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Third-party integration: guide, benefits and examples

Angelika Agapow
Angelika Agapow
Content Marketing Specialist
November 10
9 min
Table of Contents

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you’re always looking for ways to boost your company’s productivity. One way to do this is by integrating third-party systems with your workflow. This can help improve communication and collaboration between team members. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best ways to integrate third-party systems into your company’s operations. We’ll also share some tips on how to make the process as smooth as possible. So, if you’re ready to take your business to the next level, keep reading!

 

What is third-party integration?

Third-party integrations are connections between two or more apps that rely on an external platform. The features of these platforms make them convenient for building large-scale integrations and often provide unique benefits such as scalability not found in natively built ones. Third-party integrations are a great way to build new solutions in less time. They give you the opportunity for third-party APIs that will automate certain processes and make them easier, ultimately saving developers valuable development hours.

Integrations like this are a great way to expand your product’s capabilities. Third-party API providers offer a list of additional features, which can be combined with the built-in ones for even more functionality. Think about how easier it could be if someone had made all these tools available before you started developing. In this article, we go over what third parties bring and provide some excellent tips when choosing external systems that will suit any needs – whether big or small.

Third-party software integration and devices

Integrating third-party software with your device can be done in many ways, such as through APIs or app stores. Device integration means adding external data to existing projects using different devices and application program interfaces (APIs).

Third-party software is a great way to get your new solution up and running in record time. You can take components that are already available, instead of writing all the code from scratch. It’s also good because it will connect any device with this particular program so you have easy access at hand no matter what kind or model may be necessary for each project, saving both – money spent on developing devices as well as operational expenses associated therewith when trying multiple types simultaneously.

 

What is API?

The API (Application Programming Interface) is the interface between two pieces of software, which enables them to communicate using definitions and protocols. Interfaces are essential in maintaining the relationship between two applications. They allow for requests and responses that define how each application communicates with its counterpart, which can be a kind of agreement on service terms or contract-based trade.

For example, the weather app on your phone “talks” to a database of daily data via APIs and will show you what’s forecast for today. The importance here is not only understanding what kind interfaces provide but also why they’re so important when developing software.

APIs are the lifeblood of any modern application, giving developers access to all sorts of functionality. The word “application” can refer specifically to apps that have been built using this software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other – such as an app with a distinct function like social media platform- but it’s more often used when discussing how these functions will be utilized by other pieces in order make something work better together.

The API documentation is an invaluable resource for any developer who wants to use the platform. It contains detailed instructions on how requests should be formatted and responses returned, so you can rest easy knowing your data won’t get lost.

 

Third-party APIs

Third-party APIs and your project cost If you want to add third-party integrations, be aware that this will increase the final price of any app. The more features an integration has in common with other apps on market today means a higher development bill for coding them all up – so it’s important not only to think about what exactly needs to be done but also how much time we’re willing to spend crafting each individual module.

Hiring the right developer is essential. You have to make sure your app works seamlessly with third-party APIs. You’ll need someone who has the knowledge of all required integration points, and it’s important that they do their research before beginning the work on any new feature or update so you don’t end up in a situation where one thing breaks due to another party having changed its API without notifying anyone else involved – this would be very frustrating for both parties.

Implementing a complex API will require extra work, especially if you want it done right and on time. That’s why we’re predicting an increase in costs for those who take this step – but don’t worry, our experts say that most companies can still afford these improvements as long as they know what their needs are.

 

How to integrate third-party’s API?

Software integration challenges don’t have to be a common experience during 3rd party QA testing. In fact, the right 3rd party integration testing procedures in place can alleviate any issues that often arise during the third-party application testing process. Follow these best practices in this API testing tutorial so that your third-party software testing practices prevent problems before they occur.

 

#1. Building the product and gaining the knowledge prior to testing

When testing third-party applications, it is important to test them in context and not just on your product. There is always the chance that issues with the app will be filed as product bugs. This can slow down your time-to-market drastically and affect how long it takes before you actually get started integrating them into production systems.

