Describe the business event first
An integration should connect a business event to an expected result. For example, an approved order in your application might create an order in an ERP and return a reference number. Specify when that should happen, which fields are required, and who handles a rejected order. A statement such as “connect the CRM” is too broad to estimate or test reliably.
Identify the source of truth
Decide which system owns each record and field. Customer addresses may be maintained in one place while payment status belongs elsewhere. Define how changes flow and what happens when records are edited in both systems. Agree stable identifiers rather than matching everything by a name that can change. Document field mappings, formats, time zones, and optional values with representative examples.
Check access and provider constraints
Confirm the API features are available on the customer’s subscription plan and whether there is a testing environment. Review authentication, permitted scopes, request limits, and provider documentation. Use test data for development and keep credentials out of source code and enquiry messages. Assign responsibility for renewing access and responding when an external provider changes its API.
Design for retries and partial failure
External requests can fail after one system has already made a change. Define how duplicate events are detected, which operations can be retried safely, and how unresolved failures are surfaced. A payment notification, for example, should not create a second order when it is delivered again. Add reconciliation so the team can identify records that were missed or only partially processed.
Test the operating process
Validate happy paths, invalid inputs, expired access, duplicate events, and provider downtime before release. Decide which logs are needed for investigation without exposing confidential data. Give operations staff a clear way to see failures and request recovery. Accept the integration only when both the data flow and the support process work for the people responsible for it.
Your discussion checklist
- Business events and expected outcomes
- Field mappings, identifiers, and source-of-truth rules
- API plan, test environment, permissions, and limits
- Duplicate handling, retry rules, and reconciliation
- Failure alerts, recovery steps, and ownership
Turn your requirements into a clear next step
Share your current workflow, what you want to improve, and the questions you still need to resolve. Dynamic Edge can discuss the scope and a practical starting point.
