Table of contents
- The most commonly used methods of IT systems integration
- Benefits of IT systems integration
- Problems that IT systems integration can solve
- What are the most common problems associated with IT systems integration?
- The most important steps in the IT systems integration process
- Factors to consider when integrating IT systems
The Neolithic Revolution, discussed by Harari in his book “Sapiens: From Animals into Gods”[i], is the foundation of modern civilization. Above all, it involved the realization that cooperation between different groups of people gave them an entirely new and better quality of life. Twelve centuries later, we are witnessing the Information Revolution[ii], in which human activity depends even more strongly on diverse but cooperating IT systems. Their ability to use one another’s resources and information, together with their growing complexity as they encompass new areas of life, makes IT systems integration critically important.
The most commonly used methods of IT systems integration
Systems integration is a process that enables different IT solutions to share data, resources, and devices. Software integration consequently accelerates business processes and the flow of work and information, which is crucial to improving the overall efficiency of every organization, not only a business. Software can be integrated at different levels using different methods. As always, time and cost are constraints, particularly when solutions from different vendors are being integrated. In the simplest case, file-level integration allows users to share files, peripherals, workspace, and applications running on different technologies. This accelerates document creation and facilitates teamwork, making the joint effort more effective. The cost of such integration is relatively low and it does not require highly paid specialists. At the same time, this method carries a very low risk of disrupting the stability of the integrated applications, regardless of their design or the IT technologies they use. Database-level integration is entirely different. Appropriate interfaces and tables must be designed in every application and exposed through database integration mechanisms. This can achieve far-reaching integration, including shared dictionaries and transaction tables, but every operation performed in both databases must be planned very carefully. Modern database-management systems allow stored data and objects to be shared. With knowledge of the database structure, different applications can be permitted to use the same data source, while built-in mechanisms ensure the security of every transaction and the database itself. Users consequently process the same current data from a single database. This substantially accelerates business processes and decision-making. It can also reduce licensing and IT-infrastructure costs. Administration of business applications becomes simpler, while expansion and modernization in line with changing company needs become easier. Industrial MES-class systems (Manufacturing Execution Systems) for production communication and reporting, as well as highly diverse measurement systems, use bus-based integration. System software ensures that every device connected to the common bus is handled correctly, can transfer its data quickly and efficiently to other devices, and can read the data they provide. Such solutions are an industrial standard that organizes data flows and makes information available to authorized applications and users. All the integration methods described above are used by advanced BMS/ERP systems (Business Management Systems/Enterprise Resource Planning) for managing company resources. They create an interactive environment that controls and supervises almost every business process, while their modular structure enables smooth and flexible adaptation to the current needs of individual departments and employees.Benefits of IT systems integration
Regardless of the integration method, cooperating systems provide:- consistency and currency of every type of data,
- easy and rapid access to necessary information and resources,
- improved data flows between applications,
- cooperation between applications performing different tasks so that the final result meets the company’s business expectations,
- simplified access to different systems and modules according to assigned permissions,
- improved security of critical company data,
- lower costs and fewer necessary database and application licenses,
- continuous information support for managers making business decisions.
Problems that IT systems integration can solve
IT systems integration often substantially simplifies many people’s work, shortens training time, and increases overall efficiency. If a sales system is integrated with a financial application, an employee issuing a sales invoice can easily check the customer’s creditworthiness and use of trade credit. Otherwise, the employee would have to log in to the financial system separately, consuming additional time and incurring the cost of another license. Modern e-commerce provides many interesting examples of software and data integration. Running an online store requires integration with one or more websites or mobile applications on the one hand and with ERP, CRM, or WMS solutions (Warehouse Management Systems) on the other. Efficient marketing campaigns are likewise difficult to imagine without integrating email systems with CRM and Marketing Automation. The situation is similar in manufacturing companies, where numerous sensors, meters, and measuring devices must supply information to modules that control and monitor machinery. Without integration, it would be difficult to manage production capacity quickly and efficiently, plan production, or service machinery rationally.What are the most common problems associated with IT systems integration?
IT systems integration is generally difficult, costly, and time-consuming and carries a considerable risk of failure. Problems often arise from incomplete or outdated documentation, lack of integration-team experience, or an undefined business objective. These are typical difficulties in implementing business IT systems. With file-level integration, particular attention must be paid to regular data transfers, supervision of the data-exchange process, and provision of the necessary server services. Where management systems are integrated with different databases, changes to database engines are the most common source of problems. Each change requires integration mechanisms to be modernized, which means time-consuming development, difficult debugging, and lengthy testing. Troublesome restrictions on access to integrated applications must also be anticipated. Even integrating software that uses a single database can be burdensome. Analyzing the problem is complex in itself, while strict compliance with data-access schemas, implementation of extensive permission policies, and reconciliation of roles across applications create further difficulties. The risk of failure is therefore not zero even in this case.The most important steps in the IT systems integration process
Managing an IT systems integration project follows the same rules and principles as implementing any other enterprise-management system. Success depends on a sound business analysis that defines the integration objectives and implementation methods. Once business requirements have been gathered, the next step is to specify the project in detail. It must include definitions and types of data to be shared, schemas for the relevant database tables, the scope of operations, emergency procedures, and a wealth of other information without which work should not begin. Not every application is equally easy to integrate, so analyzing documentation and obtaining vendor support always helps produce a rational work plan. Achieving the objectives may require building new components from scratch, writing and testing code, or modifying one of the integrated applications. Only a highly detailed design permits the project to proceed to implementation and testing before the production version is established permanently in the company.Factors to consider when integrating IT systems
The success of IT systems integration depends on many factors that are not always within the integrator’s control. When estimating the chances of success, consider:- the quality of the available technical documentation for the integrated systems, REST APIs, database schemas, formats, and other elements,
- the experience and qualifications of the architects, designers, developers, and testers,
- available hardware resources and IT infrastructure,
- the ability to ensure data security and the quality of security procedures,
- time and financial resources,
- support from management and future users.
