How business system integrations work

A business system integration lets applications exchange information through an agreed process. An order might create an accounting record, a shipment might update an invoice or a stock change might reach an online store.

The connection needs rules about what moves, which system owns the record and what happens if a step fails. Those rules are often the most important part of the work, even when the visible result looks simple.

Define the record and the reason it moves

Start with one record that staff currently move by hand. Identify where it begins, what needs to reach the next system and the event that should trigger the transfer. Decide whether the connection creates a new record, updates an existing one or only reads information.

For MTE Xpress, we developed invoice synchronisation between Shiplogic and Sage. The delivered solution includes review, retry and catch-up controls. This connects an operational task while giving the team a way to deal with records that need attention.

A store can involve several connections. BigBore’s online store works with payment, accounting, fulfilment and transactional email services. Each service has a different responsibility in the order journey.

Agree how the information maps

Two systems may describe the same thing differently. A customer number in one application may not match the other. A product option, delivery charge or invoice status may need a specific rule before it can be transferred.

Work through representative records with the people who use them. Include corrections and cancellations. Decide which system is authoritative for each important field, so that two-way updates do not keep overwriting one another.

• How will the connection recognise an existing customer or order?
• Which fields are required in the receiving system?
• What should happen when a value is missing or does not match?
• How will a corrected record be handled?
• Which changes should remain subject to a person’s approval?

Choose a supported connection method

An API lets software request information or an action from another service. A webhook lets a service send an event when something happens. Some integrations instead use scheduled checks or agreed file exchanges. The right method depends on what the providers support and how quickly the information is needed.

Check the access permissions, service limits and relevant subscription before agreeing scope. A product having an API does not establish that every function is available through it.

Event delivery also needs care. Paystack’s webhook documentation, for example, explains how events are signed and retried when they are not acknowledged. A receiving system needs to verify the event and handle a repeated delivery safely. That is part of planning the connection.

Make failures visible and recoverable

A connection can fail because access expires, a record is incomplete or a provider is unavailable. Agree where the error will appear, who receives the alert and how they can resolve it. Show enough context to investigate without exposing unnecessary customer information.

Retries need limits and a clear result. Repeating a request should not create another invoice or send another customer message unintentionally. Include a way to compare source and destination records so that missing work can be found after an interruption.

Test the connection and assign ownership

Use an authorised test environment and agreed sample records. Check ordinary transfers, missing values, duplicate events, service interruptions and recovery. Review the destination records as well as the integration’s success message.

Agree who maintains credentials, monitors failures and responds when a provider changes its service. Keep access limited to what the connection needs. Document how it can be stopped safely and how the business continues while it is unavailable.

What do we need to scope an integration?

Bring the system names, the record you need to move and a sample of the current process with private data removed. Tell us how often it happens and what a failed transfer would mean. Our integrations and automation service can help establish feasibility, responsibilities and a useful first phase.