Everyone can benefit from a microservice. They just don’t know it yet…
The term ‘microservice’ sounds neat, tidy, and specific, which reflects exactly what microservices do in practice. But beyond the name, they are something quite amorphous and difficult to describe without reaching for technical jargon or long-winded explanations.
So if you’re confused about microservices, don’t panic. You’re in good company. This confusion, however, means you may be missing out on the vast array of benefits you get from microservices: saving valuable resources, improving scalability, developing and deploying software faster and better, reducing human error, and making your data far more secure than before.
I’ve found the best way to navigate this complex topic with business owners and executives is to take a leaf out of chapter one in every good writer’s handbook: Show, don’t tell. With this in mind, here are some example types of microservices I’ve built over the years.
What was it for? Identity
Why was it needed? Company X had a CRM, accounting software, and an ERP system, each working independently from the other (as is the case in most businesses). This meant all new customer details or changes had to be entered into each program, one after the other.
How did it help? The microservice acted as a go-between between the user and all three systems at the same time. Therefore only one entry was needed to update all systems seamlessly and simultaneously - which resulted in around six minutes saved per entry. Not much to concern you if you only have one customer a week. But at a hundred a week, it’s a 10-hour saving of resources.
What was it for? Invoice keeping
Why was it needed? This company was spending too much time on an unnecessary dual entry process, posting invoices from any system to the business accounts package. It’s not unusual - businesses often create invoices in one system and duplicate the task of updating the company finance system.
How did it help? The company had a high volume of transactions so this integration saved over two hours per day of dual entry administration - virtually a working day and a half over the week.
What was it for? Despatch and delivery
Why was it needed? The company dealt with huge volumes of orders every day and was manually creating separate consignments for its order management system and its courier company’s software.
How did it help? By automating courier consignments and order updates with tracking data, I was able to save the company hours of resources each week. Further time saving and an increase in customer satisfaction came from automating tracking information updates, to keep both the business and its customers in the loop.
What was it for? Credit control
Why was it needed? Any business dealing with customer credit needs accurate data shared between ordering systems and finance systems. A missing figure here or a human miscalculation there can cause many significant issues, including allowing customers to exceed their pre-agreed credit limits.
How did it help? Bad data leads to an increased risk of bad debt. So while this microservice integration saved time and resources, its biggest benefit to the company was mitigating financial risk which, in volatile times, is often the death of an organisation.
With a little imagination, I’m hopeful the examples above will illustrate why I’m convinced there is a microservice for every business, whether they know it yet or not. If you’re still confused about microservice integrations, head over to our non-techie guide to microservices to get more details.
