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Tips for the scoping process

The first step when planning a new integration is to clearly define the scope together with the client.

But the client might not know what they want. In such cases the integration partner can often help the client to head in the right direction by asking the right questions.

We have put together a list of common questions for the scoping process, which can be useful in getting a client to think about their integration needs:

  • What data do they want to transfer, from which applications?
    • If the app is not already supported on Canvas you may ask if they know a technical contact person for the API. You may also contact ConnectMyApps regarding adding support for the app on Canvas.
  • Which application will be the master for the data?
  • Is the transfer one-way? Or will a separate workflow transfer some data back the other direction?
  • What are their expectations for the integration? (ask for “user stories”, business goals)
  • Will the data be transferred once (just created), or will there be a continuous synchronization (updates and deletions)?
  • How will data be matched between applications?
    • For example, for employees, will they be matched by employee number? Or email address?
    • For other data items, will there be a unique ID in each system that can be used to link objects?
  • How will fields be mapped?
    • If the integration is completely new, a mapping table must be created with input from the customer. For example, you may provide the customer with a spreadsheet listing the fields in the source application, and ask them to fill out the corresponding fields in the target application. The customer probably does not know the name of the fields in the API, but this can usually be deduced by a technical person reading the description, and by asking some follow-up questions.
  • Discuss testing and verification of the logic.

It can also be a good idea to ask the client to create a Canvas account, and show them how to add the applications themselves (so that you avoid handling their credentials).