If you’re looking for an in-depth exploration of process integration that goes much further than a quick process integration definition, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ll be diving into the ins and outs of the subject, including giving use case examples and exploring why it’s useful for businesses to opt for process integration.
You may have also heard about Robotic Process Automation (RPA), as RPA and process integration are closely linked. An example of RPA lies in screen scraping, which lets programs analyze visual data from a screen and translate it into data without the need for humans to re-enter that information.
OpenLegacy offers a screen integration that uses the same underlying process via an RPC (Remote Procedure Call), but we’ll get to that later.
First, we have to lay down some groundwork and explain what the main topic here is all about.
What is process integration?
Before we define process integration, it’s important to mention that it’s also referred to as “BPI” or “business process integration.”
With that said, process integration is all about making your internal workflows and processes as seamless as possible.
This happens by creating connections between people, data, and applications in ways that make it easier to coordinate internally for the best results. You can achieve this using application integrations that help your apps “talk” to each other instead of operating separately, which makes for a more streamlined user experience.
There are multiple different kinds of process integration, as we’ll explore shortly. The most important thing to know is that they all focus on streamlining and improving processes for your business’s benefit.
Process integration use cases
Now that we’ve answered the question “what is process integration?”, it’s time to look at some practical examples. The following process integration uses are common and helpful to a wide variety of companies.
Plus, each of these examples lets you go from asking, “how does process integration work?” to knowing exactly how to use BPI to benefit your enterprise.
Transforming green screen interfaces to provide a better UX
User experience is absolutely crucial when it comes to process integration because part of the main aim is to make things much smoother on the users’ end.
This is why it’s so important to know that process integration can help you get rid of legacy “green screens” with ease.
These interfaces were a modern invention roughly 20 years ago and are no longer suitable for providing modern user experiences. They’re text-based and hard to navigate, especially for newer businesses and startups without tons of experience in tech.
With OpenLegacy, you can instead get access to a 360-degree customer view that connects these legacy green screen systems to modern digital interfaces that are both easy to use and highly compatible with other modern tech solutions.
After Credicorp achieved such a view, they found that their API performance went up by 300%. Credicorp also found that with all of their customer information in one place, they were able to solidify their place as a market leader in their industry.
Connecting sales systems to inventory management
Efficient management is a constant and ongoing challenge, especially when it comes to staying on top of developments in your inventory.
You can use BPI to connect sales with inventory management or ERP systems, allowing you to automate any changes that happen as items are ordered. And that can be a lot of changes, including marking a previously available item as sold, indicating that a customer has changed their mind for the fourth time today, and more.
OpenLegacy makes it easy to keep track of complex data, including changes that happen to it. That’s why BigID uses us for their sensitive data management, showing that our solution is a great choice no matter what kind of information you need to manage efficiently.
Making complex supply chains more efficient
Another common use case of process integration is in helping to reduce the clunkiness of complex supply chains. For example, you can integrate many different kinds of systems involved with complex manufacturing supply chains, from procurement and manufacture to distribution and beyond.
This helps you get more items out in less time while ensuring that you’re able to spot any issues in the supply chain before they have the chance to grow into bigger problems.
The end result is a more efficient business that can fulfill plenty of orders and continuously boost its bottom line.
Types of integrated process solutions
Next, we’ll discuss the different kinds of solutions you can use when you’re working toward process integration. That’s because there’s a lot more to this than simply finding the first thing calling itself process integration software.
In fact, these three different types of BPI are suited to diverse requirements, budgets, and systems.
Native integrations
Perhaps the simplest approach to software integration is to find solutions that come with native integrations. As the name implies, these are built into software, giving you native access to them.
An example of a native integration would be a feature that lets you access your Gmail account from within a different app that’s not connected to or run by Google.
A major advantage of using native integrations is that the software provider offering integrations has taken care of any compatibility problems for you. In our Gmail example, you won’t have to wonder whether Gmail works in your app because the app’s developers have taken care of this for you.
One drawback is that not all tools offer the kinds of integrations you’ll need, so your selection may be limited based on where you can get your preferred integrations.
