Connect two systems so data is entered once
We build the connection between two of your systems, so an order, enquiry or invoice entered in one arrives in the other without re-typing, and a failure is reported instead of going unnoticed.
At a glance
- Typical price
- £5,000 to £12,000
- Typical duration
- 2 to 5 weeks
- VAT
- Prices exclude VAT
Who this is for
Businesses running two systems that each do their job, with a person in between copying data from one to the other. Orders are typed into the accounting package after being taken in the order system. Web enquiries are pasted into the CRM. Timesheets are re-keyed for payroll.
Re-typing is slow, and it is where errors get in: a transposed digit, a missed order, an invoice raised twice. It also depends on someone remembering to do it. Our page on systems that do not talk to each other looks at the wider problem.
What you end up with
A connection that moves the agreed records from one system to the other, either as they are created or on a schedule. Before any code is written we agree the mapping in writing: which fields go where, how customers and products in one system are matched to those in the other, and what should happen to a record that does not fit.
Moving data when everything is working is the smaller part of the job. The larger part is what happens when it is not. One system is offline for an hour. A record is rejected because a required field is empty. A password expires. A hand-built script tends to stop quietly at that point, and the first anyone knows is a customer asking where their order went.
So every integration we build includes four things. Errors are caught record by record. Temporary failures are retried. A person is alerted when something needs attention. A log shows what was sent, when, and with what result.
The acceptance checks cover the failure cases as well as the normal ones. They are agreed with the price, as set out under how fixed price works.
After go-live
The integration, its source code and its documentation are yours. Each project includes a short warranty period for defects against the agreed scope.
The two systems it connects will keep changing after that. Someone needs to watch the alerts and update the connection when a supplier changes their side. We offer that as a separate monthly maintenance arrangement that you can take or leave, or your own team can do it from the documentation.
Talk to us
Describe the system and what you need. You will hear back from someone who can answer technical questions.
Discuss this project 0800 433 7990What is included
- API or file based
- We use each system's API where it has one, and scheduled file import and export where it does not.
- Field mapping agreed in writing
- Which field in one system becomes which in the other, and what happens to values that do not match.
- Error handling
- A record that cannot be transferred is set aside with the reason, and the rest carry on.
- Retry
- Temporary failures, such as the other system being offline, are retried automatically without creating duplicates.
- Monitoring and alerts
- If transfers fail or stop, the people you name are told by email, so a fault is not discovered at month end.
- A log of what was transferred
- Every record sent, when, and the result, so a query can be answered by looking it up.
How the project runs
Check both ends
We confirm how each system can be reached and test access with real credentials before quoting.
Agree scope and price
A written scope with the field mapping, the rules for errors and duplicates, the acceptance checks and a single fixed price.
Build against test data
The integration is built and run against test accounts or copies before it goes near live data.
Run alongside the manual process
For an agreed period the integration runs while staff carry on as before, and the two sets of results are compared.
Go live
Manual entry stops and the integration takes over, with alerts going to the people you name.
What moves the price
- Whether each system has a documented API or only file import and export.
- One direction or two. Keeping two systems in step both ways is a larger job than sending data one way.
- The number of record types, and how differently the two systems describe a customer, product or order.
- How quickly data has to arrive: within seconds or in a nightly batch.
Not included
- Licence or subscription fees charged by either system's supplier for API access.
- Cleaning up existing data in either system, beyond what the integration needs to match records.
- Hosting charges and support after the warranty period. These are a separate monthly arrangement.
A good fit when
- Staff re-type the same orders, invoices or customer details from one system into another.
- Mistakes from re-keying are reaching customers or the accounts.
- Both systems are staying, and each does its own job well.
- An existing integration fails silently and nobody finds out until the figures do not match.
Probably not for you if
- A ready-made connector between the two systems already does what you need. We will tell you if we find one.
- One of the systems has no API, no import or export and no accessible database. We check this before quoting.
- The real problem is that one of the systems no longer fits the business. Connecting it will not fix that.
Questions we are asked
What happens when one of the systems is down?
Records waiting to go are kept and sent when the system returns, and the design prevents the same record being sent twice. If the problem continues past an agreed time, the people you have named are alerted.
What if a supplier changes their API?
APIs do change, usually with notice. The supplier-specific part of the integration is kept separate and documented, so a change is a contained piece of work. It can be handled under a maintenance arrangement or quoted when it arises.
Where does the integration run?
On a small cloud service or on a server you already have. We agree this in the scope. It does not depend on anyone's PC being switched on.
Can more systems be added later?
Yes. Each further connection is scoped and priced on its own, and reuses the logging and alerting already in place.
Do the suppliers of the two systems need to be involved?
Only as far as granting API access or confirming how their import works. We can deal with their technical documentation and support desk directly if you want us to.
Tell us about your system
Say what it does, what it is built on and what is worrying you. We will reply with what we would look at first and whether we are the right people to help.