Why most system integrations fail (and how to avoid it)

Integration projects rarely fail because the technology is hard. They fail because two teams never agreed on what a "customer" is.

Start with the data, not the API

Before anyone writes a line of code, map the fields that matter on both sides. Which system is the source of truth for an address? What happens when a record is deleted in one place but referenced in another? Answer these first and the build becomes routine.

Design for failure

Networks time out. APIs change. A good integration retries safely, logs every message, and never silently drops a record. If you cannot answer "what happened to this order at 14:03 yesterday?", the integration is not finished.

Keep humans in the loop

Automated does not mean invisible. A simple daily summary of what synced, what failed and what needs attention gives your team confidence in the system.

Ship small, ship often

One entity at a time. Get contacts flowing reliably before you add invoices. Each small release is easy to test, easy to explain and easy to roll back.