Why should two Software Systems be Integrated?

Usually the need to integrate Enterprise Software Applications comes from the business side to improve usability and to reduce waste.

An example could be a hospital which has a Hospital Information System (HIS) for managing the patients demographics data like patient Id, name and address. In addition the hospital has for example a Surgery Planning Software which also has patient demographics data. For the clinical user it doesn’t make any sense to waste time and re-enter the same patient details into a second system. So often these systems are integrated to each other to avoid re-entering data.

System integration should start with designing business processes that are efficient and create the best usability.

How to Design the Business Process

Each time two existing software systems are integrated or a new system is introduced it is an opportunity for change. In order to achieve a return on investment justifying the procurement of the new software system or the integration of two software systems it is crucial to lead the process change properly.

It is essential to involve someone who is representing the end users and knows the current way the systems are being used. Often there is an admin user who is involved in the day to day activities and knows the current process who can be involved.