Integration

• 2 minutes

Integration is the connecting of one or more parts or components of systems to create a more unified experience or to ensure a more consistent outcome of a process. Integration allows the use of existing services, internal and external, without having to rebuild or migrate existing functionality.

One of the many advantages to using Dynamics 365 applications is how simple it is to integrate with other Microsoft technologies to supplement scenarios where Dynamics 365 doesn't provide the needed capabilities.

For example, Dynamics 365 lets you attach and store files that are related to Dynamics 365 records in the application, but functionality is limited. It’s like attaching a file to an email, where you’re essentially making a copy of a document and attaching it to a record. No versioning or collaboration options are available. With the integration capabilities that interact with other technologies, you can use the document management capabilities of applications like SharePoint to provide enhanced functionality.

The most common built-in integration options that are available with Dynamics 365 include:

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• SharePoint
• Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft Power Apps

You can enable these integrations by configuration without custom development effort.

You can also develop different types of custom integration on projects to include:

• Process integration - Multiple disparate systems, with each system being part of an overall business function.
• User interface integration - Visibility of data from one or more systems, without bringing records of data into the system.
• Data integration - Combining data from different sources and presenting the user with a unified view.

The actual implementation of custom integrations can use many different technical approaches, including user interface (UI), file, APIs, Microsoft Power Platform, connectors, and other external extract, transform, load (ETL) tools. Each approach contains factors that you should be aware of as part of the project team.

You can group integrations as essential or convenient. Essential integrations are key to your project's success and ongoing operation. They often involve ensuring data integrity or participation in larger organizational business processes. They can also integrate services that augment the functionality of your core system and handle important logic. For example, an external service might be used to conduct credit scoring to determine whether credit will be issued for an order.

Convenience integrations help make the process easier for users or help improve their productivity. For example, a convenience integration might prevent a user from having to go into a separate application, which allows them to run the integration from within the Dynamics 365 application. While convenience integrations help save time, they also provide an alternate path that users can take to complete the task if the system is down.