This article is part of the Getting Started: Integrations help series.
In the general integration process, we stated that data usually flows from System A, through Bosbec, to System B. While we would, in a perfect world, be able to simply forward data as it is received from System A, this is rarely sufficient in real-world integrations.
Instead, Bosbec often acts as an intermediary layer where data is evaluated, adjusted, and prepared before it is delivered to System B.
This processing step usually addresses one or more of the following areas:
Enrichment
In many cases, data from System A does not include all the information required by System B.
Enrichment can involve actions such as:
- Fetching additional data from System A or from other systems by additional requests.
- Finding corresponding references or identifiers between the systems.
- Adding data such as dates, totals, or similar metrics derived from System A’s data.
Filtering
Not all data coming from System A should necessarily be sent to System B.
Filtering is commonly used to:
- Exclude records that have already been processed.
- Limit processing to specific statuses, categories, or types.
- Prevent unnecessary exports or duplicate actions.
By filtering data as early as possible in the workflow, you can ensure that only relevant data continues through the integration, reducing load on both System B and Bosbec and reducing the time it takes to process the data.
Transformation
Even when System A and System B represent the same business concepts, their data models often differ.
Transformation is used to:
- Restructure data into a consistent internal representation within Bosbec that can be reused when modifying and building upon your processes.
- Convert values, data types, or field names.
- Prepare data structures that can later be mapped cleanly to the format expected by System B
These data transformations help ensure the integration and workflow remain understandable and adaptable over time.
Performance and limitations
Your workflows also play an important role in protecting both System A and System B from unnecessary load.
Processing logic often needs to account for:
- Rate limits or request quotas imposed by System A or System B
- Large data sets that should not be processed in a single execution
- Repeated lookups of static or slowly changing data
By identifying and handling these constraints within Bosbec, the integration can remain stable and predictable even as data volumes grow.
Coming up
In the next section, we will take a look at how to send the data from System A to System B.