Patchworks Integration

Integration built to last

Patchworks connects your core systems. Our focus is on the operational discipline required to keep it that way, from connector hygiene to clear flow ownership.

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Operational control over your integration estate.

Commerce Signal
Patchworks Flow
ERP Update
WMS Instruction
Fulfilment Event

From initial connection to ongoing governance and exception handling.

Warning Signs

When 'Working' Means Brittle

An integration that functions but requires constant manual fixes is a liability. Left unchecked, these issues accumulate into critical system-wide failures.

Partial Data Syncs

  • Orders update but stock does not.
  • Customer records are incomplete.
  • Finance reports require manual correction.

Connector Version Drift

  • New features cause unexpected errors.
  • Patchworks updates break existing flows.
  • Documentation no longer matches behaviour.

Untriaged Error Queues

  • Failures are discovered by customers.
  • The same errors repeat without action.
  • Support teams are unaware of integration state.

Duplicated Logic

  • The same transformation rules exist in multiple systems.
  • Changing logic in one place breaks another.
  • It is unclear which system owns the business rule.

Our Method

From Connection to Governance

A structured approach to building, documenting and maintaining your Patchworks integration layer. We establish clear ownership and exception-first operations from day one.

Discovery & Scoping

Stage 1

Risks

  • Undefined system boundaries.
  • Incomplete requirements for data mapping.

Delays

  • Waiting for stakeholder input.
  • Unclear data ownership.

Manual Processes

  • Documenting existing workflows.
  • Interviewing system owners.

Automation Opportunities

  • System audit scripts.
  • Data structure analysis.

Flow Design & Validation

Stage 2

Risks

  • Logic does not handle edge cases.
  • Performance bottlenecks in high volume flows.

Delays

  • Reworking flows due to missed logic.
  • Waiting for API credentials.

Manual Processes

  • Flow diagramming in workshops.
  • Writing technical specifications.

Automation Opportunities

  • Prototype flow generation.
  • Automated validation against specifications.

Connector & Endpoint Build

Stage 3

Risks

  • Insecure API endpoints.
  • Connector cannot handle API rate limits.

Delays

  • Firewall and network access issues.
  • Third-party system sandbox availability.

Manual Processes

  • Manually testing API responses.
  • Writing boilerplate connection code.

Automation Opportunities

  • CI/CD pipelines for connectors.
  • Endpoint security scanning.

End-to-End Testing

Stage 4

Risks

  • Partial syncs are not detected.
  • Error conditions are not tested for.

Delays

  • Test data is not representative.
  • Downstream systems unavailable for testing.

Manual Processes

  • Manually placing test orders.
  • Verifying data in multiple systems.

Automation Opportunities

  • Automated test suites for core journeys.
  • Data validation scripts.

Deployment & Handover

Stage 5

Risks

  • Lack of runbooks for support.
  • No clear ownership of flows post-launch.

Delays

  • Last-minute configuration changes.
  • Insufficient user training.

Manual Processes

  • Creating handover documentation.
  • Walking support teams through runbooks.

Automation Opportunities

  • Automated deployment scripts.
  • Configuration-as-code management.

Monitoring & Governance

Stage 6

Risks

  • Alerts are ignored or not configured.
  • Performance degrades over time unnoticed.

Delays

  • Root cause analysis is slow.
  • Fixes require re-engaging the project team.

Manual Processes

  • Manually checking error queues.
  • Reviewing logs after an incident.

Automation Opportunities

  • Proactive alerting on anomalies.
  • Performance and error rate dashboards.

Technical Ecosystem

The Central Nervous System

Patchworks serves as the integration fabric connecting your critical commerce, operations and finance platforms.

Patchworks

Shopify Plus

Commerce

BigCommerce

Commerce

Centra

Commerce

NetSuite

ERP & Finance

Microsoft Dynamics 365

ERP & Finance

Xero

Finance

Peoplevox

WMS & Fulfilment

Mintsoft

WMS & Fulfilment

Gorgias

Customer Service

Klaviyo

Marketing

Recharge

Subscriptions

Implementation Models

Native Connectors vs. Custom Builds

Deciding between pre-built connectors and custom development inside Patchworks depends on your platform maturity and unique operational logic.

Standardised Connectors

Using off-the-shelf connectors for common platforms. Faster to deploy but can be rigid.

  • Rapid setup for standard use cases.
  • Maintained by Patchworks or the vendor.
  • Predictable, documented behaviour.
  • Limited customisation for unique fields.
  • Can be a black box when errors occur.
  • Dependent on vendor release cycles.

Custom Scripting & Connectors

Building bespoke logic or connectors for proprietary systems or complex workflows.

  • Total control over data mapping.
  • Handles unique business processes.
  • Adapts to any API, however non-standard.
  • Higher initial development cost and time.
  • Requires dedicated developer maintenance.
  • You own the code and its potential bugs.

From The Field

Four Hard-Won Lessons

Real-world integration challenges we have diagnosed and fixed. These patterns highlight the gap between a connected system and an operationally sound one.

The 'Fire and Forget' Sync

"We thought the order sync was running, but for six weeks it only processed 80% of orders. The rest failed silently."

The Problem

A critical order-to-fulfilment flow was designed without robust error handling or reconciliation. Failures were not surfaced to an owner, leading to lost revenue.

Our Approach

We implemented exception-first handling, routing all failures to a dedicated alert channel. A daily reconciliation report was built to verify processed totals against source system data.

The Outcome

Complete operational visibility. Failures are now identified and triaged in under 15 minutes, not weeks later.

