Do you Practice Integration?

As my day to day work centers on the development and delivery of integration software, I often focus on the technology of integration rather than the principle. And yes, the technology is what we do and how we help our customers solve their business problems, however it’s the principle of integration which really drives us. Not only the integration of information but the integration of people. The other day I participated in a meeting where it was mentioned that the IT department was working on a new reporting capability. On very little information as to what they were actually doing, I thought that perhaps I could offer assistance with the tools that my team develops (integration software). I randomly called people until I was pointed in the right direction. That led to a lengthy conversation where I not only found an internal customer who was in fact using our integration solution and loved it, but new insight and offers of assistance for requirements, testing, and promotion! As a result, we are now working on a joint project to both better our internal systems as well as educate new employees as to the power of our solutions. The end result was not a product of software but that of the integration of people. Good old fashion conversations – learning about new ideas, new capabilities, and new peers. Have you practiced integration today?