Aspirant Blog

Questions to Ask Before Application Integration

Written by Ryan Mangis | August 19, 2024

When it comes to application integration, there's no shortage of questions that can leave you feeling overwhelmed. But don't worry, we've got you covered! With our expert guidance, we'll help you take a deep breath and focus on the key questions you need to answer before embarking on your next project. Let's dive in and make your integration journey a success!

What are your application integration goals? 

If you want a seamless application integration, start by defining your project's goals. This will allow you to write effective requirements/user stories, understand the project's scope, and work towards achieving specific outcomes. 

  • Are you aiming to streamline business processes and workflows?
  • Improve data accuracy and consistency?  
  • Enhance existing functionality?

Having clear goals in mind will keep you focused and on track. Additionally, understanding the timeline of the project is essential for accurate resource and budget planning, as well as avoiding risky delays. By defining your goals and timeline upfront, you can ensure a more efficient and smooth application integration process.

 

What are your biggest app integration pain points?

It can be tough to pinpoint, but the three most common types of pain points include: complexity, data mapping, and security risks

Complexity comes from managing multiple systems, vendors, locations, people, and technologies. Data mapping, on the other hand, entails analyzing, identifying, and documenting how data flows through different applications. Also, security risks must be addressed: protect PII data, comply with regulations, and solve any authentication challenges. 

Once you've identified your pain points, make sure to communicate them to your application integration team. Early communication is key to addressing these issues as quickly as possible and ensuring a successful integration.

 

Who will be affected most by the application integration?

Application integration can significantly impact end-users, IT, business managers, and vendors. Therefore, it is essential to identify and address the concerns of all stakeholders to ensure that the integration is successful and delivers the intended benefits. 

 

Who will manage your new system moving forward?

It is important to ensure that there are adequate resources in place to manage and maintain the new system once the applications have been integrated. This may involve assigning roles to existing staff, recruiting additional personnel with specific skills, or partnering with an outside company, like Aspirant. Additionally, setting up a process for monitoring performance and user feedback can help ensure that the integration continues to meet users' needs as technology changes.

So before starting your application integration, ask yourself:  

  • Who will manage the new system moving forward?

  • Who will be your internal champion?  

Knowing these two things allow you to keep a clear line of communication when issues arise.

 

How Aspirant Can Help

Don't let the frustration of juggling multiple applications take a toll on your business productivity. Instead, integrate your applications to centralize data management and streamline operations with Aspirant. Use the form below to request a casual discussion with our team of skilled professionals about how we can help you achieve maximum efficiency.