Applied Integration

For a while, I have had a question on my mind that I couldn’t really find an answer to. I had almost forgotten about it but a friend brought up the same question and before I knew it I was giving him my take on it. Before I get to the question though, I want to write a little about integration.

Last release I was involved in building some functionality to integrate with one of our client’s systems. As I understand it, there are four prominent characteristics of integration that should be kept in mind when we decide to integrate systems.

1. Specialization
Integration arises out of the need for specialized systems to come together to attain a common goal.
Although each system can help in a unique way, none can achieve the goal by itself.

2. Communication
Integration is communication and all the rules of communication apply.
– Common language
– Interchange of information
The goal of communication is to get to a win-win deal.
Communication is feedback, well, at least most of it and this feedback is the basis of integration

3. Functionality on both sides

There is functionality on the other side. You are integrating with a system because it has something to offer. The goal is to leverage the information / knowledge / functionality on both the sides in a lesser amount of time than is required for any of the systems to attain the goal by itself.

If the Matrix is ever built (in a reasonable amount of time that is), it will be through integration of various specialized systems rather than all by itself.

4. Compromise
In order to communicate effectively, there is compromise required on both sides.
These compromises are mostly in the form of language & time.

I found myself using this understanding to explain my point of view to my friend. The question I was struggling with was,

If I do my job right, will everything work itself out?

I readily realized that this was stupid. However right I did my job, I couldn’t achieve anything in a reasonable amount of time. So I changed my question to,

If we all do our jobs right, will everything work itself out?

This seemed promising. But I realized that, my job is my specialization and that’s true for all of us and when working together, feedback is important for us to know that we are doing our job right. Without this basic integration we are hopeless.

Any team brings in integration of many specialized systems. Developers, BAs, QAs, Project Managers & Clients, for example, in a software development team. To take part in this integration, communicate useful feedback and leverage each other’s “special powers” by making necessary compromises is the only way to build the Matrix… Or for that matter a library management system.

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