Mapping Your Systems Before Integrating Anything
By CodexierPublished 4 min read
Most small companies end up with ten to twenty systems without ever deciding to: a CRM, Fortnox or Visma for accounting, a booking tool, a webshop, spreadsheets, a shared inbox and a few apps someone signed up for. When the idea of integrating comes up, the temptation is to start with whichever connection feels most annoying. A systems map, done in an afternoon, shows where the real waste is, which system should own which data, and which integrations would add risk without saving time.
List every system and owner
Start with a simple table. Include everything, even the spreadsheet on someone's laptop, because those are often where the risky data lives. The owner is the person who decides how the system is used and who notices when it breaks, not the supplier.
| System | Holds | Owner | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRM | Customers, contacts, deals | Sales lead | Sales, management |
| Fortnox | Invoices, payments, accounts | Finance | Finance, accountant |
| Booking tool | Appointments, customer contact details | Office manager | Staff, customers |
| Webshop | Orders, products, customers | E-commerce lead | Customers, warehouse |
| Shared spreadsheet | Price list, project status | Unclear | Everyone |
An example. A row with owner 'unclear' is already a finding.
Draw the data flows
On a whiteboard or a sheet of paper, draw each system as a box and each flow of data as an arrow. Label each arrow with what moves (customer, order, invoice), how (integration, export, manual copy) and how often. Ask the people who do the work, not just the managers; they know the workarounds.
- Solid arrows for automatic integrations, dashed for manual steps.
- Note the trigger: a new order, the end of the month, a customer calling.
- Mark flows that carry personal data. They matter for GDPR and for your records of processing.
- Note which flows fail most often, and who notices.
Find double entry and gaps
Now look for the patterns that cost time and cause errors. Every dashed arrow is a candidate. For each, estimate how many minutes per week it takes and what goes wrong when it is done late or incorrectly.
Double entry
A customer typed into the CRM and again into Fortnox. Costs time and produces two versions of the truth.
Conflicting data
The address differs between systems and nobody knows which is right.
Dead ends
Data that enters a system and is never used, such as booking notes nobody reads.
Single points of failure
A routine only one person knows, or a spreadsheet only one person updates.
Decide the source of truth
For each type of data, decide which system is the master. Everyone edits there; other systems only read. Typical choices: customers and deals in the CRM, invoices and payments in Fortnox, products and stock in the webshop or ERP. Without this decision, a two-way integration will happily copy errors back and forth. Our article on webhooks or scheduled sync explains how the direction of a flow affects its design.
Prioritise integrations
- Score each candidate on hours saved per month and on the cost of errors it prevents.
- Check feasibility: do both systems have usable APIs? Our guide to APIs for business owners explains what to look for.
- Start with the flow that is high value and technically simple, often CRM to accounting or webshop to accounting.
- Leave low-volume flows manual. A five-minute monthly export does not need an integration.
- Consider replacing a system instead of integrating it, if it is the cause of most arrows.
Our CRM setup and integration audit produces this map with you and a prioritised list of integrations, with the fixed price on our pricing page. When you do not need an audit: if you have three systems and one obvious annoyance, you can draw the map yourself with this guide and go straight to the fix. Book a call if you want a second opinion.
Frequently asked questions
What tool should I use to draw a systems map?
Whatever you already have: a whiteboard, paper, or a simple diagram tool. The content matters more than the format; keep it to one page.
How often should the map be updated?
Whenever you add or replace a system, and at least once a year. An outdated map is how new double entry sneaks in.
Does the systems map help with GDPR?
Yes. It shows where personal data is stored and where it flows, which is the basis of your records of processing and of answering access requests.
Should every system be integrated?
No. Integrate where volume and error risk are high. Every integration needs maintenance, so a few good ones beat many fragile ones.
Not sure where to start integrating?
Book 15 minutes. List your systems for us, and we will point out the flow most likely to pay off first, and the ones to leave alone.
Book a free 15-minute call