Custom integration is often required to help your business integrate your website, software, systems, or platforms with each other to meet your unique needs and specifications. A good example is a custom integration between your website and back-end systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) functions.

Below are some common examples of situations that may require custom integration:

• Do you need to connect a legacy ERP system running on a 20-year-old server in your basement to a public form so that users can easily submit support requests through your website? Use a custom website integration;
• Do you have an Excel spreadsheet that you’ve been running around for years with all your locations and you want to display them on a map, but don’t mind easily updating your listing like you’ve always done? You need a custom website integration;
• Do you need to provide your customers with data stored in some obscure standalone database? Add a custom integration.

How custom integrations work

Here’s where “custom” comes into the equation. Every integration is different, and in most cases, creating the code required to build a custom integration requires the expertise of a skilled developer.

That’s why you’ll likely need a trusted web design and development partner who can assess your needs and help you achieve your specific goals.

An experienced website development firm will meet with key stakeholders in your organization, review and document your current website architecture, and design solutions to add the new features you’re looking for. This may include leveraging existing hooks and APIs (application program interfaces) in your current software solution or finding a way to export data from your software to a more universal format.

When your custom solution is developed, the ultimate goal is usually to not even know it exists. A properly built custom integration will become your silent partner; it runs in the background and does its job without complaint. It’s kind of like your robot butler that perfectly replaces the manual process in your organization and saves you hours every week.

This doesn’t mean that your custom integration can’t evolve; often you’ll find that once you automate one manual process, the other manual processes in your organization will seem old-fashioned and you’ll want to make more custom integrations.

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First, every business is initially aimed at increasing sales and expanding the customer base. Secondly, along with the increase in sales will require and more staff, which means increased investment in the sales department. As you can see, there are a lot of expenses, and it will also require a lot of time.

With a CRM-system these costs can be avoided! Implement CRM in your site – and you will automate all the work. Every action, even filling and registering orders will be done in two clicks. The operator will spend no more than two minutes on each order. This means that you can save on the number of employees, making every minute profitable. And this is important not only for businessmen who have been in business for some time, but also for those who are just starting out.

How CRM Qsystem Integration Works

The CRM system is quickly installed, synchronized with your website automatically or after a few clicks to confirm the integration. From that point on, the management of your entire business is in one place.

You will still have access to the functionality of your website, but after working with Qsystem CRM, you will realize that there is no need for website monitoring.

An order arrives on your site – it is immediately reflected in the CRM. In one click the operator processes it, then registers it, sends the order to the supplier or, if the goods are in stock, immediately arranges shipment via the delivery service chosen by the customer. At the same time, if orders are received by phone or e-mail – the system takes everything into account and distributes it to available operators or managers. All delivery notes, receipts, reports are generated automatically.

In SRM you can do the following:

• Manage both short orders and corporate transactions;
• Manage leads received from the site – this is not only receiving an application, but also tracking interest. That is, what the visitor viewed, whether the visitor received a catalog, whether he signed up for an email or SMS newsletter, and so on;
• Create a single database of counterparties and customers in one place, avoiding the disparate data handled by different operators. You can also segment the base, track their social media profiles and keep a complete history of communication. This helps personalize the service and speed things up;
• You can make calls, send SMS and e-mail directly from the Qsystem CRM in a few clicks, without having to log in to your e-mail system every time. At the same time, each e-mail can be “linked” to a specific customer, supplier or client;
• Plan your work and give individual assignments in a single organizer;
• Everything that requires urgent intervention will be reflected in the employee’s calendar, and the employee will never confuse his work with someone else’s and will complete it on time;
• Easily maintain documentation and all nomenclature according to established forms and templates in one system;
• Exchange product catalogs, orders and prices;
• In general, everything that you used to do in different systems: accounting, spreadsheets, catalogs, call processing and mailing programs – all this you can do through CRM Qsystem.

How to make a CRM-system on your website

To ensure that integration does not take up your time, does not slow down the workflow – leave an application on our website or call. Our specialists have extensive experience in integrating CRM-system into sites with any CMS and can customize the functionality to meet the specific needs of your business. We will not only automate all workflows, but also provide technical support if you need to maintain the system in the future.

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What types of integrations are there?

