Integrations

System integration with 3rd-party software and data sources refers to the capability of a system (e.g. a web portal application) to connect to, communicate with, and exchange data or commands with external systems, services, or data stores (e.g. CRMs, accounting systems, databases, authentication services, payment gateways, APIs). The integration can be unidirectional (read or write) or bidirectional (sync back and forth).

The goal is to allow the system to:

• Reuse or leverage existing data (customers, transactions, metadata) instead of duplicating or re-entering it
• Automate workflows that cross system boundaries (e.g. when a record is updated in System A, trigger actions in System B)
• Maintain data consistency and reduce manual syncing or “swivel-chair” operations
• Provide a unified experience for end users, hiding complexity of multiple systems
• Be extensible and interoperable, rather than isolated or siloed

In more formal terms, it is about interoperability, API orchestration, data transformation, and connector design.