Systems
Integration

Why Should You Consider Systems Integration?

Is information and data across your organisation inaccurate, incomplete, and inconsistent?

If your organisation is operating with disconnected systems, chances are that you are operating with poor organisational visibility and control, causing you to miss potential sales opportunities.

Disconnected systems can also contribute to a breakdown in company-wide communication, increase inefficiencies and duplication of processes. This is particularly worrying if your organisation regularly manages changing regulations, prices, or policies.

This is when systems integration comes in.

Technical Details:

From a software architecture point of view:

At Solentive, we look at Systems Integration holistically, focusing on the overall outcomes we are trying to achieve. We look at it like an eco-system of technology; studying each various system involved and thinking about the best way to integrate each one depending on each systems features and capabilities. Some systems need to be integrated with each other on a real-time basis, others less frequently, and some even in batches. It also depends on which systems need to talk to each other – some need to talk to all others, and some only to one or two. Once we know all of that, we can then create the right solution and develop a more detailed technical design for it to be implemented. That is when we decide on specific technologies such as: RESTful APIs, SOAP, Message Queues, or dedicated integration platforms such as Zapier.

Here are some examples of systems we have integrated:

• Payment Gateways such as Stripe, Google Pay and Apple Pay

• CRMs including Dynamics 365, HubSpot and Salesforce

• Workflow and Productivity apps including Power Platforms and ExactDocs

• Business Rules Engines such as InRule

• Hardware (GPS)

• Integration Platforms include Zapier and Workato

Disadvantages of not using systems integration:

REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY

It is important for your workforce to be able to complete their tasks without being bogged down with unnecessary admin. Switching between systems to complete business processes makes the tasks take longer and increases the risk of errors.

LACK OF REAL TIME INFORMATION

Overlapping databases, or transferring data between systems, could result in data being out of sync and inaccurate. This will hinder your ability to make informed business decisions quickly and efficiently.

CONSTANT UPGRADES

Technology is constantly progressing, and systems continuously get upgraded. Imagine having to manage this across multiple platforms. If one system is upgraded, changes might be needed across all other systems to resemble some form of communication across them.

EXCESS COST MAINTAINING SYSTEMS

Licensing fees, subscription fees, maintenance and upkeep costs can spiral out of control if you have multiple systems to look after, not to mention the substantial IT resources also needed. Integrate your systems and this headache disappears.

Things to consider before embarking on a systems integration project:

• Define all integration requirements: it is important to get everyone involved when defining the objectives of an integration. Will your accounts department be creating invoices in a new system? Will your sales team be using a new platform and process to qualify leads? As an organisation, you will have your high-level requirements, but individual departments will have their own, internal ones. Discussing these at the very beginning of the project will make for a more accurate scope and better alignment.

• Consolidate integration plans: do you work in a large organisation, or one where there might be multiple integration projects taking place at once? It is better to consolidate these plans, and have a single, more coordinated project in place.

• Identify and manage risks: like all software projects, it is difficult to account for the unknown-unknowns, but identifying all the risks and creating a risk management plan early on will help keep a project on track.

• Define communication points between parties: if you outsource your systems integration project, it is important to have checkpoints throughout the journey with your vendor. At Solentive, we have numerous touchpoints throughout a project, which ensures both parties are across all aspects at any given time, such as progress, risk, budget, and timeframe.

• Have a data conversation: set aside time for a dedicated data conversation. Make sure the correct people are involved in this conversation, so everyone understands the data, and knows how the data needs to be converted and integrated into the new system.

• Perform integration testing: throughout the project you can test integration points, but it is important to test with real data in a real test environment. This shows you how the system/s will perform in production and real-life scenarios.

Our Process:

We have been in operation for over 27 years, and in that time, we have successfully delivered numerous systems integration projects. We have perfected our software development process. The Solentive Practical Agile Methodology (SOLPAM) combines Design Thinking, LEAN and Agile methodologies, and adapts them to your unique software project to ensure we set you up for success right from the start.

Who you’ll be working with:

• Business Solution Consultants: Through workshops, customer interviews and research, our Business Solution Consultants are experts at extracting, capturing, and communicating your unique requirements in a clear, concise way that ensure that you achieve your overall business objectives.

• UX / UI Consultants: Our UX / UI Consultants ensure your end-users receive more engaging, intuitive, and easier experiences when interacting with your brand.

• Technical Consultants: Our Technical Consultants are passionate about technology and how it is transforming the world and the way we work. They will provide technical guidance and advice to develop and implement an innovative solution that will improve your organisational efficiencies.

• Software Engineers: Our Software Engineers are the best of the best. They have experience across many industries and various technologies.

• Project Support: You will have a dedicated Project Support Team who will ensure your project runs smoothly.

• Quality Assurance Testers: Our QA Testers ensure your solution is bug and defect free before going live, giving you the confidence only the highest quality software is in production.