t cht lk
When developing an argument for a new integration strategy , it will become apparent that the technological and business benefits offered by an API-led approach go hand in hand .
often don ’ t recognise is that these strategies aren ’ t aligned with solving the new challenges that modern organisations face . A new , API-first approach brings far greater efficiency and a more lasting competitive edge by laying the foundation for automation everywhere and a composable enterprise strategy that enables greater reuse and business agility .
The tough sell with a huge payoff
To garner support for a new approach to integration , IT leaders should start by identifying the organisation ’ s current needs and future goals . The pace of digitisation has undoubtedly accelerated over the last 12 – 18 months and many CIOs are looking to address this need by solving critical operational issues so they can drive innovation faster . IT and business teams also need to prioritise mutual collaboration if they are to grow and scale innovation and build a lasting competitive edge . By finding new ways to align , collaborate and co-create value , IT and business teams can achieve business priorities faster . Whatever the goal , the IT team should be able to articulate the challenges the business faces to achieving that with its current approach to integration . In this way , they can demonstrate that if these issues are addressed , there will be tangible benefits for the business .
For example , it might be taking a business too long to get products to market because they ’ re reliant on systems and applications stitched together with custom integrations . Or perhaps the IT team is no longer able to manage rising workloads , and is consequently unable to deliver crucial projects on time . This is a common problem faced by businesses using outdated integration strategies : our research found that IT teams were asked to deliver nearly a third more projects last year , but only 37 % were able to deliver all of them . The board could also be persuaded by the potential to save costs with a new approach to integration . Currently , custom code integrations cost large enterprises an
78 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com