Businesses used to buy different software solutions for their various needs, and although these solutions work perfectly for an individual computer or team, they create informational islands in no time.
Creating repetitious information and demanding manual updates is unmanageable and ineffective these days. Enterprise Application Integration is a process or a series of techniques to provide interoperability between different enterprise infrastructure systems.
Enterprises believe connecting a few applications to their data infrastructure is hard because they do not know how to do it. There is, however, a lot of contemporary technology that can support application integration without spending huge investments or work.
Application integration tools make it easier for different operations to communicate and work together. Data access and exchange are going on all the time during the process.
Database Integration:
In Enterprise Application Integration, the database integration strategy allows companies to use data duplication tools that help in identifying nonintegrated, duplicative data storage approaches.
EAI establishes shared solid storage or significant data architecture by offering policy controls for access to critical information is the key to EAI triumph.
Workflow Integration:
On the other hand, workflow integration is based on API (application programming interfaces) directories and records, service buses, or message queues. Every software has specific APIs; companies may need mechanisms to harmonize the data structures of these interfaces. It can also be executed by API brokers or buses themselves.
Types of Enterprise Application Integration
- Data Level: Process, methods, and technology of carrying data between data stores.
- Application Interface Level: Leveraging of interfaces disclosed by custom or packaged apps.
- Method Level: Share the business logic.
- User Interface Level: Packaging apps using their user interface as a common integration point.
Stages of EAI Process
The Enterprise Application Integration process is composed of multiple steps. To successfully integrate different applications in any enterprise, one needs to perform all the following steps.
- Understand Enterprise
- Learn the data layer
- Making the Meaning of Processes
- Determine Interfaces
- Know about different business affairs
- Learn the transformations
- Implement Integration Solution.
- Take essential performance tuning and optimization measures.
Importance of EAI:
Database and workflow integration is essential for companies to create a connected environment. Integrated enterprise applications provide a bird’s eye view of the whole organization.
Further, EAI strategy is vital to provide a fair view of customer interactions as you can know the following queries through it:
- How did the marketing team reach the opportunities?
- How did the customer convert?
- What are the offers made by the service team?
All these dealings become observable when enterprise applications operate together in different departments.
How Enterprise Application Integration Help Businesses?
Businesses use ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRMs (Customer Relationship Management), and a few more enterprise software to help operate their functions more smoothly. These programs help with sales & marketing, inventory management, and other tasks.
Yet, these applications do not always come up with an ideal solution to business challenges on their own. Companies need to use application integration technologies to share data across old and new apps.
Operating a large company is complex, due to which they separate and divide their work. Therefore, the organization’s leaders and managers can focus more on growth and resilience rather than day-to-day activities that would take up their time.
The question here is, how are companies going to do that?
Well, there is a simple solution which is implementing enterprise application integration.
It helps to exchange data across different departments and effectively resolve issues inside and outside the enterprises.
Here is how EAI helps companies execute better:
Improve Effectiveness
Enterprise applications provide valuable data that different departments can virtually use.
If there is sufficient data, each team can make better decisions that help their strategy and help them achieve their goals.
Moreover, it enables an organization to communicate quickly, reduce time on effort, improve functionality, maximize control, and increase efficiency. EAI enables businesses to identify and respond to opportunities. Enterprise applications can help companies address transformations in the market, supply chain disruptions, and more from a single interface.
This is achievable when all applications connect smoothly and allow the data to flow freely.
Identify Business Opportunities
One of the most heightened business benefits of EAI is that it allows companies to identify and respond to opportunities more quickly.
When the business processes are connected, teams can instantly recognize opportunities. Application integration ensures no possibility goes neglected.
Enterprise application integration strategy provides control over the data to different stakeholders. In this way, everyone can get an advantage from the same data. Moreover, there are more chances for employees and internal administration to bring an artistic transformation to the organization.
Enterprise applications can help businesses address changes in the market, supply chain disruption, and more, all from a single interface.
Simplification Of Business Processes:
The enterprise application integration approach combines different processes and creates a single interface for operations. It streamlines the IT processes and combines the infrastructure to optimize every process.
Data is always available, it has less wastage, and employees can efficiently connect to gain the desired results.
It also helps customers communicate and interact with different people in the organization. The interconnected system redirects customer requests to the department without any issue.
Your employees can better understand each process; customers can navigate effortlessly and reach the relevant person.
Making Informed Decisions
The outcomes of EAI are worth overwhelming. Enterprise integration architecture helps organizations to make informed decisions. Data quality is vital in making decisions that have a positive impact.
For instance, when the sales team can access data about every prospect, they can determine whether to reach out to the customers or not, establish interaction with the marketing people. EAI can also help them personalize the outreach to countless opportunities, eventually increasing their chances of shutting the agreement.
Satisfied Employee Experience
Last but not least, enterprise integration architecture offers the benefit of a better employee experience. When teams do not have to jump from one department to another, they can function better when looking for accurate and valid information. A centralized database of an EAI allows every worker to access data without any constraint with authorization.
Data access becomes more accessible and helps employees to save time and focus on a more productive job.
Employee satisfaction boosts the teams to become more reliable and take ownership of their actions.
How Our EAI Services Help?
Integrated approaches for business applications have become a luxury and necessity. Companies grow by automating their different software systems, which is only achievable when complete connectivity is achieved.
When executed correctly, Enterprise Application Integration truly allows companies to reap the full benefit of their software investments. Enterprise Application is acquiring popularity among businesses and organizations globally. HazenTech offers agile EAI services to increase organizational capabilities and enhance individual performance.
Furthermore, our application integration also gives a competitive edge over competitors because it allows for more functional and efficient productivity. EAI is also an excellent resource in reducing investment costs and work time.
Get in touch if you need a consultation about an IT challenge or ask for an application architecture assessment for your company; HazenTech is here to help you with the entire EAI process.
Transform your business digitally today with HazenTech.