Business process integration (BPI) connects data, applications, workflows, and systems into a unified operational layer that teams and partners can access and act on in real time.
Companies running multiple work management platforms can integrate their business processes using native tools, APIs, or third-party solutions. The right approach depends on what you’re connecting, who needs access, and how much flexibility you need as your operations evolve.
This guide covers everything you need to know about BPI: what it is, how it works in practice, the types that matter, real-world applications, benefits, challenges, and how to choose the right approach for your organization.
Key Takeaways
- Business process integration connects applications, data, and workflows so teams work from a unified view instead of toggling between disconnected systems.
- BPI can be horizontal (cross-company) or vertical (cross-department), and most organizations need a combination of both.
- Common integration types include native, API-based, third-party, RPA, and middleware-based approaches, each suited to different complexity levels and technical requirements.
- The biggest benefits include reduced manual effort, faster decision-making, fewer data silos, and better workflow efficiency.
- Challenges include unclear scope, technology gaps, data security risks, scaling difficulties, and alignment issues in cross-company scenarios.
- AI-assisted integration is reshaping how organizations configure and maintain integrations, cutting implementation time and reducing errors.
- Measuring BPI success requires tracking KPIs like sync error rates, time-to-resolution, manual handoff frequency, and data accuracy across connected systems.
What is Business Process Integration?
Business process integration is the practice of connecting applications, systems, databases, workflows, and partners so that data flows automatically between them. The goal is to create a unified view where stakeholders can access the information they need without switching between platforms or manually transferring data.
Here’s a practical example. Say your team uses Jira, and a partner runs their operations on ServiceNow. To connect both systems, you need a business integration platform, whether that’s a native connector, a third-party solution, or a custom API setup, that links the APIs of both platforms.
The integration solution should include a way to configure how fields and entities map between systems. For advanced use cases, a scripting engine lets you build custom logic for transforming data as it moves between platforms.
AI-assisted configuration tools can also generate these mappings based on natural language descriptions of what you need, reducing the time it takes to get from concept to production.
Admin controls are equally important. You need to limit who can modify sync rules, what data leaves your environment, and how incoming data is processed. This is especially critical in cross-company integrations where each side needs full autonomy over its own data.
Types of Business Process Integration
Organizations can integrate processes and systems in several ways. The right choice depends on your technical requirements, budget, and how complex the integration needs to be.
- Native integration connects directly with another system’s API without needing a third-party application. Most modern platforms like Jira, ServiceNow, and Salesforce offer native integrations for common connections. These are quick to set up but often limited in flexibility. They work well for simple, unidirectional data flows but struggle with complex mapping logic or bidirectional sync requirements.
- Point-to-point integration connects two application endpoints using custom code. This approach gives you full control over the data flow, but it becomes harder to manage as the number of connections grows. With five systems, you could be maintaining ten or more individual integrations, each with its own codebase and failure points.
- UI integration streamlines navigation between applications at the user interface level. Instead of connecting data at the backend, it provides a unified front-end experience that reduces context switching. This doesn’t eliminate data silos, but it makes the daily workflow smoother for end users.
- Robotic process automation (RPA) handles repetitive, rules-based tasks such as data entry, invoice processing, status updates, and ticket routing. RPA bots interact with applications at the UI level, mimicking human actions. They’re useful for integrating with legacy systems that lack modern APIs, but they can be fragile when UI elements change.
- Data integration focuses on consolidating data from multiple sources for reporting, analysis, and migration. Unlike application integration, which keeps apps in sync in real time, data integration typically runs in batches, pulling data into a warehouse or analytics platform for a unified view.
- Business process reengineering (BPR) and business process management (BPM) integration restructure internal processes to improve productivity. This is less about connecting tools and more about rethinking how work flows through the organization before layering on technology.
- API integrations connect two or more applications through their programming interfaces. APIs allow applications to share data and trigger actions in each other’s environments. This is the foundation for most modern integrations and gives you the flexibility to build exactly what you need.
- Third-party integrations use a non-native platform to bridge the gap between systems. Solutions like Exalate, MuleSoft, and Workato provide pre-built connectors and configuration tools that reduce the time and expertise needed to get integrations running. The advantage is flexibility, broader platform support, and often better handling of complex scenarios like bidirectional sync and cross-company collaboration.