API integrations
APIs, or application programming interfaces, are another useful tool for facilitating process integration. That’s because APIs let software solutions “talk” to each other.
If you’ve got software that needs to exchange data with other software, you’ll want an API integration as these create a kind of bridge between the tools.
API integrations can help you connect more complex software where native integration isn’t possible. It’s good at letting you continue to use both tools separately while still connecting them and preventing the formation of data silos.
A notable advantage of these integrations is that they’re useful for a wide variety of different software tools, so you can keep building new and more complex hybrid solutions using API integrations. This helps with creating better experiences:
Third-party software integrations
It’s also crucial to consider integration software solutions, as these will often fill in the gaps left by native and API integrations.
Third-party integrations are great at helping you build integrated, all-purpose tech stacks that cover every one of your software needs. They make it easier than ever to create a company environment where all processes are interconnected and never isolated.
When you’re using third-party integrations, be sure to opt for a provider that’s been careful about compatibility. Third-party integrations are only as good as their developers make them, meaning they can let you down if you choose one that’s good on paper but not so great when put into practice.
On the other hand, well-made third-party solutions have the power to transform your approach to BPI. So all in all, it’s still an option very worth exploring, as long as you do your research.
Benefits of process integration for businesses
Of course, it’s well worth exploring the major advantages of process integration for businesses that choose to adopt it. The effort has to be worth it, after all, and we’re going to walk you through the exact reasons why it is.
Breaking down data silos
These have come up a few times already, and that’s because data silos can very quickly go from “minor annoyance” to “major threat” within companies that don’t tackle them quickly enough.
Data trapped in silos rapidly becomes outdated. It’s unable to connect with other sources of data, meaning it can also form the basis of decontextualized thinking and decision-making based on an incomplete or skewed picture.
Thankfully, process integration makes it much harder for data silos to form in the first place. When all your processes are connected to one another, the data they gather and work with is also connected, which helps break down silos and prevents new ones from cropping up.
BPI also encourages seamless communication between departments by improving cross-departmental cooperation in projects. That means it’s got to be good at interconnecting different parts of your company, which further reduces silos.
Improving operational efficiency
It’s hard to make a business work efficiently when every department, team, and individual is caught up in their own isolated workflows. That’s why process integration is essential.
With BPI, you get to ensure that everyone’s working together smoothly toward a common goal. Whether you do this using a central hybrid integration platform or a different solution, BPI will help you promote organization-wide teamwork by streamlining workflows.
You can also use BPI to iron out problems in common workflows, optimizing and fine-tuning them until they’re at their best. This naturally supports greater operational efficiency.
Plus, it’s easier to run an efficient business when everyone can easily check in on the assets and processes you’ve integrated. Here’s how it looks in OpenLegacy:
Remove time-consuming, menial tasks
Nobody looks forward to showing up for work and spending hours doing the same menial task over and over. With process integration, they can be automated instead.
Tasks like validating and verifying information, for example, can be fully removed from the schedules of human employees, which frees up plenty of time for them and ensures their morale is much higher.
It also helps get all of those menial yet important tasks done to the same high standard every time.
Foster innovation
In a similar vein, when employees aren’t stuck doing time-consuming work that can be automated, they’ll have the space they need to be more creative. This means they’ll be able to give input where it’s truly needed.
The end result is an organization that places much more emphasis on innovation and creative problem-solving.
Your employees will also feel more heard as a result. That’s because they’ll be able to give unique and original input more often, which you can then use to improve your business and alter your approaches in accordance with your employees’ ideas.
Integrate all your crucial systems with the help of OpenLegacy Hub
Process integration can help make your business more productive while encouraging your employees to thrive.
If you’re daunted by the idea of integrating and automating your internal processes, we do understand. It can seem like a lofty goal, particularly if you’ve been stuck with data silos and disconnected systems for a long time.
OpenLegacy Hub is here to help. As a hybrid integration platform it can aid you in connecting your legacy and native cloud-based systems to create seamless, efficient processes.
Get in touch today to learn more.
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