Software, data & governance
How to scope a custom API integration project
Scope a custom API integration with a workflow brief, interface contract, failure tests, and operational handoff criteria.
By Globalesm
Begin with one handoff that a team repeats today. Describe what triggers it, what information moves, and how someone knows it worked. A narrow first workflow gives you enough detail to estimate the work and test the approach before adding other systems.
Record the interface contract
List source and destination systems, record identifiers, required fields, and supported access. Define when the destination should receive an update and what counts as acceptance. If staff need a portal or approval screen, describe the role and task it supports.
Design failure recovery
Test missing data, a duplicate request, and an unavailable destination. Decide what can be retried automatically and when an owner must review the issue. Define how operators reconcile results without editing both systems independently.
Agree on delivery evidence
Ask for a mapping document, representative test results, and a runbook for the workflows you are buying. Define who manages credentials, deployment, and support. Use those deliverables to compare proposals and decide whether the first project is ready to expand.
Put the plan into practice
Share the systems involved and the handoff your team needs to improve.