The challenge: Bridging decentralized retail operations with centralized data systems
Media Station Co., Ltd. operates across four core business segments: Life DX, IT solutions, digital content, and human resources. In its Life DX division, which runs mobile phone retail stores, operational efficiency depends on smooth data exchange between branch-level systems and corporate infrastructure. Store staff relied heavily on Kintone for daily tasks, while SQL Server at headquarters served as the central data hub—creating silos and limiting real-time visibility.
Each store had unique data requirements and use cases, resulting in complex, inconsistent data collection scenarios. The ICT team at Sales Headquarters faced a heavy workload managing these variations. Maintaining separate tools for Kintone and SQL Server integration made even simple updates, such as adding a new field, unnecessarily time-consuming and error prone.
To overcome these obstacles, Media Station adopted the CData Kintone ODBC Driver. The solution enabled seamless bi-directional integration between Kintone and SQL Server, allowing the ICT team to manage store-specific data flows entirely via SQL. This significantly reduced administrative overhead and simplified data sharing across the organization.
"We used separate tools for data integration with Kintone and SQL Server, making even simple tasks, like adding a field in Kintone, cumbersome. There were instances where we had to give up providing certain data to stores due to the complexity."
— Mr. Kawai, Sales Headquarters, Media Station
The solution: Seamless integration through familiar SQL workflows
To address the integration challenges between Kintone and SQL Server, Media Station implemented the CData Kintone ODBC Driver in combination with SQL Server’s linked server functionality. Such a SQL Gateway allowed direct access to Kintone data from SQL Server using standard SQL queries, enabling seamless, bi-directional operations without the need for additional tools or complex workflows.
By defining all input and output requirements for each store directly in SQL, the ICT team was able to streamline and standardize data processes across diverse retail scenarios. This significantly reduced manual overhead and enabled the delivery of data that had previously been difficult or impractical to provide. The unified approach empowered headquarters to support store operations with greater agility and efficiency.
"The decisive factor was the ability to access Kintone application data using SQL Server's linked server feature. Being able to handle data from both SQL Server databases and Kintone applications in a single SQL query without distinguishing between them was crucial."
— Mr. Kawai, Sales Headquarters, Media Station
The outcome: Simplified data integration and empowered store operations
With the CData Kintone ODBC Driver and SQL Server’s linked server functionality, Media Station achieved seamless, bi-directional data integration between store-level Kintone systems and the central SQL Server platform. This allowed the ICT team to manage all data flows using standard SQL, removing the need for separate tools and significantly reducing administrative overhead.
As a result, data processes became more efficient and flexible, enabling the delivery of information to stores that was previously too complex to provide. The solution was quickly adopted, performed reliably, and empowered both headquarters and store staff to work with unified, accessible data across the organization.
"As expected, bi-directional data integration between SQL Server and Kintone became simpler, reducing administrative effort. This enabled us to provide data to stores that we previously had to forgo."
— Mr. Sasaki, Sales Headquarters, Media Station
Insights from Media Station's sales headquarters:
Mr. Sasaki:
"In our Life DX division, we operate mobile phone retail stores where staff use Kintone for data entry and viewing. At the Sales Headquarters, we consolidate business data entered into Kintone by each store into SQL Server for data analytics/aggregation and register necessary data into Kintone for each store. However, we faced challenges in data integration between Kintone and SQL Server. Each mobile phone carrier handled by the stores required different data fields, and the scenarios for data collection and provision were diverse, leading to a high workload for the Sales Headquarters side to consolidate the data in SQL Server."
Mr. Kawai:
"Additionally, we used separate tools for data integration with Kintone (a command-line tool) and SQL Server, making even simple tasks, like adding a field in Kintone, cumbersome. There were instances where we had to give up providing certain data to stores due to the complexity. While searching for a tool to simplify data integration between SQL Server and Kintone, we discovered the CData Kintone ODBC Driver."
Key actors in choosing CData fODBC Driver:
Mr. Kawai:
"The decisive factor was the ability to access Kintone application data as SQL Server linked server. Being able to handle data from both SQL Server databases and Kintone applications with familiar SQL query without distinguishing between them was crucial."
Experience using CData Kintone ODBC Driver:
Mr. Kawai:
"We downloaded the trial version from CData's website and, within a day or two, confirmed the CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on Kintone data from SQL Server's linked server and its performance. During the 30-day trial period, we were convinced that this was the solution we needed, promptly submitted an internal proposal, and decided to implement it. Additionally, the ability to use standard SQL Server syntax without any modifications made the adoption seamless and left a strong impression."
Impact of implementing CData Kintone ODBC Driver and internal feedback:
Mr. Sasaki:
"As expected, bi-directional data integration between SQL Server and Kintone became simpler, reducing administrative effort. This enabled us to provide data to stores that we previously had to forgo."
Support experience with CData:
Mr. Kawai:
"We are highly satisfied with the support provided. We encountered issues where changes to Kintone applications were not immediately reflected in SQL Server, and some SQL executions did not yield the expected results. However, upon contacting support, these issues were promptly resolved. During the initial implementation phase, we had various questions, all of which were answered swiftly and accurately. We believe CData has a robust support system."
Outlook:
Mr. Kawai:
"Currently, we use various applications and services within the company, leading to data being dispersed across different systems. We aim to utilize tools like the one we implemented to achieve seamless data integration. Additionally, we plan to create an environment where not only the headquarters, but also on-site staff can utilize the data consolidated in SQL Server."
CData Drivers and Connectors: High-performance connectivity for seamless data access and integration
CData Drivers and Connectors provide high-performance, SQL-based connectivity to hundreds of cloud-based and on-premises data sources and applications. With support for SQL normalization, data transformation, and enterprise-grade security, they enable secure, seamless data integration through familiar SQL syntax. Combined with SQL Gateway for linked servers, they allow remote data access for all data consumers—whether for BI, reporting, or ETL—by treating any ODBC data source as if it were a native table within SQL Server or MySQL. This simplifies integration and ensures fast, unified access to distributed data.
