Integration Is A Bridge To Innovation And Business Value

Today's business technology landscape has a lot in common with world geography. The same way time has shaped Earth into various continents and regions separated by rivers, mountains and oceans, software vendors, technology and time have split the business software landscape into multiple architectures.

For centuries, civil engineers, architects, transportation planners and ship builders have recognized the importance of connecting separate regions of the world with technologies such as bridges, canals, mountain passes and shipping routes.

Like a bridge across a river or like a canal across an isthmus unlocking economic value, an integration between two business systems unlocks business value.

Charles Bridge in Prague connects the Prague Castle with Old Town. Photo by +Dharini Ramakrishnan 

There are two ways of looking at integrations between two business systems. The first way is to consider it an expense and ignore it or reluctantly do the absolute minimum. The second way to is to consider it a bridge to new ideas, innovations, productivity and enormous business value. Fortunately, most organizations I work with think of integration between business systems as a bridge to ideas, innovation and business value.

Integration is also a pretty exciting and challenging field. The personal and economic rewards are phenomenal. Have you noticed that some of the best engineering marvels, not to mention some of the most beautiful structures, of the world are bridges and canals. The picture above is of Charles Bridge in Prague. It connects the Prague Castle with old town.