The Integration Engineer
When it just has to work.

Design patterns is a software engineering concept where abstract solutions to abstract but common problems are described, and used so that solutions to problems are consistent and dead ends are avoided.

Basically, there is an approach to solving a problem that is successful. Following the pattern creates a solution that works and is stable.

There has been “much ado” about this relatively new tool in software development, but its practical applications are result driven and show that this is a tool that is here to stay.  As integration Engineers we have a slightly different bent on software development, but we need to know how application developers think and more importantly, how they talk.

I recently came across a book on design patterns written by Steve Holzner.  Its called “Design Patterns – Simply” and can be found here.  His site is also pretty good and explaining the very basics of what design patterns are and what they mean.

Now, if we just had a design patterns for integration engineers.  Maybe a book called “Integration Patterns” or something…..

To paraphrase a quote from Frank Herbert’s Dune, “The Data must flow.”  And in the same sense that spice was the life blood of Arakis, the flow of data is the life blood of any e-commerce integration.  In the past I have talked about how RFID technology can be used to enhance the flow of data.  In an e-commerce supply chain it can give more up to date information as to where products are located, and thus what state they are in. (more…)

In the news, LANSA White Paper Tackles Supply Chain Synchronization.  I came across this on itjungle.com.  LANSA is a provider of business systems that are database centric.  You can register to get the whitepaper at this link.

But in a quick recap of what you will find in this whitepaper, Nahid Jilovec talks about the historical progress of B2B and some of the triumphs, roadblocks, and challenges that B2B as faced over the years.  But then he goes farther and describes Supply Chain Synchronization as containing three phases; Connection, Communication, and Collaboration.

I admit that during the first few pages it was reviewing things that I learned first hand, but would be a good introduction to someone new to B2B integration.  But then he goes farther and describes some more advanced tactical and strategic ideas that are worth the read.

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Do you have some Supply Chain News or Product that should be shared?  Or do you use an integration tool or service that other should know about?  If so, please send me a note with a link or reference to news@theintegrationengineer.com and I will try to blog about it here.

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Looking for innovation in Supply Chains isn’t hard to do, and it can have a great impact on the efficiency and therefore profitability of a business and market.  One place that greatly impacts the success of an integration is the desire to  build something new and sexy.  I rant sometimes about companies or development teams I have seen go down this path to their own detriment.

But today I want to tell you about a company I heard about that has created new efficiencies through integration efforts of a part of business you may have thought was already integrated.  The company is  INTTRA.  And instead of coming up with an untried technology, INTTRA used a combination of existing technologies to do something new. (more…)