Integrating software with your existing systems doesn’t have to be overly complicated. None of your original systems need to be replaced: integrating custom software with these systems makes them work better together. Additionally, it keeps your teams working in the applications that they know and are familiar with while the data that flows between the apps moves automatically.
Software integration eliminates the necessity of repeated manual entries; it provides savings in costs, time and effort, and allows for better processing, reporting and response times. With the plethora of benefits, it’s no wonder people are looking for ways to integrate their apps with existing systems or website.
Below are the steps to integrate with existing infrastructure for the applications and systems that are already working for you.
1. Define goals and requirements
Examine the benefits of software integration and what you would like it to do for your business. Once you are able to articulate what you want to achieve through integration, you can begin to look into what the specific goals and requirements of the project may be.
2. Assess your existing systems
Through understanding your current systems, how they are built and how they work, you can begin to identify the key components and data structures that may be suitable for integration. Assess any limitations or constraints that may arise and could impact the process.
3. Evaluate integration options
There are different approaches to integration based on your business needs and task requirements. Selecting the best-fitting approach allows your systems to work better together and ensures productivity is streamlined. This is where custom software that is tailored to your requirements can help.
4. Plan the integration process
Develop a step-by-step plan and timeline for the integration process, taking existing processes and potential impacts into account. The plan should be worked on collaboratively so that everybody involved is on board with the timeline, responsibilities and impacts. Additionally, the more detail in the plan the better. This ensures all personnel have a clear view of the project in its entirety and how each employee is involved. Moreover, this will help in future when planning other processes for integration as some of the details may be transferable.
5. Implement, test and maintain
Now is the time to execute the plan. Test it, address any of the issues identified during testing and then continually monitor. Even when the processes feel settled and are working as intended, system performance should still be tracked and the project should be regularly maintained and updated when necessary, i.e. when new requirements or software updates arise and security needs evolve.
Choosing the correct processes for integration can feel daunting. Continually monitoring the output can feel overwhelming. This is where we can help.
Are you looking to get your business paperless? Maybe you feel your operational demands could benefit from the speedy processing of software integration. Additionally, strengthening your trading relationships and improving the work efficiency of your employees through avoiding unnecessary duplicate data entries. Perhaps the streamlined productivity and access to real time information in familiar applications would boost the confidence and output of your team. Whatever the reason may be, Solweb is here to help you integrate your software.
We take the time to understand your current objectives and setup, assess the systems that need to communicate and the data flow requirements. Then we can recommend the most effective integration approach for your situation. We have existing products available but also offer custom integrations for a more tailored fit to your business’ needs. We have over 20 years' experience working with platforms from businesses such as 123Insight, Access Dimensions and many more.
Each of our integration products are thoroughly tested in an environment that mirrors your live set up before we deploy it. Furthermore, we provide ongoing monitoring and support to ensure everything runs smoothly – this support continues after deployment with constant access to the team who wrote your software for any questions or issues that may arise.
Our systems automatically alert us to any issues with data transfers or connectivity and we often resolve problems before you are even aware of them. Plus, as your business grows and your requirements change, we are here to adapt and extend your integration.
If these benefits speak to you, book a free consultation with us to chat about your business and the requirements you may have. No hard sell, no obligation, just a chat about your business and what we offer to help it thrive. Speak to us today using the form or details on our contact information page.