The best way to ensure that your QA team is always up-to-date with the latest knowledge of all domains is to create an in the depth library filled only with detailed resources. Training sessions can also be run regularly across every member of staff so they will always be up-to-date as the topic is changing constantly.

 

#2. Verifying proper communication between the product and the app

Integration is a vital part of your product, so it’s important to test before releasing new features or updates. When testing third-party application we sometimes run into issues where there is no connection to the backend of an app because there was no support offered by the platform or when third parties don’t give access rights on certain levels within software programs.

 

#3. Checking functionalities – integration and upgrading

Check out your third-party application’s functionality before and after integrating with the system. This way, you can make sure there are no negative impacts on how things work in terms of workflow or features for this particular product.

Integration issues are a huge pain point for software companies, and they often arise after upgrading either your product or an external third-party application. Features start disappearing or breaking down with the update.

The best way to avoid issues after an upgrade is by fully testing it before release. This includes performance regression tests, security checks, and performance evaluations on your application with all new third-party integrations that may affect how you use them both online or offline.

 

Why third-party integration is so important?

Great software is often built in-house, but what if you want to do more? Imagine your favorite app or program without the crucial feature of enhancing its performance.

Instead of developing a new piece of software, consider integrating an existing third-party add into your system. This way you can take advantage and use this feature while avoiding any potentially costly development projects.

An integration like this is the addition of external data to your business app through an API. The goal with this type of programming style would be that one application can talk directly into another, rather than having multiple applications on hand at once which could slow down performance or cause compatibility issues when trying to transfer information back and between them.

The use of third-party software is becoming more popular in the coding world because it can add new features without taking up time or resources. For example, if you want to create an app that provides online services but has limited code space available on your own laptop then using APIs might just work out better than building everything from scratch.

Third-party software integrations offer a way to save time and money by incorporating features you don’t have the resources for. Third parties are essential in developing your own product because they can provide powerful tools that attract new customers as well.

 

What are the chief benefits of third-party integrations?

Let’s see in a brief overview what are the main advantages of this type of integration:

 

Faster production

Third-party integrations are a time-saver. You can spend less of your day writing software codes, which means that you have more opportunities for other development activities like marketing or training employees.

 

Cost reduction

With increased development time, you can enhance your app’s unique features to meet user expectations. With the money you saved, you start with a basic but useful project and make it bigger than ever before.

 

Combining better features

By integrating third-party software into your app, you are able to offer customers a world-class experience. Integrating these solutions with the current features of the product allow you not only to provide more value but also increases its credibility in front of customers’ eyes.

 

Better user experience

Third-party integrations are a great way to make your application more appealing. They improve the user experience as well since it will be easier for users with these features integrated into their accounts or devices.

Check our case study about integrating machines on the production line with ERP systems.

 

Integrate third-party systems to boost the company’s productivity

Integrating with third-party systems will help you work more effectively. It’s important to keep track of your data across different applications, but doing so can be difficult without integration happening on both ends.

Imagine how quickly you could approve invoices if they were all automatically matched with their corresponding purchases. This is where rule-based systems come in handy. With one simple search, your business will be able to see which orders require payment and when those payments need to be submitted. For example, instead of manually searching for a product owner in the database or file cabinet, you can create an automated workflow that will integrate with your accounting software and identify any discrepancies. Isn’t it great?

You can learn more about how it works, by reading our case study about ERP systems integrated with POS.

 

Summary

Integrating your business with other software is not always easy and can take some time. That’s why many businesses turn towards APIs, which provide an easier way of integrating into different products much faster, however, the main thing is that integration with a specific piece of technology can often solve your business problem. As we mentioned before, there are plenty of great options for the usage of this type of integration and there are many more! If you have any questions, you can contact us and we will discuss your project. You can read more about the pros and cons of system integration in our previous article.

Angelika Agapow
Angelika Agapow
Content Marketing Specialist
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