Service integration is all about making different services work together seamlessly. For this to happen, you also need seamless integrations. 

According to Okta, companies with over 2000 employees use over 230 different applications across the business. This naturally creates a lot of service integration challenges.

I’ve helped hundreds of enterprise businesses define and implement service integrations. While the needs of every business are different, a few best practices set apart effective integrations from problems coming down the line. Let’s go through what you need to get started with your service integration strategy.

Service integration strategy vs. integration plan

A service integration strategy is a long-term plan to make independent internal and external services work well together to meet your business goals.

A plan is not a strategy. When I engage with businesses on the brink of integration chaos and ask about their ‘strategy’, I am often presented with a spreadsheet of technical tasks, tests, and migrations… rather than a strategic documentation of the goals, risks, and assessments of their intended work. 

Relevant goals turn a plan into a strategy. For some businesses, the service integration goals are defined by SIAM operating models. For other businesses, service integration goals come from clear business needs, such as the modernization of key services or outsourcing of non-core functions.

Whatever your business goals are, make sure to communicate them actively. Otherwise, your service integration strategy is simply an integration plan.

Why you need a service integration strategy

When you don’t have a clear service integration strategy, time, money and resources tend to disappear. 

You may find as a result that your IT team is overburdened with integration requests, services can not keep up with customer expectations, and you may lack visibility of the performance of your external service providers.

When your service integration strategy is aligned with business value, it’s easier to find resources and develop your service operating model.

Dimensions of integration strategy

Gartner has a good visualization of the different dimensions of business application integrations. Aim to keep a balance between different dimensions in a way that you can maintain and improve service capabilities.

‍‍

Architecture and Technology
choices lay the groundwork for future adaptability and growth. This calls for a careful selection of frameworks, platforms, and prepackaged solutions that align with both immediate needs and long-term vision.

‍

Governance, Delivery Model and Skills
ensure that the integration process is managed with precision, striking a balance between centralized control and the agility afforded by bimodal or self-service approaches. 

‍

Business Drivers
— innovation, agility, efficiency, and insights— are each a pillar that sustains and propels the strategic value of the integration.

Functional Requirements
—the use cases, operational modes, design patterns, and complexity management. These are the tangible metrics by which the success of integration is measured and experienced by users and stakeholders alike.

‍

Nonfunctional Requirements
—flexibility, extensibility, scalability, reliability, manageability, security, and compliance. These attributes form the invisible shield that protects, sustains, and scales the integrated systems amidst the evolving business landscapes and regulatory environments.

How to develop your service integration strategy

There are as many good ways of developing a service integration service as there are businesses. Every company has their own resources and needs. Still, I can share a few best practices to follow.

An effective service integration strategy doesn’t need to be detailed to be impactful. It balances the key elements of people, processes, and tools in harmony in a way that clearly aligns with your business objectives.

Consider including the following elements in your service integration strategy:

1. Define clear integration objectives

A smart service integration strategy starts with defining the problem you are trying to solve.

• Do you have specific service management tools you’re looking to integrate?
• Do you have multiple internal and external service providers that you need to align?
• Do you need to combine information from legacy or self-built tools with your service desk or CRM?
• Do you need more visibility on service levels or vendor performance?
• Do you get flooded with an influx of integration requests from your business?

Whatever your data integration objectives are, make them clear as the goals in your integration strategy in a way that communicates their value to the business.

2. Assess your current integration landscape

Take a hard look at your existing services and technologies. Identify what’s working well and what’s not. Your strategy is a good framework for driving change.

Many service functions are burdened with technical debt. Make sure your integration strategy gives a forward-looking view of which services will better serve your customers now and in the future.

This evaluation will serve as your foundation, helping you pinpoint gaps and areas for improvement.

3. Choose the right tools and platforms

It’s not difficult these days to find tools or platforms for integrations. On the software comparison website Capterra there are profiles on over 750 integration software solutions, including ONEiO.

When you’re evaluating options, keep in mind how flexible they are for service integration needs and how much resources you plan to commit to maintaining the integrations. 

Here are common service integration solutions:

• Point-to-point integrations
• Integration platforms as a Service (iPaaS)
• Integrations through ITSM portals
• Integrations as a Service

Not all service integration tools are created equal. Some might excel at cloud integration but falter with legacy systems. Do your homework and select tools that align with your objectives and technological environment. 

4. Prioritize scalability and flexibility

Business needs evolve, and so should your integration strategy. An effective service integration strategy should consider the services vendor landscape and business requirements of your business today and in the future. 

5. Foster a collaborative culture

Integration is not solely a tech initiative; it's a business strategy. Ensure all stakeholders, from IT to marketing, understand its importance and contribute to its implementation. As an IT leader, it’s your job to sell this fact to your organization.

When you update service integrations, you may change the way people work. Be sure to consider change management and training to ensure your service delivery is not disrupted.

6. Iterate and improve

Finally, remember that perfection is a moving target. Continuously monitor your strategy’s performance and be ready to tweak it as your business grows and new technologies emerge.

A strategy is not a to-do list. It can be improved over time as business value drivers develop and your capabilities improve.

In summary

Many businesses face the challenge of ever-changing service integration needs. While you can’t predict the future, you can equip yourself with a future-proof service integration strategy that aligns with the goals of your business.

Service integration is not just a question of integrating tools and processes. When used strategically, it can be a way to modernize your business data landscape and improve the quality of service to your customers.