The benefits of an ERP application are limited unless it is seamlessly integrated with other information systems. Organizations face many challenges in ERP integration viz

1. The challenges of integrating various functional ERP modules
2. The challenge of integration with other e-business software applications
3. The challenge of integration with legacy systems.

To fully leverage the power of integration, its imperative that you understand the various types of integration possiblity. Integrations can be broadly classified into the following categories:

1. Synchronous Integrations: In synchronous Integration a request response mode of operation between two systems.

In short, the calling application expects a response from the provider when a method on the latter is invoked in the same thread.

2. Asynchronous Integrations: Asynchronous Integration are mostly good when enterprise applications take an indeterminate amount of time to respond to a calling application.

In this case, the initiating application sends the request and proceeds with its own actions without having to wait for the provider application to process in the same thread. The provider application picks up the request at a later stage and processes the message.

3.Batch Integrations: Batch integrations allow you to import or export large batches of data that are collected over a period of time into the system.

Typical end-of-day transactions or scheduled data synchronization routines utilize this technique.

4. Process Oriented Integrations: Process Orchestration takes application integration to the next level by using an application independent state engine to manage business processes that span multiple applications.

Process Orchestration can involve system-to-system integration, system to human task integration, or human task to human task integration.