Software integrations · SOULTWARE LLC
How to plan an integration between business software systems
An integration is a maintained connection between systems, not just a one-time data transfer. Before building one, decide which system owns each fact and how the business should respond when the connection fails.
Map the information and authority
List the records that move, their direction, and the event that triggers transfer. Decide which system is authoritative for each field so that two systems do not repeatedly overwrite one another.
Document identifiers, allowed values, optional fields, time zones, and what counts as a duplicate. Sample data can expose these details before implementation.
Design for errors and recovery
Plan for expired credentials, unavailable services, rate limits, invalid records, and partial completion. Decide whether to retry, queue for manual review, or notify an owner.
Retries should not create duplicate transactions. Use idempotent operations or another safe mechanism where possible, and give operators enough information to investigate without exposing secrets.
Assign operational ownership
Choose who owns API access, vendor coordination, monitoring, incident response, and changes when either system evolves. Confirm that the integration can be tested without affecting production records.
The estimate should include monitoring and support after launch. A connection without an owner tends to fail silently when credentials, fields, or vendor behavior change.