4 Ways an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) Fuels Efficiency

One of the major challenges that many companies face nowadays is cloud integration. As a rule, most enterprises are known for using multiple systems, each of them operating separately on a different platform, each playing a significant part but none of them integrated. In such a case, the company has all the chances not only to lose important data but also to create chaos in the business processes. Integration technology will serve here as a great solution to allow companies to control all their work infrastructure.

Defining iPaaS

iPaaS is a sort of conduit that links separate applications that companies use. The platform unifies all the existing information, allowing enterprises to integrate all their data.

iPaaS provides enterprises with data infrastructure along with all the tools for installing,  updating, and managing it. The vendor company sets all the required parameters, which can be either in the form of an API or pre-built connectors. Once all is properly installed, iPaaS gives its users an ecosystem where they can manage and modify all their workflow, internal processes, and operations. 

With the help of the platform, businesses can integrate existing applications and provide a more convenient solution for consumers. For example, a company provides customers with software that allows them to book and manage their appointments. After the software has already been developed, the enterprise realizes that clients also need to write their feedback and make online payments through it.

In order to meet customers’ expectations, the company can either redesign the software by rebuilding it with additional features or use iPaaS. The platform will allow a smooth integration of existing software with another one that provides options for leaving feedback and paying for services. The second option is cheaper, takes less time, and offers customers exactly what they are looking for. 

How to Use iPaaS

iPaaS is a great tool that can bring a number of benefits for the business. From things like integrating microservices to transforming existing data, iPaaS can be highly beneficial for improving all the processes and regulating workflow.

Integrating Microservices

Microservices include various applications that are divided with a purpose to help companies to achieve specific goals. Every microservice functions without any dependency in order to easily upgrade, add, or delete features. 

The vendors offer developers connectors that are already inbuilt and reusable that allows them to quickly come up with an API for supporting the architecture of microservice. For example, some companies integrate such services in order to look after their assets with the help of the system which is based on the cloud.  

Transforming Data

The process of transforming data includes its conversion into a number of formats. The company’s data, as a matter of fact, is normally presented in different formats but employees should be able to use it in a number of applications. When data cannot be processed in all the existing applications, it should be transformed and modified by mapping. iPaaS makes it possible to transform and use already transformed data across different apps. 

BMW, for instance, has recently unlocked its data to get an opportunity to connect many of their services. The company wanted to give its customers a one-of-a-kind experience on every step of their interaction with the brand: either when they browse online, visit a dealership, make a purchase or just enquire about a certain product or service.

Automating Processes

With the help of process integration, companies can automate various activities and processes in order to make the workflow convenient, transparent, and efficient. 

This process of automating business processes (BPA) is highly beneficial for numerous company departments, be it IT or HR, accounting, or customer service. When most of the daily tasks are automated, internal processes become faster and rather efficient. In order to implement BPA, businesses need an enterprise solution for integration that enables automation of many processes and decreases the complicacy of IT.

Tic:toc, for example, offers people an opportunity to take an immediate house loan, aiming to provide people with more control and less complexity. The company integrated all its data and implemented the automation of many processes with the help of APIs. Customers now do not need to provide countless information in order to receive information on the property. The system now needs only an address to come up with an estimate of the property value. The whole procedure of processing a home loan was reduced from several weeks to less than half an hour. 

Generating API

APIs enable the process of integrating information between existing systems from the backend. Interfaces make it possible to link software with other applications. Traditionally, application programming interfaces were manually coded which was costly, labor-intensive, and tiresome. iPaaS makes the process of creating APIs easier, eliminating coding. Now even those employees who are not tech-savvy can configure and install APIs.

Netflix, implementing its new strategy, used APIs which acted as gateways to allow external developers to build applications that they then used on their platforms.

Depending on the needs of the business, some iPaaS systems may fit better than the others, offering tools for transformation, integration, and scaling. Regardless of platform types, the benefits of implementing iPaaS are evident. It helps to link all the applications and systems for a smooth and efficient workflow and process organization, eliminating mistakes, and offering an optimal customer solution.