Before requesting an API integration quote, describe what must happen to a business record from its creation to its final update. “Connect our website to the ERP” is a starting point, but it does not define the data, direction or failure handling a developer must estimate.
Identify the systems and their owners
List each application’s name, edition, relevant API documentation and business contact. Confirm whether your subscription includes the required API access and whether a test environment is available. Do not send passwords or live tokens in a general project brief; agree a controlled access process when implementation begins.
For each entity, choose the authoritative system. An ERP may own product availability while a storefront owns an initial order submission. Ownership can differ by field, but it must be explicit. Bidirectional synchronization without a conflict rule can overwrite a legitimate update.
Create a field mapping example
For an illustrative order integration, map the external order ID, line ID, product code, quantity, unit, currency, status and timestamps. Record required fields, allowed values, length limits and the meaning of blank values. Distinguish “unknown” from a deliberate instruction to clear a value.
Include anonymized examples of a normal order, a partial cancellation and an unknown product code. These examples reveal assumptions that a list of field names misses. Agree how identifiers remain stable if an order is edited.
Define when data moves
- What business event triggers synchronization?
- What delay is acceptable to the receiving team?
- How are updates, cancellations and deletions represented?
- What happens when several updates arrive out of order?
- Which service limits or scheduled maintenance windows apply?
Use the provider’s current documentation for delivery behavior and limits. A requirement such as “within the agreed operating window” is more useful when it names a measurable target and explains how exceptions are reported.
Design recovery as part of the scope
Specify which failures may be retried automatically and which need human correction. Reprocessing the same operation should not create a second business record. Keep a durable source identifier and agree how duplicate requests are recognized.
Provide an operator with a failed-record view, an understandable reason and a safe replay action. Log references and status changes without unnecessarily copying sensitive payloads. Name the team responsible for responding to alerts.
Write acceptance scenarios
- A valid record reaches the correct destination once.
- A missing required field becomes a visible exception.
- A temporary outage is recovered without duplicate orders.
- A later cancellation follows the agreed business rule.
- A reconciliation report identifies missing or inconsistent records.
Our API integration service covers connections between business systems. Share the system list, anonymized examples and expected outcomes via contact to make an initial discussion concrete.