Marketing Automation Services: Custom Integrations
Most Common Custom Integrations
Customer Order Database (e.g. Webstore) case study
Customer Support Database (e.g. Oracle Service Cloud) case study
Community Database (e.g. Jive)
Financial System (e.g. NetSuite) case study
Homegrown SaaS (e.g. app.yourdomain.com) case study
Product Registration Database (e.g. Leadertech)
* Of course we do standard integrations as well, like CRM (e.g. Salesforce.com) and Webinar platforms (e.g. GoToWebinar)
Methodology for Custom Integrations
Strategy
- Define data requirements for different communications throughout the customer lifecycle
- Identification of all relevant databases housing customer information
- Create high level data architecture showing integration points
- Prioritize integration points
- Secure client approval on strategy
Requirements
- Review existing data structure in source database
- Identify fields to export and define transformation rules
- Define target locations in destination database along with overwrite rules
- If necessary, author data flow charts showing processing steps
- Determine method for data access in source database
- Secure client approval on requirements
Development
- Write functional specifications
- Secure client approval on tools to be used in data integration
- Conduct quick proof of concept to surface any end-to-end issues
- Write integration code
- Develop audit trail, versioning, backup, alert system & exception error logging
- Code review
- Developer unit testing
Testing & QA
- Convert requirements into test plan
- Secure test environment to replicate target system
- Perform bulk data testing
- Perform manual data testing – simulated User Acceptance Testing
- Provide test instructions and template to client for User Acceptance and approval to move into production
Wrap-up
- Deliver final documentation to client (requirements, flow charts, code, readme, etc.)
- Provide link to report that shows new data in target system