What is application integration? #
Application integration, often referred to as point-to-point integration, enables businesses to directly integrate applications, that have their own specific functions, with each other. This includes software such as ERP and CRM systems, accounting software, marketing tools, warehouse management solutions, EDI systems and a plethora of bespoke applications.
Employees and departments often need to perform a specific task within an organisation and therefore rely on dedicated software applications to achieve this, especially with the reliance on digital data.
The rise in cloud computing and developments in technology have also led to a spate of new applications being released which organisations need to integrate with existing systems in order to streamline efficiencies and performance.
Without integration data becomes isolated and can have a detrimental effect on the overall running of a business or organisation.
Application integration is usually achieved via a fixed, out-of-the-box plug-in or bespoke, in-house development using the software’s APIs.
An API (application programming interface) is a set of rules and commands that provides the ability for the application software to call back and forth, share data, evaluate responses and transmit instructions.
Once the applications are integrated, information and documents can flow between the systems ensuring that everything is synchronised.
The downside of application integration
Although using out-of-the-box plug-ins or bespoke API development to connect applications together does appear to provide a quick fix for getting software to synchronise data, it does have its limitations.
It is extremely rigid and doesn’t provide the flexibility to quickly adjust or incorporate future requirements, such as updating to new software or adding new applications. As the business grows and adds this new software requiring further integration, the management of them simply becomes too complex.
Application integration examples #
Legacy integration #
For established organisations, legacy systems will more than likely be in existence. Having been the core business system within the company for a long time, these legacy systems will hold a huge amount of data. It is therefore often not feasible, or efficient, for businesses to change them. However, as technology rapidly evolves, and new software is required and introduced to the business, businesses need to find a way of connecting these new applications and software with their existing systems.
Enterprise application integration #
As we mentioned earlier, most businesses these days use a multitude of applications and software to perform their front and back-office processes, whether these are on-premises or cloud-based. They can generate a huge amount of data which can become completely siloed without integration in place. Enterprise application integration (EAI) therefore addresses this situation by enabling the various elements to talk to each other and automate the transfer of data.
Third-party integration #
Third-party online services have also become essential to incorporate into the business technology mix. Whether this is online payment systems, courier services, social media or information gateways, organisations need to find a way to integrate these into their core products.
B2B integration #
Business-to-business integration will be essential for any organisation that regularly shares data with a customer, partner or supplier. Therefore the ability to integrate directly between the relevant systems, for example, a supplier’s warehouse management system and the organisation’s ERP system, will smooth transactions, improve document sharing and increase visibility into essential data.
EDI integration #
In the retail industry, many businesses use Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) technology to send and receive orders. EDI integration is therefore essential to improve efficiencies, streamline processes and eliminate any manual processing.
Using middleware for application integration #
A dedicated integration platform, also referred to as middleware integration, is a more flexible and robust option for application integration, as it provides a unified system that can work seamlessly, despite being composed of multiple heterogeneous components.
Middleware is software that sits in the middle of an IT environment connecting all the various systems, databases and web services that an organisation uses, whether on-premises or in the cloud.
Contemporary middleware solutions offer an intuitive means of connecting systems and modifying workflows through a visual, graphical user interface, requiring minimal coding expertise. With the aid of drag and drop technology, data flows can be automated and conveniently adjusted or reconfigured.
This integration method helps to simplify development and maintenance, reduce costs, and improve the overall performance and reliability of the system.
