Definition
System integration is the overall project of connecting multiple separate systems (a CMMS, an ERP, control systems, spare-parts catalogs) so they function together as one consistent workflow, typically using APIs as the technical connection points alongside data mapping, configuration, and testing. It is the broader effort, of which an API is one specific building block.
Key facts
- The broader project of making multiple systems work together, not one specific connection point (that role belongs to an API).
- Typically involves data mapping (aligning how each system represents the same information) alongside technical connection.
- Success requires ongoing maintenance as connected systems evolve: an integration built once can break as either side changes.
- Poor asset master data consistency across connected systems is a common practical obstacle to successful integration.
How does System integration work in maintenance?
System integration involves the overall project of connecting separate systems, identifying what data or functions each needs from the other, building or configuring the technical connections (often via APIs), mapping data consistently between systems, and testing the combined workflow to ensure it behaves correctly.
What does System integration require?
An API is the specific, defined connection point that makes a data or function exchange between two systems technically possible. System integration is the larger project that uses one or more APIs, alongside data mapping, configuration, and testing, to actually make multiple systems function together as a coherent whole.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How are existing systems connected into a working workflow?
Through system integration: the overall project of connecting multiple separate systems, typically using APIs as technical connection points alongside data mapping and testing, so they function together consistently.
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