• E-mail is a service of communication between the user or administrator and the website;
• SMS – the user receives a login/password to enter the site or information about the status of his order (tracking number, delivery department, etc.) in the form of an SMS;
• Delivery systems – the ability to immediately calculate the cost of delivery without leaving the site, with a choice of branch and city;
• Payment systems – allow you to pay for the service without leaving your home. Delivery systems and payment systems are most often used by e-commerce sites;
• Product accounting system – allows you to combine a website with a centralized and unambiguously correct data warehouse in the final instance to facilitate work with the product;
• CRM is a system that helps to manage customer relationships. It includes programs for collecting customer data, managing operations, controlling performers, analytics, and forecasting;
• Custom integrations are software that is developed individually and tailored to meet rarely encountered needs.

With the development of technologies, these basic types of integration are becoming not just additional functionality but a prerequisite for the efficiency and profitability of online business. As a result, they make it possible to get a comprehensive and automated solution to the tasks set.

E-mail newsletters

Let’s take a look at the classic option of receiving email newsletters. Let’s say you were searching for something on the Internet and accidentally came to our website. It has a lot of interesting material on the subject, and you would like to read our articles regularly.

Of course, you can visit the site from time to time and search its depths for new materials. But there is an easier way – subscribe to the newsletter, and then new information will be sent to your email.

The user’s interest is understandable, but why does the administrator need it?

A properly developed integration greatly simplifies the work with newsletters: it automatically adds all new customers to the mailing list, subscribes to the trigger chain of the newsletter depending on the relevance to the user, and allows you to save the user’s address in the database for further scheduled mailings.

It is also convenient to track registrations or events on the site, create a customer base, and control requests.

A simple example is when a visitor requests a callback about a service or product that interests him or her. An e-mail message to the administrator signals the contact and helps to continue working with the client in a timely manner. The same happens with a request, the administrator receives a notification about the request by email, which makes it easier to control and further fulfill it.

SMS

SMS messaging is becoming increasingly popular among users. Indeed, it is more convenient to show the phone with the tracking number on the screen when receiving it than to print it out from the mail and then look for this sheet.

SMS is also often used for authorization on secure websites.

In addition to security considerations, this integration allows you to remind customers about yourself, inform them about promotions or discounts in your store, and gives you the opportunity to show concern for customers by congratulating them on the holidays.

Delivery systems

If the integration with the website is carried out, the client will always enter the actual delivery data, since there is an instant receipt of information from the carrier’s server – the choice of branches and the city of delivery, the ability to calculate its cost.

Also, the track number of the postal item is displayed in the user’s Personal Account, which allows you to track the delivery status on the carrier’s website. In this case, automation is implemented to simplify delivery management.

In addition to the convenience for the user, this integration simplifies the work of the resource administrator. The correct delivery data entered by the client from the admin panel allows you to automatically create a waybill after receiving the track number of the order, which significantly reduces the process of formation and subsequent registration at the post office.

Delivery systems make it possible to monitor the status of orders, see which ones have been paid for, the terms of delivery, and control what has already been shipped and what is just being prepared for shipment.

The system has the ability to inform the customer about the need to pick up or pay for the goods in the form of an SMS message, remind the delivery address and tracking number.

Payment systems

No website can do without online payments nowadays. They allow you to organize round-the-clock automatic acceptance of payments for goods and services through popular electronic payment systems.

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Bitbucket Pipelines is a CI tool directly integrated into Bitbucket, Atlassian’s cloud-based version control system. If your project is already in Bitbucket, Bitbucket Pipelines is the next easy step towards CI. Bitbucket Pipelines is code-driven, so you can easily commit pipeline definitions and run builds. Bitbucket Pipelines additionally offers continuous delivery (CD). This means that projects created with Bitbucket Pipelines can be deployed to your production infrastructure as well

Functionality:

• Easy setup and configuration;
• Single Bitbucket interface;
• Third-party cloud.

Jenkins

Jenkins is a veteran among CI tools and has a good reputation. It has open source code and is updated by the community. Jenkins is primarily intended for installation in a local environment. Jenkins is a great choice for organizations that need local support for handling sensitive customer data, such as HIPAA-compliant data.

Functionality:

• Local environment;
• Open source projects;
• Robust ecosystem of addons/plugins.

AWS CodePipeline

Amazon Web Services is one of the dominant cloud infrastructure providers in the market. It offers tools and services for various infrastructure and code development related tasks. CodePipeline is offered as a CI tool. CodePipeline can directly interact with other existing AWS tools to create a comprehensive AWS environment.

