The Client
The client is a world leader in life sciences solutions and laboratory instruments, operating across 65 worldwide locations to deliver an unmatched combination of innovative technologies and pharmaceutical services focused on making the world a healthier, cleaner, and safer place.
The Challenge
The client faced multiple challenges impacting operational costs and order processing times. A skilled team was critical to focusing on MuleSoft integration to reduce API development and management costs. The company also required a digital connectivity platform to ensure seamless data flow between internal and external systems, supporting solutions such as Direct-to-Patient (DTP) and Track-and-Trace (T&T).
Additionally, Salesforce data synchronization was a challenge as the client had different groups that used their own Salesforce instances in an isolated environment, with no syncing process between them. As a result, cleaning and merging data was manual and time-consuming. Besides, most of the integration ran on legacy and point-to-point integration, making new application integration complex and time-consuming. The client also faced challenges with API management, where multiple applications were impacted if any API endpoints were updated or upgraded.
The Solution
The client selected Persistent Systems as its technology partner to address these challenges, owing to our extensive experience in handling complex MuleSoft environment as a leading MuleSoft partner and in setting up a dedicated Center of Excellence (CoE) for multiple organizations. Recommending a phase-based approach over three years, Persistent created a roadmap that included establishing a CoE focused on continuous development and delivery.
Mulesoft CoE
Persistent set up a MuleSoft Center for Enablement (C4E) that ensured the client followed MuleSoft recommended best practices for platform enablement and predictable deliveries. We also developed an API-led integration platform with a comprehensive governance model and a microservices-based architecture to streamline the integration of various legacy and SaaS applications. Persistent implemented a “DevOps in a Box” solution, incorporating the latest DevOps technologies to automate processes efficiently.
Digital Connectivity Platform
Persistent developed a digital connectivity platform using a reusable microservices architecture. The platform is designed to ingest and store data from source systems, transform and enrich the data, and make it available for consumption by target systems. The platform also boasts a reusable orchestration layer for dynamic order generation based on source systems/input channels. Additionally, the platform features data governance and audit logging throughout the entire lifecycle.
Furthermore, we developed a comprehensive solution for the entire order creation process utilizing different channels like Email, SFTP, and REST/JSON. The platform is also equipped with a dashboard that enables the user to monitor real-time order status and initiate actionable functions such as retry mechanisms.
A specialised dashboard was created to monitor real-time order statuses, giving the client complete visibility and control over their orders. This solution also included features like retry mechanisms to address issues swiftly.
Salesforce Data Synchronization Project
Persistent built a centralised application for the Salesforce data synchronization project, integrating data across multiple Salesforce systems based on pre-defined rules. This application can handle over 10 Salesforce instances, manage 30 objects with CRUD operations, and process up to 1 million records in batch processing. Additionally, Persistent developed a flexible system that allowed quick integration of new Salesforce instances with other systems, significantly reducing the integration time to just two days.
Migration Project from OFM to Mulesoft
Persistent is also working on migrating applications from OFM (Oracle Fusion Middleware) and Web Method to MuleSoft and is building reusable APIs between systems to reduce time-to-market for new integrations and ensure a smooth transition. The overall goal is to streamline the migration process and make it more efficient for the team.
Flex Gateway Implementation
Persistent has also implemented Flex Gateway to manage MuleSoft or Non-MuleSoft API, ensuring that changes in the upstream system do not impact external users.
The Outcome
The MuleSoft CoE significantly reduced overall implementation costs and turnaround times, optimizing API development timelines and efforts. The scalable integration platform, supplemented with automation frameworks, reduced operational overheads and created a production-ready environment for MuleSoft projects. This was achieved by optimizing of CPU utilization through an RTF setup. By ensuring consistent development through a standardised setup, the COE streamlined API development timelines and efforts and minimised administrative efforts considerably.
The Digital Connectivity Platform streamlined and optimised the order processing activities, providing real-time updates about orders, clients, and partners. This reusability of the platform for various input channels and interactions with downstream applications ensured a plug-and-play operation, which was crucial for current and future use cases, leading to a 50% reduction in order processing time.
The Salesforce data synchronization project transformed the syncing process by reducing the required effort and enabling more efficient merging capabilities. The real-time syncing process now takes less than a minute and can handle extensive batch processing. Designed to integrate new SFDC instances with minimal effort, it ensures future adaptability.
Migrating from Oracle Fusion Middleware (OFM) to Mulesoft will reduce time-to-market and effort while designing a new API with the API-led architecture approach will streamline the API development process and facilitate the creation of reusable, modular APIs.
Technology Used
- MuleSoft
- Kafka
- Splunk
- ELK
- Flex Gateway