Connector Version Misalignment

"Patchworks released a V2 connector, but our customisations were built on V1. The auto-update broke our returns process."

The Problem

The integration was not pinned to a specific connector version. A platform update by Patchworks introduced breaking changes that were not accounted for in dependent custom scripts.

Our Approach

We established a connector hygiene process. All connectors are version-pinned in a non-production environment and tested against our full regression suite before being promoted to live.

The Outcome

Platform updates are managed events, not incidents. Zero downtime from connector upgrades in 12 months.

The Unowned Error Queue

"The error queue had thousands of entries going back months. We had no idea if they were new problems or old ones."

The Problem

Error queues were a technical black hole. Without a triage process, genuine issues were lost in noise, and support teams had no visibility.

Our Approach

We defined SLAs for error triage and assigned ownership. We built dashboards to distinguish new, recurring, and resolved errors, turning the queue into an actionable worklist.

The Outcome

The error queue is now consistently at or near zero. Support can self-serve to understand the status of a specific order.

Competing Sources of Truth

"We updated pricing in the ERP, but Patchworks and Shopify were both transforming it. We sold products at the wrong price."

The Problem

Business logic, like pricing or tax calculation, was duplicated across multiple systems. This created conflicts and made it impossible to determine the true source of data.

Our Approach

We mapped all data flows and identified areas of duplicated logic. We refactored the integration to centralise transformation rules within Patchworks, establishing it as the single point of orchestration.

The Outcome

Clear system boundaries and data ownership. A change to business logic is now made in one place and reliably propagates.

Operational Intelligence

AI in Service of Reliability

We use AI as an operational tool to surface anomalies, accelerate root cause analysis, and maintain integration hygiene at scale.

Integration Consultant

Cogent2 AI Assistant

Log & Anomaly Analysis

Scans millions of log entries to identify deviations from normal operating patterns, flagging potential issues before they become incidents.

Data Mapping Suggestion

Compares source and destination schemas to suggest initial data mappings, highlighting non-obvious gaps or type mismatches for developer review.

Flow Logic Validation

Audits Patchworks flow diagrams and configurations against our best practice library, flagging missing error routes or inefficient patterns.

Reconciliation & Drift Detection

Continuously compares record counts and key values between connected systems to automatically detect partial syncs or data drift.

Our Engagement Model

Structured for Technical Success

A six-stage process designed to de-risk complex integrations and deliver an observable, maintainable and well-documented asset.

  1. Technical Due Diligence

    We review your existing systems, APIs and data structures. The output is a risk register and a high-level integration strategy.

  2. Flow Architecture Workshop

    A collaborative session to map every required data flow, define system boundaries, and agree on data ownership for every entity.

  3. Implementation Sprints

    Iterative development cycles focused on building and testing individual flows. We provide weekly demos and status reports.

  4. Security & Performance Testing

    We validate every endpoint and flow against security best practices and test for performance under simulated peak load.

  5. Operational Handover

    Training your in-house teams on runbooks, monitoring dashboards and triage procedures. We ensure you can own the system post-launch.

  6. Hypercare & Governance

    A period of heightened support post-launch, followed by an ongoing governance retainer to manage updates, monitor performance and advise on future changes.

Expected Outcomes

An Asset, Not a Liability

The result of a well-architected integration is not just connectivity. It is operational leverage and the confidence to scale.

Clear Ownership

Defined Flow & Error Ownership

Every integration flow and potential error state has a named owner and an agreed triage process. No more finger pointing.

< 1 Hour

Mean Time to Detect (MTTD)

Proactive monitoring and alerting means critical failures are identified in minutes, not days or weeks.

Self-Sufficient Teams

Reduced Support Escalations

Runbooks and dashboards empower your support team to diagnose and resolve common issues without developer intervention.

Lower TCO

Reduced Maintenance Overhead

A well-documented, observable system requires less reactive firefighting, lowering the total cost of ownership.

Safe to Change

Confidence to Evolve

With robust testing and version control, you can adapt flows and connect new systems without breaking existing processes.

Verifiable Accuracy

Data Reconciliation by Default

Automated checks provide daily assurance that data between critical systems is complete and consistent.

Common Questions

Patchworks Implementation FAQ

Direct answers to questions we receive from technical leads and integration owners.

Can you work with our existing Patchworks setup?

Yes. We often begin with a technical audit of an existing integration. We identify areas of risk, such as poor error handling or undocumented custom scripts, and produce a remediation roadmap.

How do you handle integrations with our proprietary in-house systems?

We build custom connectors. We analyse your system's API, or help you specify one, and build a private Patchworks connector that handles authentication, data mapping and error handling cleanly.

Who is responsible when a connector maintained by another vendor fails?

Our responsibility is to ensure the integration is resilient. While we can't fix the vendor's code, we build our flows to handle their connector failing gracefully. This includes retry logic, alerting, and clear diagnostic information.

What does 'flow ownership' mean in practice?

It means a named team is responsible for the operational health of a specific data flow, like 'New Orders to ERP'. They are the first point of contact for alerts and are responsible for the triage process defined in the runbook.

How do you ensure the integration scales for peak periods like Black Friday?

Performance is designed in, not bolted on. We analyse expected volumes and architect flows to avoid bottlenecks. We conduct load testing against staging environments to validate queueing behaviour and system throughput before go-live.

Next Steps

Audit Your Integration Health

Let's review your current Patchworks setup or your plans for a new one. We can help you identify operational risks before they become critical failures.

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