System Integrations

ICATC2100 Databases and Open Interfaces, suggested: TITE2140 Web Technologies, TITE2230 Enterprise Architectures

After the course student understands the role of system integrations function in a company, how system integration related decisions are made and how to manage system integration portfolio. Student also learns to identify system integration needs, which business has, and what kind of business benefit integrations can bring to company e.g. in a form of optimized and automated business processes. Student understands what is integration strategy and learns how to define it. He or she also understands, what kind of factors affect on the decision, if integration should be developed or not, and learns to understand risks releated to data and interface outsourcing. He or she will understand the purpose and process of master data management and meaning of data ownership. Student also learns, what kind of integration types, methods and technologies are available, what restrictions they have and how to choose the best for the purpose. He or she will learn basics of integration management process and integration security; how system integration recovery plan looks like and how integration service is monitored. He or she will learn data mapping and schema management and how to design integration which is traceable and robust. Student will also get to know new emerging technologies, which are changing the way how system integrations are designed and used.

Course develops process thinking, analytical skills, problem modelling and decision making. It also develops understanding how functional responsibility is divided between organization and organization units.Along with that comes understanding of trust, responsibility and transparency related to business ethics.

Material is provided in course Moodle. It consists of research articles and material provided by companies operating in integration business.

System integrations are important and becoming more important in a future, when processes become more automated. Every company acquisition, new vendor and new information system introduces a need to integrate and reorganize exiting integrations. Integration is a way to implement company vision about how it works and with whom. Operational performance requires diminishing operational work by automating it. This frees workforce to planning work.

Integrations between systems are invisible and they are located between organizations and their responsibilities. It is important that organization which manages the integration endpoint understands its responsiblity and how it is shared with other integrated endpoint. This is especially important in the case of more complex integration having more than two endpoints. Because integrations are not part of any individual information system, course introduces how integrations can be utilized, designed and implemented.