Integrations and the integration platform
Integrations help automate manual processes and reduce the need to maintain the same data in multiple locations. Integrations can be one-way or two-way, and can combine data from two or more systems.
Information to flow seamlessly and up-to-date between different systems
For example, B2B ordering systems or customer portals often need to combine customer and product information. This often involves exporting orders to ERP systems or generating invoices in financial management software, checking stock balances and perhaps customer-specific price lists and order history are also in the mix.
Integrations can be very complex and involve more than two business-critical systems. The key to integration is reliability and getting the right information to where it is needed, at the right time.
We have very extensive experience in integrating with ERP and financial management systems, product and service registers, payment services, CRM systems, search platforms, various electronic authentication services and many other information systems.
Point-to-Point integrations and iPaaS integration platform
Integrations can be implemented in a number of different ways. The most typical are direct integration between systems, point-to-point integration, and usually larger integration sets built using a separate integration platform as a service (iPaaS).
Point-to-point integration is a practical solution for a simple process of transferring information between two systems. If there are more integration points and information is transferred in smaller chunks or triggered by specific event sequences, the integration platform is probably a better implementation model.
Centralised integration on an iPaaS platform reduces the number of integrations between different systems, as integrations go through the integration platform. This centralised platform facilitates the maintenance and monitoring of integrations.
Frends iPaaS -integration platform
Mediasignal uses the modern and scalable Frends integration platform for its iPaaS implementations.
Mediasignal is a reseller and implementation partner of the Frends platform.
Frends can be used to build, for example:
– automatic mass references between several different systems
– event-driven workflows, where, for example, the data of a created product is automatically exported from the target systems to the publishing channels
– customised interfaces that combine information from multiple different source systems
How Mediasignal implements integration projects
Needs assessment / preliminary study
The pre-study will review the current state of information flows and integrations between the customer’s information systems and the customer’s need for what is to be developed or achieved. On this basis, it is assessed whether there is a need to proceed to a more detailed requirements definition of the integrations.
Requirements definition
The requirements definition describes the processes to which the integrations relate and what they are intended to achieve in each situation. The technical documentation describes, for example, at the data field level, the data flows and their desired paths.
Choice of implementation method
Point-to-point integration is a workable solution when a simple process is used to transfer information between two systems. If there are more integration points and data is transferred in smaller chunks or triggered by specific event sequences, the integration platform is probably a better implementation. Centralised integration implemented on an iPaaS platform reduces the number of integrations between different systems, as integrations go through the integration platform. This centralised platform facilitates the maintenance and monitoring of integrations.
Implementation
Mediasignal leads the implementation project and ensures all the information needed to implement the integrations is received from the customer and the objectives set in the requirements definition are achieved.
Maintenance and supervision
The maintenance and control of the integrations will be agreed in a maintenance agreement, which will be drafted to reflect the criticality and complexity of the integrations.
Examples of integration implementations
Case-examples
Polarputki / Dynamics 365 Business Central <-> Akeneo <-> WooCommerce <-> Next.js
Vallox / Cloudinary <-> Akeneo <-> WordPress
Oras / InRiver <-> ElasticSearch <-> TYPO3
Dahl / Akeneo <-> Solr <-> TYPO3 <-> LVI-info
Integration experience with e.g.
ERP and financial management systems
Lemonsoft, Lean System, Procountor, Netvisor, Dynamics 365 Business Central, Netbaron
PIM / Product and service registers
Akeneo, InRiver, LVI-info, Studenta, Aton PLM
Web services
WooCommerce, WordPress, TYPO3
Payment services
Paytrail, Klarna, Svea, Nets
CRM systems and email delivery
Salesforce, MissionOne, MailChimp, MailPoet, Sebacon, Mautic, Dynamics 365, Hubspot
Logistics
Posti, Matkahuolto
Electronic identification
Azure (AD), Telia, LDAP, Kerberos, SAML, S Group, OP Identification service
Electronic signature
Visma Sign, Assently
Search platforms
Solr, Elasticsearch
Other information systems
Cloudinary, ImageBank Independent, Sharepoint, Outlook, Google Vision, Google Maps, Dreambroker, Visma X-Archive (Sähke 2), Nasdaq company news, Lowell, Smart space, Weblate, STT-info, Creditsafe
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