Several different documentation tools can be beneficial when building a custom integration. Slite, Lucidchart, and HubSpot projects are great ways to keep your team on the same page and track updates. They also make it easier to communicate with one another. HubSpot projects are an excellent resource for documenting everything you're doing during a build. It allows you to assign tasks to specific team members, set deadlines, and add attachments. This ensures that everyone is aware of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. Documentation tools like these are essential for ensuring that a custom integration is built successfully.
Below are some examples of the types of documentation that you should create during a custom integration:
1. An overview of the integration, including what it does and how it works.
2. Instructions for how to set up the integration.
3. A list of the fields transferred between the two systems.
4. Instructions for testing the integration.
5. Document any changes that need to be made to the systems to implement the integration.
Ensure all key stakeholders and decision-makers are kept up to date on the progress of the integration project. Send them regular updates on what's been completed and what needs to be done. Encourage them to ask questions and provide feedback. Get their approval before moving on to the next phase of the project. Ensure key stakeholders and decision-makers approve all system changes before implementing them.
Slack is an excellent way for team members to communicate with one another during a development project. It allows you to create chat rooms for specific topics, making it easy to track what's been discussed and what still needs to be done. You can also attach files, images, and documents to your messages, making it easy to share information with your team.
Another excellent tool for team communication is Trello. It allows you to create boards for specific projects and then add cards to those boards containing all the information related to them. Team members can then comment on cards and approve or reject changes. This makes it easy for everyone on the team to stay up-to-date on the project's progress.
Proper documentation will go a long way toward ensuring a smooth integration project and, ultimately, a better final project!
Outline the goals of the integration. What are you trying to achieve? Map out the data flow between the two systems. How will the data be transferred? Identify any potential roadblocks or challenges that may arise during the build process. Confirm that all stakeholders are on board with the project and have given their approval.
If you're comfortable using Excel:
Lucidchart is an excellent tool for documenting custom integrations. It's easy to use and can be customized to meet your specific needs. Additionally, it's a great way to keep everyone on the same page during a build. Lucidchart easily tracks updates and assigns tasks to particular team members. This ensures that everyone is aware of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.
One of the most important aspects of a successful custom integration is ensuring that the data is compatible between the two systems. There are a few things you can do to make sure this happens:
1. Make sure the fields in both systems are of the same data type.
2. Confirm that the field names are identical in both systems.
3. Check whether there are duplicate fields in both systems. If there are, remove one of the fields.
4. Map out the relationship between the two systems and identify potential data conflicts.
5. Use a tool like Excel or Lucidchart to document the integration. This will help track updates and ensure everyone is on the same page.
The different data types available in HubSpot are:
An entity relationship diagram (ERD) is a visual representation of the data that your integration will transfer between two systems. It can be used to identify any potential data conflicts and to map out the relationship between the two systems. This helps to ensure that the data is compatible and that there are no gaps in the relationship. Lucidchart is especially good for building ERDs.
When QuickBooks and HubSpot are integrated, relationship mapping is used to confirm which contacts in HubSpot match with which clients in QuickBooks. This relationship is established by matching the email address field between the two platforms. Once the relationship is confirmed, data from certain field types will be brought over from QuickBooks into HubSpot. The data brought over includes financial information, such as invoices, payments, and sales receipts. This data can be used to understand a contact's purchasing behavior better and generate more targeted marketing campaigns. In addition, the integration between QuickBooks and HubSpot can also help to streamline accounting and customer relationship management (CRM) processes.
You can ensure that all of your data is synchronized correctly and that your team fully uses HubSpot's features. In addition, mapping out the integration can help you to identify any potential bottlenecks or problems before they arise. Consequently, taking the time to map out the HubSpot integration will pay off in terms of a smoother and more successful implementation.
When building integration with another system, testing the integration in a sandbox environment before moving it to production is essential. A sandbox is a copy of a production environment that you can use for testing purposes. This allows you to test the integration "live" and make necessary changes without affecting your data. It also gives you a chance to preview what you'll be able to report on with the data being synced over. For example, you may realize that you need a custom object to represent the data better. Building an integration in a sandbox environment is the best way to ensure that your data is being transferred correctly and that you're getting the expected results.
To set up a HubSpot sandbox account, go to https://app.hubspot.com/sandbox/ and follow the instructions. Once your account is set up, you can begin testing your integration. Remember that sandbox accounts are reset periodically, so you may need to re-sync your data from time to time. However, this is a small price to ensure that your integration runs smoothly in production.
Before you go live with your integration, it's crucial to test it extensively. This means confirming that your logic works as expected in all cases and trying to break the integration and push it to its limits. This is important to identify any potential issues that could cause problems down the line. Make sure to review HubSpot's API limits before you begin testing. You don't want to exceed them and cause your integration to break accidentally. Think of any bulk or quickly repeating processes that could occur that you would expect the integration to handle.
Once you're confident that the integration is solid, involve all stakeholders in a discussion to address any concerns they may have. Only by doing this can you be sure that everyone is on board with the integration and that it will run smoothly.
Once you've gone live with your integration, there are a few things you can do to ensure that it continues to run smoothly.
First, monitor the data that is being synced over to HubSpot. This will help you to identify any potential issues early on. Ensure all fields are syncing, associations are maintained, and duplicate records are not being created.
Second, keep an eye on the performance of your integration. If you notice any slowdown, it may be necessary to adjust how the data is being pulled or add additional caching. Consider using bulk API endpoints to read/write more data in a single API request, saving time and reducing the likelihood of exceeding rate limits.
Finally, update your HubSpot account regularly to take advantage of new features and ensure compatibility with the latest version of HubSpot. By following these simple tips, you can be sure that your HubSpot custom integration will continue to run smoothly for years to come.
Building custom HubSpot integrations can be daunting, but our team of experts is here to help. By following our guide and planning your integration with the experts, you'll be on your way to a successful and smooth implementation. Contact us today to get started!