Development & Technology
Connect your systems and eliminate manual work
Integration between existing enterprise systems: APIs, middleware, data synchronization, flow automation. Eliminates information silos, reduces manual work of copying data between systems and enables end-to-end automated flows.
Integration: making your systems talk to each other
System integration is connecting different enterprise applications so they share data and trigger actions automatically without human intervention. Examples: sale in e-commerce updates inventory in ERP automatically, new client in CRM creates account in billing system, approved employee in HR gets access to all corporate systems.
The problem it solves: companies typically have 5-15 different systems (ERP, CRM, accounting, e-commerce, marketing, HR, BI) that operate as independent islands. People copy data manually between systems (error-prone, slow, not scalable). Critical information trapped in silos without consolidated visibility.
Solution: Integrations via APIs (direct communication between systems), middleware (intermediate layer that orchestrates flows), ETL (extraction, transformation, data loading), webhooks (automatic event notifications). Result: automated flows, real-time or near-real-time data synchronization, elimination of repetitive manual work.
When do you need to integrate your systems?
Manual work copying data between systems
Employees dedicating hours/week transcribing information from one system to another: sales from CRM to ERP, orders from e-commerce to shipping system.
Inconsistent data between systems
Client has different email in CRM vs billing system. Inventory in e-commerce doesn't match ERP. Single source of truth doesn't exist.
Slow processes due to waits between systems
Sale requires creating client in 3 systems manually before billing. 5-minute process takes 2 days due to waits.
No consolidated information visibility
You need report that crosses sales data (CRM) + finance (accounting) + operations (ERP). Someone consolidates manually in Excel.
You implemented new system that must integrate
You just implemented new CRM/ERP/e-commerce that must connect with existing systems to operate effectively.
Scaling and manual work is not sustainable
Transaction volume growing 50%+ annually. People copying data can no longer keep up. You need to automate.
5 types of integration according to need
REST API INTEGRATION
Direct connection between systems via RESTful APIs. System A sends/receives data from system B in real-time or near-real-time.
Modern applications with documented APIs, need for real-time, bidirectional transactions.
- E-commerce → ERP (sale creates order automatically)
- CRM → Billing system (new client replicates)
- Mobile app → Backend (data synchronization)
MIDDLEWARE / iPaaS
Intermediate platform that orchestrates flows between multiple systems. Acts as "conductor" of integrations.
Multiple systems that need integration (5+ applications), complex flows with business logic, data transformations.
MuleSoft, Dell Boomi, Azure Logic Apps, Zapier (low-code)
- Complete flow: Lead on web → CRM → Email marketing → ERP → Accounting
- Master sync: Client updated in system 1 replicates to systems 2-5
ETL (EXTRACT, TRANSFORM, LOAD)
Periodic extraction of data from source systems, transformation/cleaning, load into destination system or data warehouse.
Batch synchronization (not real-time), data consolidation for BI/analytics, data migration between systems.
- Consolidate sales from 5 systems in data warehouse for BI
- Nightly inventory synchronization between branches
- Data migration from old system to new
WEBHOOKS / EVENTS
System A notifies system B automatically when specific event occurs. Information push (vs periodic pull).
React to events in real-time, event-driven architectures, notifications.
- Stripe notifies when payment completes → system activates service
- GitHub notifies when there's commit → CI/CD pipeline activates
- Web form submitted → notification to CRM + email
RPA FOR INTEGRATION
Software bot that mimics human actions to "integrate" systems without APIs: opens application, extracts data, enters in another system.
Legacy systems without APIs, temporary solution while real integration is developed, low transaction volume.
