I need some advice on picking an integration platform for a large company. They have tons of different systems that don’t talk to each other well. There’s their main business software, customer management tools, warehouse systems, and some specialized apps for their industry. Plus people are still using spreadsheets for a lot of stuff.
We want to connect everything better without having to build custom connections for each system. That would take forever and cost too much.
What integration tools have you actually used in big companies? Did they work well or cause problems?
We’ve been checking out different options like MuleSoft, Dell Boomi, Zapier for simple stuff, Microsoft’s automation tools, Apache Camel, building our own with Node.js, and cloud platforms like Make or Tray.
What we really need:
Works with old systems that are hard to change
Doesn’t cost a fortune like some of the big names
Safe and can handle lots of data
Easy to monitor and fix when things break
Business users can make simple changes without always needing programmers
Good for companies that need to follow strict rules and audits
If you’ve dealt with this kind of project before, I’d love to hear what worked for you and what you’d avoid. Any mistakes you made that we should watch out for?
zapier’s actually solid for enterprise work - people sleep on it. works great for our mid-size company. yeah, it’s not muletsoft-level robust, but it’s way cheaper and our business users can handle it without bugging IT all the time. we go hybrid: zapier for simple stuff, custom apis for the heavy legacy integrations.
The Problem: You’re migrating from a monolithic integration approach to a more modular and scalable system, aiming to avoid the high costs and complexities of enterprise solutions like MuleSoft while maintaining robust monitoring and error handling, and allowing for some business user involvement in simpler tasks. You need a phased approach to integration, starting with critical data flows and gradually expanding, leveraging API gateways and potentially newer, more cost-effective integration platforms.
Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):
Many companies initially attempt a “big bang” approach to integration, trying to connect all systems at once using a powerful but expensive enterprise integration platform. This often leads to budget overruns, extensive development time, and a complex system that is difficult to maintain and troubleshoot. A phased approach, prioritizing critical integrations and utilizing API gateways, offers several advantages: it reduces initial costs and complexity, allows for iterative learning and refinement, improves risk management, and facilitates better monitoring and error handling. Over-reliance on single, complex solutions leads to vendor lock-in, reducing flexibility and potentially increasing costs in the long run.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Establish an API Gateway: This is the crucial first step. An API gateway acts as an intermediary between your integration platform and your legacy systems. This decouples your integration platform from the internal complexities of each system. You can use Kong, AWS API Gateway, or similar solutions. This step allows you to standardize communication, improve security, and manage access control, reducing risk when dealing with potentially fragile legacy systems. The API gateway also allows for easier future scaling as you add more systems and integrations.
Prioritize Critical Data Flows: Identify the 2-3 most critical data flows within your organization. These are the integrations that have the most significant impact on business operations. Focus your initial efforts on these key integrations. This will provide tangible results quickly, demonstrating value to stakeholders and building momentum for future phases.
Select an Integration Platform: Based on your prioritized data flows, select an appropriate integration platform. For mid-sized companies with a need for lower costs and some business user involvement, consider platforms like Zapier (for simpler integrations) or newer, more cost-effective solutions like Digibee. For more complex scenarios, consider evaluating open-source options like n8n for better control and scalability.
Implement and Monitor: Implement the chosen integrations, paying close attention to error handling and monitoring. Establish robust logging and alerting mechanisms to ensure that issues are detected and addressed promptly. Regularly review the performance of your integrations and make adjustments as needed.
Iterative Expansion: Once the initial critical integrations are stable and performing well, gradually add more integrations, following the same process of prioritization, implementation, and monitoring. This iterative approach allows you to learn from each iteration, refine your processes, and minimize risk.
Realistic Business User Expectations: While some platforms offer low-code capabilities, business users should focus on simpler tasks like triggering workflows and basic mapping. More complex tasks, such as error handling and data transformations, will still require technical expertise.
Develop a Rollback Plan: For every integration, create a clear rollback plan. This ensures that you can quickly revert to the previous state if an issue arises, minimizing downtime and disruption.
Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:
Underestimating Complexity: Even with a phased approach, integration projects are complex. Allocate sufficient time and resources. Avoid underestimating development time and potential unforeseen challenges.
Ignoring Security: Ensure that all integrations adhere to your organization’s security policies and comply with all relevant regulations. Proper authentication and authorization are critical for every integration.
Lack of Monitoring: Robust monitoring is crucial for detecting and resolving issues promptly. Invest in a comprehensive monitoring system from the outset.
Insufficient Training: Provide adequate training to both technical and business users to ensure that the integrations are used effectively.
Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help!
We used Dell Boomi for three years rolling it out across manufacturing and retail. The biggest win was their pre-built connectors - saved us tons of dev time versus building custom integrations from scratch. For legacy systems, we paired Boomi’s database connectors with scheduled batch jobs since our older systems didn’t have APIs. Worked great and kept us compliant since everything gets logged and audited automatically. The monitoring dashboard is solid. When stuff breaks, you can spot bottlenecks and failed processes fast. Just a heads up - there’s definitely a learning curve. The interface feels pretty overwhelming at first. Biggest downside? Vendor lock-in is real. Once you’ve got dozens of integrations running, switching platforms becomes a nightmare and costs a fortune. We locked into multi-year contracts for better per-connection pricing, but now we’re stuck with whatever they decide to do with pricing and features. For budget planning, don’t just look at their base quotes. Factor in professional services and ongoing maintenance - that’s where they really get you. The implementation and support costs add up fast.
I managed a similar integration project a couple of years back and opted for Microsoft Power Platform after evaluating MuleSoft and Boomi. The key advantage was our existing Office 365 licenses, which made Power Automate significantly more cost-effective than other enterprise solutions.
One lesson I learned is to prioritize your most crucial data flows instead of starting with easier integrations. While we secured quick wins by integrating simpler systems first, we faced challenges later when dealing with the more complex legacy ERP systems due to our initial approach.
For legacy systems, it’s essential to implement a robust middleware layer. It’s important to acknowledge that older systems often require custom connectors or API wrappers, but you can still centralize monitoring through the main platform.
Regarding business user access, it’s a bit challenging. Many platforms advertise low-code functionality, yet you typically need a technically savvy individual to create the initial templates and address any errors. We trained power users in various departments to modify workflows, but the more complicated tasks were still managed by the IT team.
Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):
Step-by-Step Guide:
Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:
Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help!