Functionality:

• Fully cloud-based environment;
• Integration with Amazon Web Services;
• Support for custom plugins;
• Robust access control.

CircleCI

CircleCI is a CI tool that pairs well with Github, one of the most popular cloud hosting tools for version control systems. CircleCi is one of the most flexible CI tools: it supports a matrix of version control systems, containerized systems, and delivery mechanisms. CircleCi can be hosted locally or used as a cloud offering.

Functionality:

• CI event notification triggers;
• Optimal performance for fast builds;
• Easy debugging via SSH and local builds;
• Analytics to measure build performance.

Azure Pipelines

Azure is Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure platform, analogous to Amazon Web Services. Like the AWS CodePipeline service mentioned above, Azure offers a CI tool fully integrated into the Azure hosting toolset.

Functionality:

• Integration with the Azure platform;
• Windows platform support;
• Container support;
• Github integration.

GitLab

Gitlab is a new CI tool with support for all DevOps features. The product was created to enhance the user experience on Github. Gitlab has a modern interface with container support.

Functionality:

• Hosted on-premises or in the cloud;
• Continuous security testing;
• Easy to learn interface.

Atlassian Bamboo

Another CI offering from Atlassian. While Bitbucket Pipelines is exclusively cloud-based, Bamboo offers a self-hosted alternative.

Functionality:

• Best integration with Atlassian’s suite of solutions;
• Large selection of addons and plugins;
• Support for containers with Docker agents;
• Triggers API for IFTTT functionality (“if this, then that”).

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CI is based on software development guidelines with Agile and DevOps principles such as automated testing, version control, build automation, and automated deployment. Each of these basic components of continuous integration has its own ecosystem of tools and principles. Software development tool vendors have developed comprehensive “CI-as-a-Service” offerings that combine these components into a single package. To better understand these comprehensive offerings, let’s repeat the basics.

Source code version control

Perhaps the most important component of continuous integration is source code version management. It is used to identify and resolve editing conflicts between multiple developers sharing a common code base. Source code version control is supported by various tools. The best known of them are Git and Subversion. Version control system is at the heart of products that provide “CI as a service”.

Automated testing

Most serious software development projects include an auxiliary code base not directly related to the business product and its features. This auxiliary code base is a set of tests and acts as a set of confirmations to ensure that the main code base is working correctly and bug-free. Developers run these tests during development to ensure that new code does not degrade existing features. External tools can also be used to run test scripts to automate the approval process. Products that provide CI service automatically run project test scripts when user-defined events occur. Typically, when a developer submits code using a version control system, this event triggers the automatic execution of the full suite of tests.

Build Automation

“Builds” are artifacts that are created to provide a snapshot of the state of the current release version in a software development project. Assemblies are distributed to end users through various networks. Typically, to create an assembly artifact, a series of script steps must be performed in a project. CI tools help to optimize the build process by using automatic triggers in the version control system. An example of a trigger would be merging new code with a branch of the production environment in the code base, followed by uploading the build to a remote server for users to download.

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WHAT AN API IS AND HOW IT WORKS

An API is a set of protocols, tools, and rules that allow two applications to communicate with each other. It can be either a web service that can be utilized through HTTP requests or a code library that can be plugged directly into your project.

Integrating an API into a website can be realized in a few simple steps. For example, if we want to use Google Maps on our website, we can get an API key from Google and add it to the map page. We can then use JavaScript to create an interactive map where users can view data and perform various actions such as searching for locations and routes.

BENEFITS OF USING API IN WEB DEVELOPMENT

Integrating an API into a website can have many benefits, including:

1. IMPROVED FUNCTIONALITY
   APIs allow you to enhance the functionality of a website by adding new features that would not be available without the use of third-party services. For example, adding Google Maps to a website can make it more convenient for users looking for addresses and directions.
2. SAVING TIME AND MONEY
   Using ready-made APIs can significantly speed up the development process and save money on writing your own code. It can also reduce the cost of maintaining and supporting a website, as third-party services usually provide free technical support. support.
3. IMPROVED USER EXPERIENCE
   API integration can improve the user experience by adding new features and functions to a website. This can lead to a higher level of user satisfaction, who may feel more comfortable and confident in using the website.
4. INCREASED SECURITY
   APIs can help increase the security level of a website by allowing the use of proven and reliable tools to process data and transactions. In addition, using an API can help avoid errors that can occur when writing your own code.

