SIA 2 Prelim

System

Is a group of interacting or interrelated entities that form a unified whole.

Integration

the action or process of integrating.

Architecture

the complex or carefully designed structure of something

Information system (IS)

These projects begin for specific reasons—not by accident

Understanding the Origin

helps ensure better planning, stakeholder alignment, and success for a project.

Problems

Unwanted situations that prevent an organization from meeting its objectives.

Current

Existing and impacting users (e.g., system bugs).

Suspected

Possibly occurring but needs validation (e.g., lag during high traffic).

Anticipated

Predicted future issues (e.g., storage overload within a year).

Opportunities

Situations that offer the chance to improve business processes or add value, even when no immediate problem exists.

Common Opportunity Goals

Increase efficiency or productivity.

Reduce operational costs.

Improve customer experience.

Expand into new markets.

Directives

Requirements imposed by management, laws, or external bodies—must be followed regardless of internal conditions.

Directive Triggers

Industry regulations (e.g., tax compliance software).

Internal strategic initiatives (e.g., “Go digital in 1 year” company vision).

Global standards or cybersecurity mandates.

System Integration (SI)

process of bringing together various subsystems or components into a unified, larger system that functions as a coordinated whole

Organizations

They pursue system integration to enhance productivity, streamline communication between departments, and reduce the time and cost involved in manually transferring information

Determine Requirements

Identify business needs and integration goals.

Conduct Analysis

Study current systems and integration challenges.

Design Software Infrastructure

Define how systems will communicate.

Develop a Management Plan

Plan resources, schedules, and risk handling.

Design System Integration

Create a detailed blueprint for integration.

Implement the Solution

Execute the integration using tools and technologies.

Perform Maintenance Checks

Regularly monitor and update the integration.

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

focuses on integrating different enterprise-level applications to ensure seamless communication and workflow between them

Data Integration (DI)

is the process of combining data from different sources into a unified and consistent view, typically for analysis and reporting

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

is a standardized method of electronically exchanging business documents between organizations, such as purchase orders, invoices, or shipping notices.

EAI

especially useful in automating business processes that span multiple departments, improving efficiency, and reducing manual errors.

Connects enterprise applications for seamless workflow

DI

supports business intelligence and data-driven decision-making by ensuring that data from diverse systems is harmonized and accessible.

Merges data from various sources for analytics

EDI

widely used in industries like retail, logistics, and manufacturing to reduce costs, minimize processing errors, and improve the speed and reliability of transactions.

Enables electronic exchange of standardized documents

Conceptual Blueprint

System integration and architecture serve as a _________

User Needs and Organizational Goals

System integration acts like a proposal or design plan, aligning technical frameworks with _________

Civil Architecture

The discipline of system architecture is rooted in long-standing principles—borrowing ideas from __________

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

system, which helps organize, manage and, at the end of the day, use customer data.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

system is designed to manage all business processes and automate various backend or back office functions that need not be carried out manually.

Point-to-Point Integration

Direct connection between two subsystems.

Simple, low cost, and easy to set up for limited connections.

Star Integration

Multiple point-to-point connections between systems in a network-like structure.

Enables all systems to communicate directly, but can become complex.

Horizontal Integration

A central hub (middleware) connects all subsystems, avoiding direct interconnections.

Reduces complexity, easier to maintain, and scalable.

Vertical Integration

Systems are grouped into “silos” by function, with limited or no links to other silos.

Optimized for specific functions, simple within each silo.

System integration

is the process of connecting different systems, applications, or components so they function as one coordinated unit.

Clear Architectural Plan

Without a ___________, many organizations end up with isolated systems, creating inefficiencies and communication breakdowns.

Planning Phase

Ensures a successful, risk-minimized integration.

Requirement Gathering

Identify data, processes, and systems to connect.

Stakeholders: IT, operations, finance, and end users.

Example: Linking HR payroll systems with employee attendance software.Stakeholders: IT, operations, finance, and end users.
Example: Linking HR payroll systems with employee attendance software.

Feasibility Analysis

Check technical compatibility.

Assess costs, security, and compliance needs.

Architecture Selection

Point-to-Point, Hub-and-Spoke, Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), and API-based

Point-to-Point

Simple, but complex for many systems. 

• Works well for a small number of integrations but becomes messy as systems grow.

Hub-and-Spoke

Central hub coordinates communication.

• Each system connects only to the hub, not to each other.

Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)

Flexible middleware for enterprise integration.

• Great for complex, enterprise-level systems.

API-based

Modern, scalable, supports cloud and mobile.

• Uses APIs to connect systems, enabling scalability, cloud adoption, and mobile app integration.

Risk Assessment

Anticipate issues like downtime, data mismatch, or security gaps.

Downtime

Risk: Integration could cause the online store to go offline during deployment.

Mitigation: Schedule updates during low-traffic hours and use a backup system.

Data Mismatch

Risk: Product inventory counts in the warehouse may not match online store listings.

Mitigation: Implement real-time synchronization and validation scripts.

Security Gaps

Risk: API endpoints may expose sensitive customer data.

Resource Planning

Assign teams, set budgets, and timeline milestones.

Process phase

The ________ is the execution of integration.

System Analysis

Review existing APIs, data formats, and limitations.

Design

Create architecture diagrams showing data flow.

Development

Build integration scripts, APIs, or middleware.

Unit Testing

Component-level testing

System Testing

Full integration testing

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Real-world verification by end users testing

Phased

gradual rollout deployment.

Big-Bang

all at once deployment.

Maintenance & Optimization

Continuous monitoring, updates, and performance tuning