Post on 06-Jul-2020
transcript
Avoiding Common Integration MistakesWednesday May 24th, 201710:45am – 12:00pm
Ashley Wilson, American Public Works AssociationKeith A. Williams, Irrigation AssociationRandy Richter, Association Technology Solutions, LLC
• IMIS can't do everything• You want a seamless experience for your members• You want to track Engagement in one place in iMIS!
Why Integrate?
Is iMIS the center of your data?
• Is there an out of the box way to do this in iMIS?• Is there a third party bridge that exists in the iMIS community?
(ATS has over 70 of them)• Does the company have a good API (Application Programming
Interface)• Have them show you what they have done with iMIS• ONLY use the iMIS API's• NO SQL inserts
• Warning signs/questions– Is your system built on SQL server?– We have worked with AMS's before
How to decide
• Single Sign On means login once and only once. It does not mean use the same username and password.
• Push data to the third party• Pull data from the third party
– Usually Activity records– Financial information is generally hard to pull back into iMIS
Most common integration points
• What technology are they using?– Preferred Microsoft.net platform for easy integration
• Do they integrate with iMIS? (No do they really?)• Do they have an open API?• How up to date are they with iMIS?• Who owns the data?• Do they use another 3rd party to run and/or store their
data?• Are they PCI Compliant (if using for sensitive data or
financial data)• What is their policy for downtime? (if they are hosting)
Questions to ask vendor
• Do you need Single Sign On (SSO)?• What do you want to track?• What data do you need to share?• Do you need to track where the data is coming from?• What is needed from you to use the 3rd party software?
Questions to ask internally
• When upgrading iMIS, reach out to vendor to inform them• After upgrade – test all areas that use integration• Track, track, track all processes with all vendors• Take backup(s) prior to integration & right after integration• Learn what iMIS offers already or ask reseller if they know
what's coming in the very near future
Best Practices
TEST
• Join/Renew Project– Long build process & high cost– iMIS built a join/renew process we could use out of box 1 year later
• WorkZone – Job board site– No iMIS API available at first– Used a cookie, SSO & open API– Recent upgrade to iMIS, forced a different method for integration
• Event Registration – multiple vendors– Use ASI out of box API & ATS Web Services to pass data back & forth– SSO (APWA site & Encrypted ID)
http://www.apwa.net/
APWA Case Study
• IA was already in the middle of a web migration from a “home grown” solution hosted offsite to a CMS
• Had already selected• I had not really worked with 15 yet nor certification.• Main integration points needed:
– Certification CEU entry and renewal payment– 3 directory searches– Profile management– Securing content
• Later integrated other products/processes
Irrigation Association Case Study Some History
Irrigation Association March 2010 Site Launch
• Online store – PV store not really working for us
• Learning Management System
• Webinar Registration
• Grassroots Advocacy
Other things we added later
Wanted more responsive site
Ektron wasn’t what we thought
it might be
Design issuesEasier integrations
Less IT/vendor involvement
2015/2016 – New CMS
We customize each integration
We’ve never worked with iMIS before…
Integration is CMS dependent
Choose an integrator that is an official AiSP or iMIS Consultant.
Things I learned/Bad phrases
Launched May 3, 2017
Directories/Rosters
• IQA based• Committees• Leadership• Staff
Grassroots advocacy
• Votility
Online store transferred
• LMS • Webinars• Downloadable
documents
Certification still working on
• Still custom• IA Business Rules• Making interface
less customized• Looking at
changes to business rules
Went to RiSE
DON’T FORGET – Email
• Ashley Wilson– awilson@apwa.net
• Keith A. Williams– keithwilliams@irrigation.org– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithanthonywilliams/
• Randy Richter– rrichter@atsol.com
Contact information
Strategic Partners
Corporate PartnersAmericaneagle.com • Ascension Technology Solutions, LLC • Association Technologies, Inc. • Bursting Silver CadmiumCD • enSYNC Corporation • Informz • ISG Solutions • MemberPrime • RSM US LLP • Visual Antidote
Event PartnersArmstrong Enterprise Communications • Computer System Innovations • C Systems Global • iFINITY
Intuitive Business Concepts • Lane Services, LLC • Source of Knowledge (Official Recording Partner) • TGD Communications
Thank You To Our Sponsors