- Middleware and enterprise service bus (ESB) sit between applications as a communication layer, routing messages, transforming data formats, and managing integration logic. This approach works well for large organizations with many interconnected systems, though it adds infrastructure complexity.
Business Process Integration vs. Application Integration vs. Data Integration
These three terms are related but address different problems. Understanding the distinction helps you choose the right approach.
Business process integration connects end-to-end workflows that span multiple systems and teams. It’s the broadest of the three. When you integrate a lead-to-cash process that touches marketing automation, CRM, billing, and fulfillment systems, that’s BPI.
Application integration focuses on keeping specific software applications in sync. When a new work item in Jira triggers a corresponding incident in ServiceNow, that’s application integration. It’s event-driven, real-time, and typically handles data at the individual record level.
Data integration combines data from multiple sources into a unified dataset for analytics and reporting. It usually follows an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pattern, runs in batches, and loads data into a warehouse or analytics platform. The goal is a comprehensive view for decision-making, not real-time operational sync.
In practice, most organizations need all three. Data integration feeds your analytics. Application integration keeps your day-to-day tools in sync. And business process integration ties everything together into coherent, automated workflows.
Horizontal and Vertical Integration
BPI can work in two directions: across organizations (horizontal) or across departments within the same organization (vertical).
Horizontal Integration
Horizontal integration connects processes and shares data between separate organizations. This is the foundation of cross-company collaboration.
For example, a B2B company could integrate horizontally with a managed security services provider (MSSP) to share incident data and coordinate threat responses without exposing internal systems. Or an MSP managing multiple clients could connect each client’s Freshservice or ServiceNow instance to their own operations platform, with each connection maintaining independent data privacy rules.
Vertical Integration
Vertical integration syncs processes and systems between teams within the same organization.
For example, a customer support team working in Zendesk can integrate with the engineering team in Jira so that bug reports from customers automatically create work items for developers. When engineering resolves the work item, the status update flows back to support, and the agent can close the ticket with full context.
Most organizations need both. Your development team integrates vertically with QA and support. Your company integrates horizontally with vendors, MSPs, and partners. A good integration strategy accounts for both directions from the start.
Real-World Use Cases of Business Process Integration
Here’s how BPI plays out in practice, broken into concrete use cases.
Automation of Repetitive Workflows
Case: Teams waste hours on manual data entry, copy-pasting work item details between systems, and sending status update emails.
Solution: Trigger-based integrations that automatically sync data when specific conditions are met. When a helpdesk opens a new incident in Zendesk, a trigger creates a corresponding work item in Jira with all relevant context. Status changes, comments, and attachments flow bidirectionally without human intervention.
Real-world application: DPG Media set up triggers in Jira to notify developers whenever the helpdesk opens a new incident in Zendesk. This eliminated manual handoffs and cut response times significantly.
Cross-Company Collaboration and Outsourcing
Case: Working with outsourcing partners, vendors, or MSPs creates communication gaps when each side operates in a different system.
Solution: Bidirectional integrations where each organization controls what data leaves its environment and how incoming data is processed. Each side configures its own sync rules independently, so sensitive information stays protected while the operational data flows freely.
Real-world application: NVISO used deep ticket integration to enhance collaboration with clients and partners across different platforms, maintaining data autonomy while keeping workflows aligned.
CRM and ERP Consolidation
Case: Sales, support, and development teams each work in different platforms (Salesforce, Jira, ServiceNow), creating fragmented views of customer interactions and product work.
Solution: Integration that consolidates data across these platforms so that a sales rep in Salesforce can see the status of an engineering fix in Jira, or a support agent in Freshdesk can track whether a customer’s feature request has been picked up by development in Azure DevOps.
Real-world application: The Gantner Group syncs data from different Jira instances between support and development teams to gain unified visibility into releases and common pain points.
Supply Chain and Vendor Management
Case: Logistics and e-commerce companies rely on interconnected supply chains where delays in one system cascade through the entire pipeline.
Solution: Integrations that connect procurement, inventory, shipping, and vendor management systems so that events in one platform trigger appropriate responses across the chain. When a supplier updates a delivery timeline, that change propagates to your planning and customer communication systems automatically.
Real-world application: Insurance company Türkiye Sigorta uses third-party integrations to connect with suppliers, ensuring data flows consistently across its vendor network.
