs the following three roles:
* Users are never created from a support source. Its sole purpose is to enrich the user information provided by the primary source.

1. Additional Attributes Provision: Provides HR and business details such as departments, job titles, user IDs, start dates, and work locations.
2. Attribute Enrichment: Complements information not managed in the primary source to build richer user profiles.
3. Multiple Sources Usage: You can add multiple support sources as needed (e.g., HR information from SmartHR and talent data from Kaonavi).

Data Integration Logic

Data retrieved from multiple EDSs is integrated using the following logic:

1. Preventing Overwrites with Null Values
   If a field in the support source is blank, the existing value in Josys will not be overwritten.
   <Example>
   Current Josys value: Department = "Engineering"
   Support source (SmartHR): Department = (Blank)
   → In this case, the existing value "Engineering" is retained.
2. Attribute Addition and Enrichment
   The support source can add new attributes that do not exist in the primary source.
   As a result, all attributes are consolidated into the Josys user profile.
   
   Example: Primary source (Entra ID): Email address, Name
   Support source (SmartHR): User ID, Start date, Job title, Status

Supported Data Sources

For multi-source integration of User Profiles, you can use any source available for External Data Sources.

Retrievable Information

What is Support Status?

This status is retrieved to identify discrepancies with the primary source.
For example, if a user is marked as "Active" in the primary source but "Terminated" in the support source, you can easily spot the mismatch. In such cases, a red exclamation mark icon will appear next to the status column.

Feature to Retrieve User IDs from Support Sources

If user IDs are not registered in your primary source, this feature allows you to populate them from your support source.
For example, if Google Workspace is your primary source and SmartHR is your support source, enabling this feature allows the user IDs from SmartHR to be assigned to the users synced from Google Workspace.

This feature is enabled upon request. If you would like to use it, please contact our support team or your account representative.

Limitations and Important Notes

Common Notes for All EDS

1. Only One Primary Source: Only one primary source can be configured per organization.
   You cannot use multiple primary sources simultaneously.
2. User Creation/Deletion Depends on the Primary Source: New user creation and deletion are triggered solely by changes in the primary source. Changes in the support source alone will not create or delete users.
3. Integration Errors May Cause Sync Failures: If there is an app integration error in either the primary or support source, the synchronization may fail.
4. The email address is the only key used to match the same individual between the primary and support sources.
   If the email addresses in the primary and support sources do not match, the data will not be merged, and the support source data will not be synced to the Josys User Profiles.
5. Mapped fields from the support source will always be overwritten (updated) with the latest values from the support source during each sync, even if values already exist in Josys.

Notes When Using SmartHR as a Support Source

When integrating SmartHR as a support source and using email addresses registered in SmartHR's "Custom Fields" as the matching key, please note the following configurations and specifications:

• Prerequisite: In the settings of the integrated SmartHR support source, the custom field key for retrieving the company email address must be correctly configured. Reference: Syncing Company Email Addresses from SmartHR Custom Fields
• Matching Logic: The value retrieved from the custom field on the SmartHR side is mapped as the email address and matched against the work email address of the employee in the primary source. There is no dedicated setting to directly specify "use custom field as matching key."
• Blank or Invalid Values: If the custom field value in SmartHR is blank or not in a valid email format, the system will retrieve the standard email address field from SmartHR. In this case, if the email address does not match the primary source, the user profiles may not be merged.

Integration Steps

1. From the left menu, click Integrations > External Data Sources.
2. If you have not set up an external data source yet, select a primary source and complete the integration.
   Reference: Integrating with External Systems (External Data Sources) to Create User Profiles
3. Click the Enable Support Master button in the top right.
   
4. In the window that opens, click the Enable Support Source toggle switch at the top to turn it ON.
   
5. Once enabled, a drop-down menu will appear on the right. Select the app you want to use as the support source.
   
   ⚠️ The target source must be integrated with Josys beforehand.
6. After selecting the support source, mappings will automatically be added for fields not retrieved from the primary source.
   For fields where multiple sources are available, you can select your preferred source from the drop-down menu.
   
   💡 Certain fields, such as Name and Email Address, are permanently linked to the primary source.
7. After adding the support source, data will be updated during the daily automatic sync.
   If you want to apply changes immediately, run a manual sync for the external data source.
   Reference: Data Sync Timing After External Data Source Integration

💡 About Status
The status field maps both the primary source and the support source. By retrieving the status from both sources, the system can display a status mismatch alert if different statuses are set in each master.

How to Resolve Issues with Support Source Departments Not Reflecting

1. Temporarily Disable the Support Source

1. From the left sidebar, click Integrations > External Data Sources.
2. Click Enable Support Master in the top right to open the field mapping configuration screen.
3. Turn OFF the Enable Support Source toggle switch at the top of the screen.

2. Enable Fields in the Primary Source

1. In the displayed list of primary source fields, check the box for Departments.
2. Click the Save Changes button.

3. Reconfigure the Support Source

1. Turn the Enable Support Source toggle switch back ON.
2. Reselect the support source you want to use from the drop-down menu.

4. Verify and Save Field Mappings

1. In the support source field settings, verify that the checkbox for Departments is checked.
2. After verifying, click the Save Changes button again.
3. Once the settings are saved, the department information from the support source will correctly reflect in the Josys user list after the next sync cycle or manual sync.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q. What is the difference between a primary source and a support source?

  A. The primary source is the essential data source used as the baseline for creating and deleting users. A user's lifecycle (joining/leaving) depends entirely on the primary source. A support source provides additional attributes for existing users. A support source alone cannot create or delete users.

• Q. Will null values overwrite existing values?

  A. No, existing values are protected by our null-value overwrite prevention. If a value provided by the support source is null, the existing valid value in Josys is retained. This prevents important information from being lost due to missing data.

• Q. How many support sources can I add?

  A. While there is no technical limit, we recommend keeping it to 2 or 3 sources for optimal performance and management. Adding too many support sources may increase synchronization times. For specific limits, please check your admin screen or contact your account representative.

• Q. Can I change the primary source later?

  A. Changing the primary source has a significant impact on user data integrity and requires careful planning. We highly recommend exporting your user profiles to back up your data before making any changes.

• Q. What happens if a user in the support source does not exist in the primary source?

  A. Attributes from the support source are only merged if a corresponding user exists in the primary source. Information for users who do not exist in the primary source is ignored. This prevents terminated employee records or irrelevant data from being imported.

• Q. We manage user IDs in our HR tool. Can we sync them from the support source?

  A. This feature is available upon request.
  If you want to sync user IDs from your support source to Josys, please contact our support team or your account representative.