System integration: Difference between revisions

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==Methods of integration==

'''[[Vertical integration]]''' (as opposed to "[[horizontal integration]]") is the process of integrating subsystems according to their functionality by creating functional entities also referred to as [[Information silo|silos]].<ref name="E-gov">{{Citation | last = Lau| first = Edwin | year =2005

| contribution = Multi-channel Service Delivery|title=OECD e-Government Studies e-Government for Better Government|publisher=OECD| place =Paris|pages = 52| isbn = 9789264018334 |oclc =224889830}}</ref> The benefit of this method is that the integration is performed quickly and involves only the necessary vendors, therefore, this method is cheaper in the short term. On the other hand, cost-of-ownership can be substantially higher than seen in other methods, since in case of new or enhanced functionality, the only possible way to implement (scale the system) would be by implementing another silo. Reusing subsystems to create another functionality is not possible.<ref name="Integ">{{Citation | last1 = Gold-Bernstein| first1 = Beth| last2 = Ruh| first2 = William A| year =2005|title=Enterprise integration: the essential guide to integration solutions|publisher=Addison Wesley|isbn= 0-321-22390-X}}</ref>

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The horizontal scheme can be misleading, however, if it is thought that the cost of intermediate data transformation or the cost of shifting responsibility over business logic can be avoided.<ref name="Integ"/>

'''Industrial lifecycle integration''' is a system integration process that considers four categories or stages of integration: initial system implementation, engineering and design, project services, and operations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Value of Data-Centric Execution Architecture in System Integration Frameworks for Industrial Energy Assets|url=https://www.vistaprojects.com/system-integration/|website=Vista Projects Limited}}</ref> This approach incorporates the requirements of each lifecycle stage of the industrial asset when integrating systems and subsystems. The key output is a standardized data architecture that can function throughout the life the of the asset.

A '''common data format''' is an integration method to avoid every adapter having to [[data conversion|convert data]] to/from every other applications' formats, [[Enterprise application integration]] (EAI) systems usually stipulate an application-independent (or common) data format.<ref>{{Citation|title=Aircraft/Store Common Interface Control Document Format Standard|publisher=SAE International|doi=10.4271/as5609a}}</ref> The EAI system usually provides a data transformation service as well to help convert between application-specific and common formats. This is done in two steps: the adapter converts information from the application's format to the bus' common format. Then, semantic transformations are applied on this (converting zip codes to city names, splitting/merging objects from one application into objects in the other applications, and so on).

==Challenges of integration==

System integration can be challenging for organizations and these challenges can diminish their overall return on investment after implementing new software solutions. Some of these challenges include lack of trust and willingwillingness to share data with other companies, unwillingness to outsource various operations to a third party, lack of clear communication and responsibilities, disagreement from partners on where functionality should reside, high cost of integration, difficulty finding good talents, [[data silos]], and common [[Application programming interface|API]] standards.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gulledge|first=Thomas|date=September 2002|title=B2B eMarketplaces and small- and medium-sized enterprises|journal=Computers in Industry|volume=49|issue=1|pages=47–58|doi=10.1016/s0166-3615(02)00058-1|issn=0166-3615}}</ref> These challenges result in creating hurdles that “prevent"prevent or slow down business systems integration within and among companies”companies".<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hvolby|first1=Hans-Henrik|last2=Trienekens|first2=Jacques H.|date=December 2010|title=Challenges in business systems integration|journal=Computers in Industry|volume=61|issue=9|pages=808–812|doi=10.1016/j.compind.2010.07.006|issn=0166-3615}}</ref> Clear communication and simplified information exchange are key elements in building long term system integrations that can support business requirements.

*== [[Cloud-basedBenefits of integration]] ==

On the other hand, system integration projects can be incredibly rewarding. For out-of-date, legacy systems, different forms of integration offer the ability to enable real-time data sharing. This can enable, for example, [[Publish–subscribe pattern|publisher-subscriber]] data distribution models, consolidated databases, [[Event-driven architecture|event-driven architectures]], reduce manual user data entry (which can also help reduce errors), refresh or modernize the application's front-end, and offload querying and reporting from expensive operational systems to cheaper commodity systems (which can save costs, enable scalability, and free up processing power on the main operational system). Usually, an extensive [[Cost–benefit analysis|cost-benefit analysis]] is undertaken to help determine whether an integration project is worth the effort.

==See also==

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

* [[Artificial intelligence systems integration]]

* [[Category:SystemCloud-based integration]]

* [[Configuration design]]

* [[Continuous integration]]

*[[System in package]] and [[system on a chip]]

* [[Enterprise application integration]]

* [[Integration platform]]

* [[Integration Competency Center]]

* [[Integration platform]]

* [[Interoperability]]

* [[Modular design]]

* [[Multidisciplinary approach]]

* [[System of record]]

* [[Systems integrator]]

* [[Multidisciplinary approach]]

* [[Cloud-based integration]]

* [[System design]]

* [[System in package]] and [[system on a chip]]

* [[Modular design]]

* [[Connectivity Integrator]]

* [[Configuration design]]

{{div col end}}

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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:System integration| ]]

[[Category:Systems analysis]]

[[Category:Systems engineering]]

[[Category:Interoperability]]

[[Category:System integration]]