System integration
Connecting two or more systems so that data moves between them automatically instead of being retyped by hand.
Glossary · Systems & integrations
An integration connects systems that each do their own job: an online shop and a warehouse, a CRM and accounting, an order form and a courier. Instead of copying data from one window to another, it is passed along automatically.
An integration is more than a link between two programs. Someone has to decide which system is the source of which data, how often it is synchronised, and what happens when one system does not answer or sends something unexpected.
A working integration needs looking after: systems are updated, their APIs change, and failures are often silent. Nothing breaks; the data simply stops matching. That is why it matters to agree in advance who watches it and who fixes it.