MSP Client Management
Case: Managed service providers handle multiple clients, each with their own ITSM platform. Without integration, MSP teams manually track work items across client systems, leading to missed SLAs and duplicated effort.
Solution: A multi-connection integration setup where each client’s Freshservice, ServiceNow, or Zendesk instance connects to the MSP’s internal operations platform. Tickets route automatically based on client, priority, and service type. Each connection has its own sync rules, so client data stays isolated.
Real-world application: MSPs using Exalate connect to multiple client instances simultaneously, with each connection maintaining independent data privacy rules and custom routing logic. When a client creates an incident in ServiceNow, it automatically appears as a ticket in the MSP’s Freshservice instance with all relevant details. If that ticket requires escalation to another client using Jira Service Management, the connector creates a linked request there as well.
Benefits of Business Process Integration
Automate Tasks and Reduce Manual Effort
BPI introduces automation into workflows, eliminating manual administrative tasks like data entry, status updates, and cross-platform copy-pasting. Automated integrations save time and money by freeing up teams for higher-value work.
Slack estimates that 64% of employees spend up to 30 minutes per day switching between apps. Over a year, that adds up to weeks of lost productivity per person.
Make Faster, Better-Informed Decisions
When data is scattered across disconnected systems, decision-makers rely on incomplete information or wait for someone to manually compile reports. BPI consolidates data into a unified view, often prepared using ELT tools, so stakeholders can act on real-time, accurate information.
For example, a product manager can look at consolidated data from support tickets, development sprints, and customer feedback to decide whether to iterate on a feature or pivot to something new.
Maintain a Steady Pace of Innovation
When decision-makers have real-time visibility into what’s happening across systems, teams, and partners, the organization can innovate at a consistent pace instead of stalling while people chase down information. BPI opens up access to operational data that would otherwise be trapped in individual tools.
Increase Workflow Efficiency
Integrated processes reduce context switching. Instead of bouncing between Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, and Slack to piece together the status of a project, teams access what they need from their own platform. Data flows to them automatically.
This also reduces human error. When a developer updates a work item in Jira, the corresponding ticket in Zendesk or Freshdesk updates automatically. No one has to remember to copy the status change manually.
Break Down Data Silos
When multiple isolated systems exist in an organization, data silos form. Information is available to some teams but invisible to others. BPI breaks down these silos by connecting the systems that create and consume data, allowing everyone to work from the same information.
This is especially important in cross-functional workflows. When engineering, support, and sales all have visibility into the same data, they make decisions based on the same reality instead of operating on their own isolated version of events.
The Role of AI in Business Process Integration
AI is changing how organizations build and maintain integrations. Instead of manually writing sync rules and field mappings, teams can now describe what they need in plain language and let AI-assisted configuration tools generate the technical implementation.
This matters because configuration has historically been one of the biggest bottlenecks in BPI projects. Writing Groovy scripts or custom API logic requires specialized skills, and even small mapping errors can cause data inconsistencies across connected systems.
AI-assisted integration tools reduce this barrier. For example, Exalate’s Aida lets users describe their sync requirements conversationally, such as “sync all high-priority Zendesk tickets to Freshservice incidents,” and Aida generates the configuration. Users can then refine the output with Groovy scripting if they need more control.
Beyond initial setup, AI also helps with ongoing optimization. As integration patterns change or new fields are added to connected systems, AI-assisted tools can suggest configuration updates rather than requiring manual reconfiguration.
The practical impact is faster time-to-value, fewer configuration errors, and lower dependency on specialized developers for routine integration changes.
Challenges of Business Process Integration
No integration project is straightforward. Here are the challenges you’re most likely to face.
Poorly Defined Scope and Rules
The biggest challenge is establishing clear rules for what should be integrated and how. This includes specific fields, projects, work item types, and the direction of data flow.
When the scope is unclear, integrations can quickly become an administrative nightmare. Data gets lost, sensitive information leaks to the wrong environment, and teams spend more time troubleshooting than they save on automation. Define the scope upfront: which systems, which entities, which fields, and who has authority to modify the configuration.
Technology Gaps
You need the right technology for your integration scenario, whether that’s a native connector, a third-party platform, a custom API tool, a webhook setup, or an enterprise service bus.
Sometimes the right solution doesn’t exist in your current stack. Other times, the platform you need to connect to lacks a modern API or has limitations that prevent the data flow you need. And in some cases, the team simply doesn’t have the expertise to configure complex mappings or write custom sync logic. This is where AI-assisted configuration and managed integration services can help bridge the gap.
