Gather requirements – an argument for identifying use cases

Use cases are an essential tool in software development. A use case is a scenario that describes how a user interacts with an application or system to achieve a particular goal.

In this article, we will explore how to leverage use cases when integrating applications.

In the context of application integration, use cases emerge after you define your integration requirements, identify integration points, and design integration workflows.

Developing use cases is an important first step toward ensuring that the integration meets your organization’s needs and delivers timely value. They help to focus your efforts on the most critical requirements, streamline the integration development process, design effective integration workflows, test and monitor integrations effectively, all while extracting the most value from your business applications. 

Define integration requirements

First, identify the different applications that need to be integrated and the data that needs to be exchanged. This preparation helps you to make sure that integration efforts are focused on the most important requirements.

Identify integration points

“Integration points” describe the different interactions that need to occur to sync data in two or more applications, including the data that needs to be exchanged and the triggers that initiate the flow of data. By defining these integration points in advance, you will have a better understanding of what is being accomplished in each use case, which will in turn streamline the integration development process.

Design integration workflows

By describing the steps required to achieve a particular integration goal, use cases will form the blueprint around which you design integration workflows. A workflow includes defining the sequence of events that needs to occur (before, during, and after the integration) and the field mapping required to ensure that data is properly transformed and exchanged between applications.

Test integrations

Use cases can also form the core of an integration’s test plan by describing the different scenarios that need to be validated. The full process includes testing the integration components, data mapping, and workflows. By testing integrations according to the use cases, you can identify and resolve issues before they become problems in production.

Monitor integrations

When deciding how to monitor your integrations, again return to the descriptions of the different scenarios that need to be monitored in your use cases. Plan to monitor trends and events such as data flows, system performance, and error logs. By monitoring integrations based on your use cases, you can identify and address issues as they arise, ensuring that the integration remains functional and effective.