Companies today are looking for the best way to adapt to the demands of the context and satisfy customers. For this, systems integration appears as an indispensable process. The aim is to find the best orchestration between all the physical and virtual components of an organization’s system.
On the one hand, physical components consist of the various machine system, computer hardware, inventory, and others, while virtual components include data stored in databases, software, and applications.
“The purpose of system integration is to mesh both groups in order to work in a geared way and simplify all processes.”
Definition of system integration
System integration is one of the steps that make up the process of digital transformation of a company. It allows companies to have access to more reliable and relevant data to evaluate, among other things, the performance of their services and the satisfaction of their customers.
An integration project can include the following steps:
- The design and development of information systems architecture
- The implementation of communication systems between the different application solutions (so that they can transmit all the information).
- Application and software development
- Technical maintenance
A company’s information system is often regarded as its “backbone”, both efficient and scalable. That’s why everything closely related to its design must be the subject of strategic thinking before the project starts.
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Importance of System Integration
The information system is of paramount importance in the strategic process of any business. In fact, it is the thing that enables all the actions related to data management: collection, storage, processing and shared use… as many steps as possible through a set of resources covering material, human and technology.
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With both an operational and strategic role, the information system, beyond its “operational” function, has a real social dimension by allowing the various actors in a company to have the information they need in real time and in the right format.
When properly operated, the information system saves time and costs by automating processes that were previously done manually but also optimizes business performance by improving customer relationships.
“The integration of information systems is today one of the main challenges facing companies. In a context where data, processes and actors are constantly changing, it is sometimes very difficult to make everything work together.”
System integration makes it possible, in the long term, to respond to the different needs formulated by companies:
- Obtaining automatic processes and therefore reducing errors that can be made during manual processes.
- Consolidating data by being able to cross different types of information between them: by linking data between them, the company has more visibility since it obtains global statistics more easily.
- Reducing efforts and costs by grouping all information in one medium, rather than having to enter this information into each application.
This is why, more than technical problems, these are strategic problems that are behind any integration project. For the company, it’s about finding the best possible equation between business-related needs and the software capabilities that are put at its service.
Real example: American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business (GBT) is a multinational that manages flights in around 140 countries. Every day it receives more than 3 million messages and more than 100 million calls, which requires correct handling of information. And although it seems humanly impossible, they did it.
How? They designed Global Trip Record ™, which works based on the philosophy of system integration to capture in a single server all the reservations made from around the world, storing the data in real time.
GBT used their systems and focused on microservices, so that they can be used in an organized way, with balance and tolerance. In this way, the company’s high volume of calls and messages was mastered.
American Express Global Business got their connection systems to have a single point of entry. In this sense, a connected architecture was built and orchestrated in the microservices with WSO2 Enterprise Integrator, which remains active all the time.
WSO2 Enterprise Integrator
WSO2 Enterprise Integrator transforms the message after passing it through about 30 microservices. This allows you to handle hundreds of messages and transactions every second, depending on the needs of the company, ensuring total elasticity without overload.
This system includes a git code to register the codes; a Jenkins server to activate the construction; SonarQube to verify vulnerabilities and errors.
During the process, CAR files are produced and the ESB image is extracted before a final Docker image is obtained and published in Nexus. Finally, OpenShift extracts the image to meet the request.
GBT does not use a government registry in its architecture, as is often the case with similar products. Instead, it is a customized solution for government registration, limiting the number of instances and technologies.
This solution has an open-source philosophy and allows high levels of flexibility, which brings great benefits to companies.
WSO2 Enterprise Integrator is part of GBT’s comprehensive systems strategy, helping millions of customers live an optimal travel experience.
If you also need help integrating your company’s services, Chakray, WSO2’s premier global certified technology partner, is a perfect alternative. Contact our consultants!
