As BAU Integration I am responsible to coordinate and oversee the integration process for new merchants and partners.
And this is a few problem I am facing as BAU Integration, and how I handle the cases.
Problems
System Issue, Connection Issue and Integration Issue?
As a BAU Integration, we encounter different types of issues, including connection issues, system issues, and integration issues. The differences are quite clear:
- Connection Issues: These arise from network connectivity problems between entities. In such cases, we need our partners to check the connection by using tools like
telnetorcurlto our server. - System Issues: These occur when the system is already integrated but encounters errors due to the server being down or in maintenance mode.
- Integration Issues: These happen when there is a missed payload request or a missing flow in the integration process. For example, integrating a payment API but failing to implement the check status flow.
This distinction helps us address and resolve the specific issues effectively.
A limitation because the API is not accessible for public
As BAU Integration, we sometimes need to assist partners in testing our applications or services. This can be challenging when our internal services are not exposed to external partners. To make the testing process more efficient, I wrap the internal service to be accessible through the Telegram API.
For example, if we need to generate a payment token for a partner and the payment token service is not exposed to them, I host the Telegram API on my local computer. This makes the token generation accessible to the partner, allowing them to test the services effectively.
Knowledge every partner is different
As BAU Integration, we interact with a diverse range of partners, each with unique characteristics and varying levels of understanding. Some partners grasp information quickly with just one explanation, while others require repeated instructions to fully comprehend.
To address this variability, we ensure that our API documentation is as detailed as possible. Additionally, we create FAQs for each Business-As-Usual (BAU) API to provide partners with easy access to common questions and answers. This approach helps accommodate the different needs of our partners and ensures smoother integration processes.
Maintain the Integration Quality
To ensure the integrated system with our partners meets all quality standards before going live, we require partners to pass a quality checklist for every BAU API. We also conduct SIT (System Integration Testing) or UAT (User Acceptance Testing) sessions, both online and offline, to verify that all requirements are met. This thorough testing process helps minimize integration issues and ensures a smooth release.
Conclusions
As BAU Integration specialists, we handle connection, system, and integration issues by providing clear documentation and FAQs for partners with varying levels of understanding. To overcome the challenge of internal services not being exposed, we use the Telegram API to make testing tools accessible. This approach ensures effective communication and smooth integration processes with our diverse range of partners.