- Bot extracts data from AS/400 system, enters it in modern system
- Bot processes invoice PDFs, extracts data, enters in accounting
How we implement integrations
INTEGRATION ARCHITECTURE
Mapping of existing systems and current flows, Identification of critical integration points, Evaluation of available APIs (documentation, capabilities), Integration architecture design, Technology selection (direct APIs, middleware, ETL)
CONNECTOR DEVELOPMENT
API development if systems don't have them, Pre-built connector configuration (if they exist), Custom integration development, Field mapping between systems, Data transformation logic
BUSINESS LOGIC
Synchronization business rules, Exception and error handling, Data validations, Approval flows (if applicable), Logging and auditing
TESTING AND VALIDATION
End-to-end complete flow testing, Volume testing (high loads), Exception testing (what happens if destination system is down), Validation with key users, Adjustments based on testing
DEPLOYMENT AND MONITORING
Deployment in production environment, Historical data migration (if applicable), Monitoring and alerts configuration, Client IT team training, Intensive support first weeks
INTEGRATION ARCHITECTURE
Mapping of existing systems and current flows, Identification of critical integration points, Evaluation of available APIs (documentation, capabilities), Integration architecture design, Technology selection (direct APIs, middleware, ETL)
CONNECTOR DEVELOPMENT
API development if systems don't have them, Pre-built connector configuration (if they exist), Custom integration development, Field mapping between systems, Data transformation logic
BUSINESS LOGIC
Synchronization business rules, Exception and error handling, Data validations, Approval flows (if applicable), Logging and auditing
TESTING AND VALIDATION
End-to-end complete flow testing, Volume testing (high loads), Exception testing (what happens if destination system is down), Validation with key users, Adjustments based on testing
DEPLOYMENT AND MONITORING
Deployment in production environment, Historical data migration (if applicable), Monitoring and alerts configuration, Client IT team training, Intensive support first weeks
TOTAL DURATION: 6-12 weeks typically according to complexity
What's included
Analysis and Design
- Mapping of systems and current flows
- Designed integration architecture
- API and technical capabilities evaluation
- Data mapping design
- Error handling strategy
Development
- Custom connectors developed
- Data transformation logic
- Validations and business rules
- Exception handling
- APIs created if systems don't have them
Infrastructure
- Middleware configured (if applicable)
- Secure integration environment
- Complete logging and auditing
- Monitoring with automatic alerts
- Backups and disaster recovery
Documentation and Support
- Complete technical documentation
- Integration flow diagrams
- IT team training
- 3 months post-implementation support
- Adjustments based on real operation
Benefits
Elimination of manual data copying work
Data synchronization between systems
Instant automated flows
Reduction of human errors
Reduction in process time
Handles 10X volume without hiring people
Integrate existing systems vs replace with unified one?
| Factor | Integrate Existing | Replace with Unified System |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | Lower | Higher |
| Implementation time | 2-4 months | 6-18 months |
| Risk | Low (systems remain same) | High (complete change) |
| Operational disruption | Minimal | Significant |
| Learning curve | None (systems same) | High (new system) |
| Best-of-breed | Yes (best tool per function) | No (single suite) |
| IT complexity | Higher (multiple systems) | Lower (one system) |
| Vendor lock-in | Low (you can change pieces) | High (everything with one vendor) |
Integrate when:
- Current systems work well individually
- Doesn't justify cost/risk of complete replacement
- Best-of-breed is important (best CRM + best ERP vs mediocre single suite)
- Limited budget
- Operational risk of complete change is very high
Replace when:
- Current systems are obsolete/unsustainable
- Complexity of integrating 10+ systems is prohibitive
- You need capabilities that only unified suite provides
- Strategy is to simplify technology landscape
- Budget allows
Hybrid approach (common): Core in unified system (ERP) + best specialized tools integrated (specialized CRM, advanced BI).
Frequently Asked Questions
Depends on integration complexity: Simple integration (2 modern systems with documented APIs, unidirectional flow): $15K-$30K. Medium integration (2-3 systems, bidirectional flows, data transformation): $30K-$60K. Complex integration (5+ systems, complex business logic, sophisticated exception handling): $60K-$120K+. Factors: API quality, transaction volume, real-time vs batch, error handling. We evaluate and estimate accurately.
Depends on design and need: Real-time (<1 second): Webhooks + REST APIs. E.g.: sale in e-commerce updates inventory instantly. Near real-time (minutes): Periodic polling every 5-15 min. Batch (hours): ETL that runs each night. More common for non-urgent data consolidation. Recommendation: Balance between business need and technical complexity. Not everything needs to be real-time; nightly batch sufficient for many cases (60% integrations).
Prevention: Well-designed integrations use API versioning (api.com/v1 vs /v2), clear contracts, automated testing. When it occurs: Monitoring detects failure immediately, automatic alerts, Alternative team responds. Support contract includes: Updates when vendors change APIs (common 1-2 times/year per system). Without support: Client assumes maintenance risk. That's why 90% of clients hire ongoing support according to complexity.
Both according to case: Zapier/Make (low-code) when: simple integrations, low volume (<10K transactions/month), limited budget, not critical if fails occasionally. Custom development when: high volume, complex logic, high criticality (cannot fail), need for total control, complex transformations. Our experience: 30% of projects use low-code, 70% custom. Low-code has limits: 10K transactions/month, simple integrations, less control.
Ideally no. Well-designed integrations are "non-invasive": connect via APIs without touching system code. Exception: Systems without APIs need: (1) Custom API development (intermediate layer), or (2) RPA (bot that uses interface), or (3) Direct database access (less ideal, risky). Modern systems (Salesforce, NetSuite, HubSpot, QuickBooks Online) have robust APIs. Legacy systems (AS/400, Progress, FoxPro) require additional work.
Security by layers: (1) Encryption: Data in transit encrypted (SSL/TLS), credentials at rest encrypted. (2) Authentication: OAuth 2.0 (secure standard), rotated API keys, no passwords in code. (3) Minimum privilege: Integrations only access necessary data, not complete system access. (4) Auditing: Complete logs of what data was accessed when. (5) Compliance: We design aligned to GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001 according to industry. Alternative integrations are as or more secure than manual access.
Do your systems need integration?
Free 30-minute evaluation. We map your systems, identify critical integration points and estimate solution.