Integration strategy checklist

Define business goals

Done?	Task
✓	Write down the goals and benefits of the integration in a way that the business can understand.
✓	Make sure the integration supports the organization's short-term and long-term goals.
✓	Explain the integration architecture, systems, and integration points clearly and simply.
✓	Make sure that everyone involved knows the purpose and scope of the integration.

Done?	Task
✓	Help the organization understand the difference between cloud and on-premises platforms and where they connect.
✓	Decide whether to use an integration middleware or a messaging service.
✓	Make sure that the integration platform or middleware can monitor, audit, notify, and alert as needed.
✓	Make sure that the integration platform or middleware has the expected level of security, availability, and disaster recovery.
✓	Make sure that all parts of the integration platform or middleware can use application lifecycle management (ALM) and version control tools.

Done?	Task
✓	Make sure that each integration design fits with the overall integration architecture.
✓	Avoid sending or storing data that isn't needed in the solution.
✓	Compare and contrast the options and benefits for each of these aspects: User interface look and feel, data, process integration, and Dataverse.

Done?	Task
✓	Design integrations that use reliable, asynchronous messages to exchange data.
✓	Choose a pattern that matches the expected amount, frequency, and service protection limitations of data exchange.
✓	Determine realistic estimates of how much it will cost to run the services, platforms, and storage involved and how it will change over time.

Done?	Task
✓	Plan to test each integration for user experience and performance under realistic conditions, including before, during, and after the data exchange.
✓	Plan to test the end-to-end process for each integration pattern according to the recommendations for data volume, frequency, and service protection limitations.
✓	Manage any changes that are related to integrations in a way that supports the business goals.
✓	Analyze how integrations affect other processes upstream and downstream.

Start your integration project by defining your business goals and aligning them with your cross-system requirements
Learn how to choose a platform that can handle the storage and transfer of large amounts of data across different systems
Explore the different types of integration scenarios and how to choose a design that suits your needs
Discover the integration patterns available with Dynamics 365 apps and what factors to consider when choosing a pattern
Find out what challenges you might face when integrating systems and how to overcome them with best practices
Learn about the aspects that are specific to each Dynamics 365 app and how to integrate them with other solutions
Read how a public sector infrastructure organization learned how to choose the right solution for their integration project