System integration is the engineering process to join all sub systems into one big system is such a way that every part can communicate with each other and flow process coherently and by reducing complexity to run a system smoothly. Previously, systems and applications from providers need a custom coding and point to point integration, it needs constant maintenance and after making such efforts, in every software update and change in a process, break the entire integrated system.
Now, vigorous integration solutions are a reality. This makes possible for technologies to communicate quickly with each other and retrieve data value rapidly from large database. The time span for complex system integrated products is now reduced.
Products need to add new processes into existing product to add a key value when it is expanding. Many different functions working in separate systems that do not communicate or share data, processes to get in touch and sharing data and to be on one phase becomes costly and time consuming, to reduce time and cost we do system integration to get the business process on one platform.
- Lack of communication
- Integration may increase in cost for complex project
- Complexity in integration revolve around API’s
- Lack of liabilities.
Benefits of system integration
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Magnifying productivity
Changes can be made from various applications from anywhere instead of entering manual changes in located system. Changes are automatically transferred in between systems to get better processes, minimizing errors and smoother systems.
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Efficiency
With system integration, the team will work more efficiently to make an enterprise system more efficient, improve quality rather than making system to be in work enabling mode only.
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Easy decision making
By using integrated system, it helps in decision making as every data is being tracked by one system.it enables business grow in every field as everything can be seen from one window.
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Secure
With system integration, there is high security of data and less number of risks in loosing data or lose track of sub systems.
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Less costly
With integrated system, every data is sharing with in system, reduces costs unlike typical systems where each part works individually, requires cost to be on one phase, to make a decision as a whole system.
System Integration Methods
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Horizontal Integration
In horizontal integrations, the separate sub system is created as common interface layer that works as all other sub systems are connected with this single sub system to work as an interface between them which is called enterprise service bus(ESB) for every subsystem there is connection with this common interface layer. The main advantage to use horizontal integration is maintain functionality if any change or update happens it would not effect other functionalities, less costly, reduces time and efforts.
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Vertical Integration
In vertical integration method, the sub systems are created on the basis of functionalities called silos every silo is linked with other on the base of how closer their functionalities are. The point of using this system is, it creates less number of sub systems but in other case if some functions needs to be processes, need to create other silo with different functionalities and have to link with other silos. This type of method is hard to manage for bigger systems. It is specific for small and limited products.
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Star Integration
Star integration is a system in which all sub systems need to be integration with all other subsystems means if five sub systems are in a system we need 20 point to point connection for each it makes a shape of star often know as spaghetti method. More integrated systems more number of integrations that increases significance and management becomes more demanding
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Point to point integration
Point to point integration system is known as one to one relationship as one system needs to be connected with other system as number of systems increases number of connections. Point to point connection is not used in complex system.
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Common data format
Integration of different systems needs the data to be shared in same single data format with in system. For this purpose we use common data format it allows to convert one data format to common data format to get sharing done in each subsystems. It requires high maintenance as the number of data transformation increase in each subsystem.
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