What Is System Integration?

Maybe alternative names resonate with you more, like “the data gets pulled in somehow” or “it just updates itself”; for the technical types I'll try “interface”. Perhaps it's starting to sound less like something that only concerns a guy in a hoodie who speaks XML and only looks up from his monitor to glance at the other one. In reality it concerns everyone – you just don't know it. And that's fine, because you shouldn't even notice system integration if it works properly.

So what actually is system integration?

Generally speaking, it's connecting IT systems, applications or storage into larger units, where these components communicate with each other – mostly by moving data between them.

Picture a company. You have invoices in the ERP, customers in the CRM, orders in the e-shop. But these systems don't talk to each other at all. So somewhere between them there's a team of people entering, downloading and importing data into all the systems.
Thinking this could surely be done better?
Congratulations, you've just arrived at the need for system integration.

Integration isn't magic

Integration does exactly what you would do if you had infinite patience, coffee and dozens of extra hands. It takes data from one system, adjusts it so the other system understands it, and sends it there.
And it does this over and over – more securely, faster, more accurately and even while you sleep.

For you, it can mean that when you issue an invoice, your accounting, inventory and the report for the manager who loves charts all update automatically.
In the real world, it means someone has to design, build and keep that integration alive. Someone like me.

Why should you care?

Because integration saves time, money and nerves simply by moving human work into an automated process that runs while you focus on work that can't be done without you. Integration also protects your data – not only from unauthorized handling and potential leaks, but also from the chaos you introduce yourself through manual manipulation.

But beware, integrations aren't a cure-all

You may have heard that system integrations will solve any data or IT infrastructure problem. Don't believe it – someone was pulling your leg.
If there's a problem somewhere and someone integrates it into other systems, it won't be just somewhere. It'll be everywhere.

Integration has to be based on logic, on goals and on understanding what the company should do, what data it has and how that data should flow.
Otherwise you'll end up with beautifully connected nonsense.

Summary

Integration is the interpreter and link between your systems.

Thanks to it...

• you secure your data better and improve its quality
• you no longer have to retype everything by hand
• data spreads to where it's needed, even in real time
• you can have an IT architecture that cooperates and serves you instead of draining your energy and resources