Step 1: Define and Delimit the Problem The ultimate success or failure of your business integration depends on how clear you are about the problem you are trying to solve. You can only succeed if you understand the scope of the problem, the components involved, and the deployment parameters. Before you start, it is therefore critical that you have a definition of the problem that is as clear and precise as possible. For example, a working definition of the example scenario could be the following: 1. EasyWare receives orders for computer hardware. The goal is to allow customers to place orders through a web site, and to allow later expansion for other ways to place orders. 2. Each order is processed by a customized order capture system built on top of an application server. 3. The business process receives the incoming order document via JMS. 4. Each order is automatically entered into the PeopleSoft Order Management system. Conversion to PeopleSoft format is required. 5. When the PeopleSoft Order Management system acknowledges acceptance of the order, it includes an ID for the order. 6. Next, the business process checks the shipping schedule, which is available from an external vendor’s web site. 7. If shipping is delayed, an email is sent to the customer. 8. Otherwise, the order is sent and all order information, including the generated Order ID and the shipping information, is entered into a Siebel system. The Siebel system creates a new customer service record based on the information.
