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Build an Application Integration Strategy

Level the table before assembling the application integration puzzle or risk losing pieces.

  • Even though organizations are now planning for Application Integration (AI) in their projects, very few have developed a holistic approach to their integration problems resulting in each project deploying different tactical solutions.
  • Point-to-point and ad hoc integration solutions won’t cut it anymore: the cloud, big data, mobile, social, and new regulations require more sophisticated integration tooling.
  • Loosely defined AI strategies result in point solutions, overlaps in technology capabilities, and increased maintenance costs; the correlation between business drivers and technical solutions is lost.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • Involving the business in strategy development will keep them engaged and align business drivers with technical initiatives.
  • An architectural approach to AI strategy is critical to making appropriate technology decisions and promoting consistency across AI solutions through the use of common patterns.
  • Get control of your AI environment with an appropriate architecture, including policies and procedures, before end users start adding bring-your-own-integration (BYOI) capabilities to the office.

Impact and Result

  • Engage in a formal AI strategy and involve the business when aligning business goals with AI value; each double the AI success rate.
  • Benefits from a formal AI strategy largely depend on how gaps will be filled.
  • Create an Integration Center of Competency for maintaining architectural standards and guidelines.
  • AI strategies are continuously updated as new business drivers emerge from changing business environments and/or essential technologies.

Build an Application Integration Strategy Research & Tools

1. Make the Case for AI Strategy

Obtain organizational buy-in and build a standardized and formal AI blueprint.

2. Assess the organization's readiness for AI

Assess your people, process, and technology for AI readiness and realize areas for improvement.

3. Develop a Vision

Fill the required AI-related roles to meet business requirements

4. Perform a Gap Analysis

Assess the appropriateness of AI in your organization and identify gaps in people, processes, and technology as it relates to AI.

5. Build an AI Roadmap

Compile the important information and artifacts to include in the AI blueprint.

6. Build the Integration Blueprint

Keep a record of services and interfaces to reduce waste.

Level the table before assembling the application integration puzzle or risk losing pieces.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 1-phase advisory process. You'll receive 4 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

  • Call 1: Uncover business drivers for integration

    Identify risks and issues, along with mitigation plans to help bolster the program, and define KPIs that will be used to measure the success of the program.

  • Call 2: Interpret your organization’s AI readiness assessment results

    Identify gaps that will need to be addressed in people, process, and technology as a plan is developed.

  • Call 3: Validate the requirements, architectural vision, and identify common integration patterns

    Accelerate implementation and promote consistency across the environment.

  • Call 4: Validate the gap analysis, initiative composition, and strategic plan

    Understand the resourcing requirements and constraints.

Authors

Stewart Bond

Robert D'Aurelio

Andrew Kum-Seun

Kylie Grace

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