HOW TO CHOOSE AN API FOR A WEBSITE

There are several factors to consider when choosing an API for a website, including:

1. COMPATIBILITY
   The API should be compatible with the technologies and programming languages used on the website.
2. RELIABILITY
   The API must be reliable and stable to avoid crashes and data access problems.
3. SECURITY
   The API must provide a high level of security to prevent unauthorized access to data and information.

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So, Zapier is an online platform with which you can automate simple business processes. The system works as follows. As soon as an expected event occurs in one of the services, it automatically performs the required action in one or more other services – depending on the settings.

To set up automation between two or more services, you need to connect them via Zapier and configure the interaction scenario. In other words, create an integration between them. And if an event and an action occur in one service, it can be integrated with itself.

The integration process takes only a few minutes. You don’t need to know how to program. It’s enough to click on the appropriate buttons. The Zapier interface is very simple and does not leave the user without prompts.

The scripts configured in Zapier are called zaps. You can create and use many of these integrations.

Business automation with Zapier: 5 examples
Zapier allows you to automate your work with different groups of services. Here are just a few of them.

• CRM. You can set up automatic delivery of leads from Facebook, quizzes, chats and other advertising channels to your sales management system. You just need to connect these services to your CRM via Zapier. For example, Facebook – Zapier – amoCRM integration can copy each lead from a social media form into the amoCRM sales funnel. You can also connect newsletter services to CRM so that customers automatically become your subscribers. For example, a Bitrix24 – Zapier – Mailchimp script will add each new contact’s email to the Mailchimp mailing list database;
• Spreadsheets. If you use Google Sheets service instead of CRM, you can set up automatic delivery of leads to a spreadsheet. To do this, you need to connect quizzes, chats, Facebook and other advertising platforms to Google Sheets. And if you need to export leads or other data from the table to external services, this is also possible. For example, you can set up automatic sending of new records from Google Sheets to Slack, so that your boss can monitor the flow of leads right in the messenger;
• Posts. Stores and other businesses often need to notify customers by mail about order registrations or service status. If you have this need too, you can connect your CRM, online store CMS or other service where you store orders to Gmail. As a result, Zapier will automatically send template emails to your customers based on the selected action: for example, the text “Thank you! Your order has been shipped” when the order moves to the “Sent” status;
• Cloud storage. Zapier provides an opportunity to set up automatic backup of files from Trello, Slack, Evernote and other work services. To do this, you need to connect them to Google Drive, Dropbox or another cloud drive. Moreover, the service allows you to integrate several cloud storages so that files added to one of them are automatically copied to other ones. Even if something happens to one disk, you’ll always have a backup;
• Social media. Many companies duplicate their content to multiple social networks. With frequent posting, this can take a lot of time. It’s much more efficient to automate the process. To do this, you need to connect several social networks through Zapier. After that, it will be enough to make publications in one social network: Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. The system will duplicate the content on the other sites instead of you.

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Prezi consists of 3 main tools for creating presentations – Prezi Design, Prezi Video and Prezi Present. Prezi Design is where the design of the presentation is developed. It can be created using ready-made templates or from scratch. The presentation editor allows you to customize the overall style of your presentation, add text, images, videos, graphs and charts, animations, and other elements. Prezi Video allows you to create video presentations with visual sequences or voice-over layouts created in Prezi Design. Prezi Present is an interface for creating non-classical transitions between slides and embedding them. Visual elements and interactive transitions can be embedded not only in classic presentations, but also in videos.

To collaborate on presentations, the user needs to send an invitation to colleagues. The user can edit and view the presentation together. By integrating with video calling applications such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and others, users can use presentations from Prezi during a call.

Prezi features

• Create regular and video presentations;
• Adding interactive transitions and animations;
• Collection of ready-made templates and color themes for presentations;
• Collaborative editing and viewing of presentations;
• Insert images, videos and charts into presentations;
• Integration with video conferencing services.

Interesting facts

• The Prezi service was created in 2009 by Hungarian architects Peter Halaci and Adam Somlai-Fischer;
• The name Prezi comes from the Hungarian word for “presentation”;
• In 2018, Prezi won the prestigious Edison Award for innovation in educational technology;
• By 2020, Prezi has surpassed the threshold of 100 million users worldwide;
• Prezi utilizes a unique zooming feature that transforms standard slides into a dynamic 3D presentation;
• With Prezi, users can easily share their presentations online by sending a link or embedding the presentation on a web page;
• Prezi provides integration with other popular services such as Slack, Zoom and LinkedIn.

