Integration [EAI]
 
 
 
 
"Integrate Now!" - is the demand coming from corporate management at present. Many businesses future success depends on efficient integration with other enterprises and departments. Using SOAP and XML technologies, integration of both legacy and new age systems is a simple and productive exercise - and often avoids the necessity to completely remodel legacy systems whilst providing a conduit for secure data sharing with other systems.
 
 
Integration
Most enterprises have experienced the need to integrate internal information systems with external businesses. Businesses that have integrated their ordering, manufacturing, and distribution with their suppliers and clients experience a host of benefits that can only come from working closely with your businesses partners. Benefits of integration include the ability to seamlessly perform JIT supply and demand, reduce on-hand stock, slash overheads, streamline business processes, and provide more efficient services to clients & customers. A simple example of integration
 
 
Simple Integration Example 
You have 100 customers that send you purchase orders via e-mail. Your staff have been under pressure to manually handle the purchase order e-mails and accurately enter them into your stock control system. A simple integration solution in this scenario involves custom developing a module to "modify" the way Microsoft Outlook behaves. The module can simply recognise e-mails that contain purchase orders, extract the information from them, and insert it into your stock control system. [see 3rd Party Integration for more information]
 
 
Enterprise Integration Example 
You have 1000 customers that place purchase orders with you enterprise on a regular basis. Your customers fall into three simple categories;
A) Very large purchasers that have sophisticated E-procurement systems.
B) SME's utilizing procurement systems that e-mail purchase orders.
C) Small enterprises that don't have facilities of a, or b.
D) Enterprises that need to order "on the road".
 
 
Solution for A)
Due to the considerable purchasing power of client A, you have little choice to either integrate with their systems, or "manually" use their external systems to do business with them. Integration in this scenario can be achieved by creating your own SOAP service that interacts with client A services. Because client A is a market player - the integration will need to done by your organisation and conform to client A standards.
 
Solution for B)
By using the example integration solution listed above [see above: "Simple Integration Example"], your businesses can easily integrate with client B without asking client B to change their systems. This is a loosely coupled integration method, however, is often very effective simply because you can achieve this without having to inconvenience your clients/suppliers. [see 3rd Party Integration for more information on 3rd Party Integration]
 
Solution for C)
Clients of type C do not have the sophistication of A and B, and likely use phone and fax to provide purchase orders. A simple online ordering portal for your enterprise can satisfy the needs of C without requiring C to perform any integration. The portal is ultimately integrated with your enterprises internal systems, creating a seamless solution that saves time and money for your business, clients, and suppliers. [see e-Commerce for more information]
 
Solution for D)
Implementation of an inexpensive wireless solution can allow mobile phone users to make orders for goods and services from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The wireless solution is integrated into your existing systems, providing a rapidly scalable, and cost efficient mobile commerce solution. [see Wireless Technologies for more information]
 
The solutions used above are over simplified, however, give you a reasonable explanation of how integration can help your enterprise to streamline efficiencies, reduce operation costs, collaborate with existing clients & suppliers, and improve your overall market position through offering enhanced services and flexibility. The purchase order examples used above are for demonstration, and the scenario can easily be transposed to a multitude of Business to Client [B2C] or Business to Business [B2B] scenario. In previous ANP Technology project, we have performed integration [as demonstrated above] using state of the art SOAP and XML technologies. [learn more about Enterprise Integration <Technical> <Non-Technical>]
 
 
What is SOAP?
SOAP (also known as Simple Object Access Protocol) allows the creation of web services which can be accessed by almost any information system written in almost any programming language. The SOAP service resides on an Internet server and receives a "request" for information from another system, the request may contain parameters such as "what is the price of ANP Technology Ltd shares on the ASX" (this process is also known as a Remote Procedure Call). The SOAP service will then search the relevant database or perform calculations, then send a response which contains the ASX share price for ANP Technology. SOAP services can be used internally by an enterprise to integrate multiple information systems, and also allow integration with external entities systems. SOAP also provides a platform for new business opportunities that utilise the sale of information and online services for businesses and developers on a global scale. Enterprises now have the opportunity to create their own Dynamic Business Webs (DBW's) which can encapsulate both internal and external business processes. [click here to learn more about SOAP]
 
 
What is XML?
XML provides a standardised method of exchanging data between previously incompatible systems on incompatible platforms. XML allows one system to easily describe the format of data being used, whilst a recipient system can "understand" the data using an XML Schema (description). Effectively, XML allows incompatible systems to share incompatible data by using the XML standard which is going to become an international standard in the very near future. [click here to learn more about XML]
 
Contact one of our consultants to discover how enterprise integration can help your business.
 

 

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