Operations
Everything we’ve written.
Newest first. Most pieces take 4 to 6 minutes.
Value maps: the code tables behind clean integrations
One system says Public Works, another wants PW. Value maps translate codes between systems in one place, so every flow agrees and nothing is quietly mistranslated.
Read article →Running integrations on an air-gapped network
Some agencies keep key systems on networks with no internet access. Integration still has to happen there. What to look for in a platform that runs fully inside a closed network.
Read article →Data inspection before you integrate
Most integration problems are data problems: blank fields, odd formats, unexpected codes. Looking at real records at every step before you go live catches them early.
Read article →Approvals in automated flows
Some steps should wait for a person: publishing an agenda, releasing a payment file. How to add an approval to an automated flow without parking a copy of the data while it waits.
Read article →Development, test and production for integration flows
Integrations change more often than the systems they connect. How to separate test from production, promote changes safely, keep secrets out of copies, and keep a history you can review.
Read article →From 311 request to work order, and back to the resident
Service requests arrive in 311; crews work them in an asset or work order system such as Cityworks. How to connect the two, keep IDs on both sides, and close the loop so residents hear back.
Read article →New hires from HR to payroll without retyping
When HR hires someone, payroll, finance and IT each need to know. How to send new hires from an HR system such as NEOGOV to the ERP and to IT's request queue, with personal data handled carefully.
Read article →Reaching on-premises systems: an outbound relay or a VPN?
Cloud integrations often need to reach a finance database or file server inside the city network. Comparing a site-to-site VPN, opened firewall ports and an outbound-only relay, with the questions to ask.
Read article →Testing integration flows before go-live
A practical testing routine for city integrations: preview on real records, tests with made-up data, a dry run against test systems, and a watched first week. How to do it without writing to production by accident.
Read article →How to calculate the cost of re-keying data between city systems
A simple worksheet for putting a number on manual data entry between systems: staff time, error correction, delay and risk. Use your own figures to build the case for automation, or against it.
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