Scaling in a Dynamic Business Environment
Business objectives change. Vendor networks expand. Workloads increase. If your integration setup can’t scale, you’ll hit a wall.
This means evaluating your integration tools not just for what they can do today, but for what you’ll need in six months or a year. Can you add new connections without rearchitecting the whole setup? Can you connect to additional platforms like Freshservice, Asana, or Azure DevOps Server as your stack grows? Flexibility and broad connector support matter more than most teams realize at the outset.
Alignment in Cross-Company Scenarios
For horizontal integrations, both sides need to agree on scope, expected outcomes, milestones, and risk factors. Each organization brings its own priorities, constraints, and red lines.
When alignment breaks down, integration projects stall. The key is independent control. If each side can configure its own sync rules without depending on the other, alignment becomes easier because neither side has to compromise on what data leaves its environment.
Data Security Risks
Every integration point is a potential attack surface. If your integration partner’s security is weak, their vulnerability becomes yours. Data in transit between systems needs encryption. Access controls need to be granular enough to limit who can modify configurations and what data is exposed.
Look for integration platforms that offer security features like JWT-based authentication, TLS 1.2/1.3 encryption, role-based access controls, and multi-factor authentication. Certifications like ISO provide external validation that the vendor follows international information security standards. Exalate’s Trust Center provides detailed documentation on its security posture, compliance certifications, and data handling practices.
System Maintenance and Downtime
Integrations break. APIs change, rate limits get hit, and network interruptions happen. You need a plan for monitoring, troubleshooting, and recovering when things go wrong.
Some integration platforms handle maintenance, error recovery, and automatic reconnection for you. For custom-built solutions, maintenance costs and service disruptions can add up fast. When evaluating tools, ask about error handling, retry logic, and how the platform behaves when connectivity is interrupted.
How to Measure BPI Success
Implementing integrations without tracking their impact is like automating a broken process. You need to define success metrics before you deploy and monitor them consistently. Here are KPIs that matter:
- Sync error rate tracks how often data fails to transfer correctly between systems. A rising error rate signals configuration issues or API changes that need attention.
- Time-to-resolution measures how quickly work items move through integrated workflows. If your support-to-engineering integration is working, you should see a measurable drop in the time it takes to resolve customer-reported bugs.
- Manual handoff frequency counts how often humans still need to intervene to move data between systems. The goal of BPI is to reduce this number toward zero for routine operations.
- Data accuracy across systems checks whether the same entity (a work item, ticket, or customer record) contains consistent information across all connected platforms. Discrepancies indicate mapping issues.
- Mean time to integrate (MTTI) measures how long it takes to set up a new connection. This matters especially for organizations that add new partners, clients, or platforms frequently.
Tracking these KPIs helps you identify where integrations are working, where they need tuning, and where the return on investment is strongest.
Best Practices for Business Process Integration
Here are practical guidelines for getting BPI right.
- Map your existing processes first. Understand the current architecture, existing rules, and how data flows between systems before adding new integrations. Create a business process integration diagram that maps all projects, entities, and systems involved in the connection.
- Customize integrations to specific use cases. A generic playbook doesn’t work when your internal process integration requirements differ from your MSP integration needs or your vendor collaboration setup. Tailor sync rules, field mappings, and triggers for each scenario.
- Choose tools that match your complexity. Consult with admins and developers to determine whether a no-code, low-code, or code-based solution fits your requirements. AI-assisted configuration tools can reduce the expertise barrier for initial setup while still allowing advanced customization through scripting when needed.
- Document everything. Every mapping, trigger, and connection should be documented in a shared, accessible location. For companies with existing documentation, update it as configurations change. Teams inheriting integrations need to understand what was built and why.
- Start small and validate. Don’t integrate your entire Jira instance on day one. Start with a single project or a handful of work items to validate that the sync works as expected. This lets you catch configuration issues early before they affect production data at scale.
- Prioritize security from the start. Role-based access controls, encryption for data in transit, and multi-factor authentication should be non-negotiable. Check whether your integration vendor holds certifications like ISO 27001:2022, and review their security documentation before committing. Integrations that handle cross-company data need even stricter controls since you’re responsible for what leaves your environment.