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Why you need a roadmap

A roadmap is used to coordinate work between departments, show investors the milestones and deadlines of tasks, and help team members better understand the process of achieving goals. It is also used by team leaders and CEOs, sales departments, and customer support teams.

Roadmap is created before the launch of a project to visualize the competitive development strategy, as well as after the launch, if there are dramatic changes in the work. Roadmaps are developed for a quarter, half a year and even a year. They include such information as goals and objectives, stages of work and their prioritization, and key deadlines.

Unlike a marketing plan, a roadmap displays long-term strategies and goals, rather than a detailed description of the work process with requirements for employees and deadlines for each task. A roadmap is a “living document” that can change, so you need to designate a person responsible for adjusting it.

Since a roadmap is necessary to harmonize work between all participants of the business process, it is important that it be understandable and accessible. That is why a roadmap is most often created in the form of a table, which makes it easy to scan the information regardless of the number of stages and complexity of the project. Next, you will learn what types of roadmap there are.

Types of roadmap

Roadmaps are categorized based on function. Familiarize yourself with their main types.

• Product roadmaps. These are strategies for developing a product or product line;
• Project. Designed to describe the main stages and timeframes of project development;
• Sectoral. Describes the schemes of development of industries and market segments;
• Corporate. Designed to describe the process of company development and achievement of long-term key objectives;
• Educational. These are plans for training and professional development of employees.

Roadmap goals

A roadmap does not tell you the solutions to tasks because it is not designed to track the work process at each step. It describes key business objectives or challenges. With the help of this strategic document, everyone involved in the business process will have a clear understanding of the direction of the company’s product. See what goals can be achieved with a roadmap.

• Improve communication. Roadmap create for mutual understanding between team members, departments, managers. With its help, it is easier to tell about the mission, strategy and deliver information about key milestones;
• Build a shared vision. Thanks to the roadmap, each team member can see where the project or product is going. This helps in developing a detailed work plan;
• Lead the discussion. The roadmap reflects the main stages of project or product development, which helps to eliminate misunderstandings among all participants in the process, as well as facilitate discussion of new ideas, vision changes and decision-making;
• Align the work. A roadmap makes it easier to understand the direction of development and discuss strategy, so it’s easier to synchronize work within the team, across departments, and other process participants.

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However, not all available developments and applications are presented in the latest versions of the official update of the operating system “Windows 10”. Before the official release, all improvements are required to undergo preliminary testing and verification of performance. For this purpose, Microsoft has developed a special program of preliminary evaluation “Windows 10 Insider Preview”. In it, users are invited to test promising changes and improvements to the operating system “Windows 10” before their official release. Microsoft offers users, participants in the program “Windows 10 Insider Preview”, free to test and help identify all the problems in the new products, as well as to find out how interested users will be in possible changes to the operating system. For developers “Windows 10” is a unique opportunity to test the performance of novelties on different variants of personal computers of users. In case of malfunctions or system errors, developers will instantly receive all comprehensive information to correct the fault. If the new application under test passes the full test and confirms its viability, it will immediately become available for download and installation, as a new update of the operating system “Windows 10”, for other users who are not members of the special program of preliminary assessment of “Windows 10”. And you can be fully confident in its serviceability and functionality.

The “Timeline” function shows all open applications, files, web resources, documents, with which the user has previously worked, and allows you to immediately access them. It can also synchronize activities on “Windows 10” computers where you are working with the same “Microsoft” account, so you can pick up where you left off on any device.

This timeline feature is part of the “Windows 10” operating system update (“Windows 10 April 2018 Update”) introduced in April 2018. An important advantage of this feature is the fact that it can work with mobile apps, in case you log in to them with your “Microsoft” account. For example, if you open a “Word” text document on your “iPhone” or “Android”, the document will also be reflected in the “Timeline” on your personal computer.

This feature will be useful mainly for those users who work on multiple computers. Or in case there is a need to correct or complete any document or project at a time when you are not near your personal computer. With the timeline feature, any changes you make from another computer or mobile device will be available on the main computer.

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