EN 
NL In addition to simple standard connectors (also see a previous blog), we also encounter many scenarios, where integration is a lot more complex and a standard solution does not suffice. In this blog, we look at such a complex implementation and the specific connections between these systems. Besides discussing the case, we also look at the maintenance and monitoring capabilities of this solution.
Changing legislation means new integration challenge
Customs monitors the movement of goods in the Netherlands and checks thousands of parcels daily. For smaller parcels (with a value of less than €22), there is now a rule that postal organisations have to declare to customs. This means that for every parcel from outside the EU, postal organisations now have to declare it to customs and hold the consignments until the declaration is completed.
Due to this change in legislation, one of the Netherlands' largest postal organisations faced a challenge and was looking for a way to automate the data traffic of these declarations. In order to communicate with customs on these declarations, data messages need to comply with specific rules and security standards. With the increasing demand for importing goods, it was a challenge for our client to come up with a robust, effective and maintainable integration solution.
Customs rules require declarations to be sent via a secure mail connection on a dedicated mail server. Sending multiple declarations by mail requires each declaration to be sent in a zip file.
Automatic sending of data messages to customs
There are different types of declarations and each type is sent to the eMagiz platform with a different integration. eMagiz transforms these data messages into the format requested by customs. Then eMagiz fully automates the process of creating zip files based on each type of declaration and then sends an email via our server to customs. Creating the zip files is done with a high-code extension on top of our standard low-code components. This script is built together with the team of experts to ensure quality and maintainability within our platform. The responses from customs are then collected and returned to the systems in the desired format, allowing the parcels to continue towards their recipients.
How do you maintain a complex solution?
Maintaining complex solutions can be very challenging. Often, the exact way the solution works is known to one person and that can put any important integration at risk. The low-code tooling with building blocks in eMagiz allows you to make the integration understandable to more people than just the original creator. This approach, combined with the option to document each integration by building block, makes it faster and easier to understand how an integration should work without requiring in-depth knowledge.
How do you map the performance of a complex solution?
As this integration is important for our client, it was crucial that the performance and behavior of the solution could be accurately monitored. eMagiz provides real-time statistics on the number of messages processed and the resources used for these processes. For the specific mail server used in the solution, together with our support department, we also provide statistics on the health of the mail server and message processing.
Want to know more?
Do you also have complex integration challenges and do you find it difficult to maintain and monitor these custom or high-impact solutions? Feel free to get in touch with us, our experts will be happy to take a look with you.
