“Integrations” - The word alone can set engineers and project managers running for the hills. The problem is simple: data sits in multiple places but needs to be reviewed and processed centrally. The solution often seems difficult: mapping and integrating varying systems developed at different times can quickly lead to dizzying technical and legal complexity that leaves most heads spinning.

And yet: integrating systems promises significant productivity and quality gains and can be an important component of any transformation project.

In this blog post, we look to dispel the myth of the inflexible “Integration” and to show how creative thinking can help find simple solutions that deliver results without months of complicated engineering.

Dispelling the myth: there is no single concept of “Integration”

“Integration” is often thought of as a singular term with a singular meaning. The idea in most people’s minds is that an integration means you connect two systems perfectly such that all the data that exists in one system now also exists in another system. For example, making an update in your complaints management system also automatically makes exactly the same update in all other systems “integrated” with it.

The reality is that this conception of “integration” is only one view of a huge amount of different options — and coincidentally the approach that requires the most amount of work.

Towards Outcome-Based Requirements

The better way to approach projects in integrations is to start by thinking about the objective of the project: “what do we want to achieve?” or “what outcome are we aiming for?” should be the first questions, rather than simply starting with the over-inclusive assumption that all data needs to be constantly updated and merged across all systems.

Often, approaching this problem with an “Outcomes-first” lens leads to an identification of requirements which are altogether far less onerous and much easier to implement than a full on integration that syncs all data at all times.

For example, in order for case handlers to automatically generate a final response letter on the CourtCorrect platform using AI, it is not necessary to map and integrate all fields between CourtCorrect and your CRM of choice in real-time. It is entirely sufficient for this purpose to simply pull over all the complaint notes into CourtCorrect using a unique identifier for the complaint, such as the complaint reference. This means that a single, one-way API call can effectively achieve the objective of having nearly-full automated final response generation with a human in the loop, without requiring a complex real-time integration between all the aspects of both systems.

By approaching the integration problem with a focus on the required outcome, it is possible to significantly reduce the complexity and time necessary to “integrate” multiple systems — the scope of what needs to be done should be strictly limited to the business objective that needs to be realised.

Multiple Pathways Means Multiple Options

In addition to reviewing integration projects from the perspective of the required outcomes, another technique to explode the singularly onerous concept of “integrations” into the true multitude of nuanced options with varying tradeoffs it really entails, is to look carefully at the “pathways” that relevant data must traverse.

In essence, “integration” really means that data must go from one place to another place via a specific route. But the type of routes chosen can have a serious impact on the feasibility and timeline of the integration project.

An intelligent review of the necessary pathways for data is already inherent in our example above: here, complaint notes only need to traverse one pathway from the CRM system into the CourtCorrect platform. It’s a one-way operation pulling only specific types of data, rather than a catch-all and time-consuming integration that perfectly syncs all data across the systems.

To give another example in the opposite direction, sometimes it can make sense for CourtCorrect, as a software vendor, to come to where you already work. Some of our customers handle their complaints in generic customer service products, which offer a good base suite of customer service tools, but fall short when it comes to features allowing for the efficient and high-quality resolution of regulated complaints.

In this scenario, rather than pulling data from these tools, it can also make sense for the customer to install CourtCorrect directly as an app into the tool they are already using. By installing the CourtCorrect app within this system, the need to pull any data falls away, as the entire CourtCorrect tech stack is now available within and can operate on the data already available in the existing system. While the availability of this option depends on how extendible and flexible the existing system is, this option may provide a quick win that means a complex data synchronisation process can be avoided.

The Reality of the Enterprise Stack

The truth is that no two enterprise stacks are the same and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We work with companies who started receiving complaints even before the advent of modern automobiles, not to mention the computer or even the internet. As a result, the landscape of solutions and systems deployed in these settings is inherently fragmented and complex.

Still, the availability of the right data in the right place for the right person at the right time is an objective worth pursuing because it promises not only significant gains in efficiency and quality but also means that multiple tools can be combined to leverage their respective strengths into an optimised process.

We hope that this post sheds some light on the practicalities of solving the integration problem by ensuring that the complexity and scope of the project are limited to the desired objectives and are based on a careful review of the architecture and pathways available for implementation.

Are you struggling to get integrations right? Are you looking to gain efficiencies while boosting quality in your complaints operation? If so, we’d love to chat. Just get in touch, request a free trial on our website here or contact us directly at ludwig@courtcorrect.com