As detailed above, all software integrators will have their own approaches to tackling such projects, generally it will depend on the complexity of your current environment and the desired outcomes. However, here are five steps that you can take to ensure the success of your software integration project.
The key word here is Business. The first step to any Software Integration project should be to clearly understand and define the outcomes you want to achieve. increased productivity, less time to on-board and automation of tasks are all examples of what these may be. It is critical to focus on the business, rather than the technical outcomes at this stage.
For a software integration project to be successful, it is vital to understand what you're starting point is and you can do this by mapping out your current workflows and processes. Being able to clearly see which systems or processes are responsible for what can help you understand the priorities and also whether you should consider any additional mitigation measures particularly for business critical systems or applications. An example of a measure that could be taken to mitigate risk is keeping the current systems and the new integrated system running for a period of time in parallel, before switching off the old systems. You may also decide at this stage to scrap some of your current processes.
This will give you an idea of what is and isn't possible and what the outcomes of the integration(s) will be. Understanding if and what the APIs in the current systems look like for example will give you a clear idea of what is and isn't possible.
What approach will you take to the integration? Your integrator can guide you on this. Create a plan with the method, priority and any additional measures that need to be taken when undertaking the integration for each work-flow. Ensure relevant stakeholders are engaged and a communication plan is in place. It is always a good idea where possible, to have a 'roll-back' option if you're able, this essentially means the software will revert to it's original form.
Where possible, you should envision what you want the very end system to look like in terms of what outcomes it can produce even if you're not quite ready to move certain aspects. It may be that you want to be able to integrate software in the future, in which case it's sensible to do your research early to ensure the approach you're taking now, is sustainable for the future.
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