- Build for change. Business objectives shift, vendor networks expand, and platforms evolve. Choose integration tools with broad connector support covering platforms like Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Azure DevOps, Zendesk, GitHub, Freshservice, Freshdesk, and Asana, so you can add connections as your stack grows without starting over.
- Establish clear communication channels. For cross-company integrations, open two-way communication between all stakeholders streamlines the effort, builds trust, and catches misalignment early. Internal integrations benefit from the same principle: make sure every team involved understands what’s being synced and why.
- Monitor and optimize continuously. Use the KPIs outlined above to track integration performance. Review sync error logs, check data consistency, and revisit configurations periodically as business requirements evolve. Integrations aren’t set-and-forget; they need ongoing attention to stay healthy.
Integrate Business Processes with Exalate
Your organization’s ability to move fast depends on how well your systems talk to each other. Business process integration helps you automate repetitive tasks, increase productivity, and get rid of information silos. But it only works if you have a coherent plan and the right tool.
That’s where Exalate comes in.
Exalate is a bidirectional integration platform that syncs data in real time between platforms like Jira (Cloud), Salesforce, Azure DevOps, Azure DevOps Server, ServiceNow, Zendesk, GitHub, Freshservice, Freshdesk, Asana, and other systems through custom connectors.
With Exalate, each side of an integration maintains full control over what data leaves its environment and how incoming data is processed. This makes it especially well-suited for cross-company collaboration, MSP environments, and any scenario where data privacy and autonomy are critical.
Exalate’s AI-assisted configuration through Aida lets users describe sync requirements in natural language and generates the technical implementation automatically. For teams that need more control, Groovy-based scripting provides unlimited customization for field mappings, conditional logic, and data transformations.
In terms of security, Exalate is ISO 27001:2022 certified, with features like JWT-based authentication, TLS 1.2 and 1.3 encryption, role-based access controls, and multi-factor authentication. Visit the Trust Center for full details on Exalate’s security posture.
You can also outsource your integration from concept to operations to Exalate if you don’t have the resources to manage the project internally.
Want to see how Exalate fits your use case? Book a free session with an integration engineer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is business process integration in simple terms?
Business process integration connects your applications, data, and workflows so information flows automatically between systems. Instead of manually transferring data between Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, or other platforms, BPI automates the exchange so teams work from a unified view without switching tools.
What is the difference between BPI and API integration?
API integration is one method for achieving BPI. It connects two applications through their programming interfaces to exchange data. BPI is the broader strategy of connecting end-to-end workflows across multiple systems, teams, and organizations. API integration might be one piece of your overall BPI approach, alongside native connectors, middleware, or third-party platforms.
How does Exalate handle business process integration?
Exalate provides bidirectional, real-time synchronization between platforms like Jira, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Azure DevOps, Zendesk, GitHub, Freshservice, Freshdesk, Asana, and others. Each side of the integration independently controls what data is shared and how incoming data is processed. Exalate’s Aida AI generates sync configurations from natural language descriptions, and Groovy-based scripting allows full customization for complex use cases.
What platforms does Exalate support?
Exalate supports Jira (Cloud), ServiceNow, Salesforce, Azure DevOps (Cloud and Server), Zendesk, GitHub, Freshservice, Freshdesk, Asana, and additional platforms through custom connectors built on REST API capabilities. Check Exalate’s integrations page for the current list.
Is business process integration secure?
It can be, but security depends entirely on the tools and practices you use. Look for integration platforms that offer encryption in transit (TLS 1.2/1.3), role-based access controls, JWT-based authentication, and multi-factor authentication. Vendor certifications like ISO 27001:2022 provide independent verification of security practices. For details on Exalate’s approach, visit the Trust Center.
How long does it take to set up a business process integration?
It depends on complexity. A simple bidirectional sync between two platforms can be configured in hours using AI-assisted tools like Exalate’s Aida. More complex scenarios involving multiple platforms, custom field mappings, and conditional logic may take days or weeks. Managed integration services can handle the entire process from scoping to deployment if your team lacks the time or expertise.
What is the difference between horizontal and vertical business process integration?
Horizontal integration connects processes between separate organizations, such as syncing tickets between your ServiceNow instance and a partner’s Jira environment. Vertical integration connects processes between teams within the same organization, like syncing work items between your support team’s Zendesk and your engineering team’s Jira.
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