Overview
Before starting any integration, begin with a thorough discovery and planning process. Follow the "measure twice, cut once" principle—carefully validate your assumptions and verify your findings before beginning development work.
Planning Framework
Use the following framework to guide your planning process.
Core Integration Scope & Vision
Define your integration's purpose and boundaries:
How do you see the majority of users utilizing this system?
What does a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) look like for this integration?
Data Flow & Structure
Map out your data requirements and relationships:
Supported Data Flows: What data flows and what directions will the system support?
Which methods should the system handle (including delete operations)?
Transfer Conditions: Under what conditions would users expect each type of data to transfer?
Data Mapping: Does all data have a 1-to-1 relationship with an iPaaS.com Mapping Collection (data modules/records)? If not, how will exceptions be handled?
External ID Requirements: Does all data intended for transfer to iPaaS.com include external IDs that reflect unique identifiers from third-party records? Are these IDs visible in the UI?
Parent-Child Relationships: Have you identified which collections will transfer as children of parent records versus independently?
Child Data Transfer Strategy: For child data, what will transfer independently, as a child only, or both?
Example: Inventory may be transferred independently or as part of a product.
Example: Gift card sales or redemptions may transfer independently or as part of an order.
Related Data Handling: What's your plan for handling and linking related data? Are you transferring just products, or also categories, related products, etc.? Please ensure that you consider dependencies carefully.
System Interaction & Logic
Plan how your integration fits into the broader ecosystem:
Ecosystem Integration: How will this integration interact with other software in the iPaaS.com ecosystem?
Authentication Support: Does iPaaS.com support the authentication methods provided by the target software?
Duplicate Prevention: What's your plan for duplicate checking and collision handling?
Collision Handling: Consider collision handling methods for each data flow to identify which fields should be accommodated during development.
Child Object Creation: Plan for creating child objects in scenarios where they both exist and don't exist.
Event Sequencing: Identify prerequisite and post-handling events.
Example: Customers and Orders may have separate data flows, but an Order webhook might arrive before the Customer webhook. Should you build a prerequisite to transfer the customer before completing the order transfer?
Value Management: Do you allow all values being set to be unset? If not, is this documented?
Dynamic Functions: What dynamic functions will make your users' lives easier?
Monitoring, Troubleshooting, and Maintenance
Ensure your integration is maintainable and debuggable:
UI Troubleshooting:
Can you troubleshoot issues through the UI?
Are all errors and messages understandable?
Are all transferred fields visible?
Can record IDs be easily found in the UI or URL?
Logging Strategy: Do you have a plan for comprehensive logging?
Testing Plan: What's your testing strategy?
Pre-Development Checklist
Before beginning development, ensure you've documented:
User scenarios and data flows
Conditions triggering data transfer
Integration with other iPaaS.com software
Clear MVP definition
Data relationships (1-to-1, parent-child structures)
External IDs and UI visibility for troubleshooting
Authentication method compatibility
Comprehensive testing plan
Duplicate checking and collision handling strategies
Robust logging implementation
Handling of unset values
Dependent data management (prerequisites, post-actions, child object creation)
Marketing Considerations
During planning, give some thought and consideration to how you will differentiate from other integrations in the Marketplace? What pricing makes sense? What communication strategies can set your integration apart in the Marketplace?