Architecture & Systems Integration
Structural decisions that are expensive to reverse once a system is in production: microservices versus a monolith, event-driven versus request-driven integration, API design, ERP build-vs-buy, and how a landscape of independently built systems stays coherent as it grows.
Guides in this topic
- API Design Practices for Long-Lived, Multi-Consumer SystemsA technical reference on API design for systems integrated against for years: resource modeling, versioning, auth, pagination, errors, and compatibility.
- Custom ERP vs. Off-the-Shelf ERP - What's Actually DifferentHow custom and off-the-shelf ERP actually differ: process fit, module bloat, data ownership, and migration risk - plus a decision framework.
- Enterprise Architecture: Connecting Systems Without Creating ChaosA practical guide to enterprise architecture: integration patterns, system of record, data sync tradeoffs, governance, and auditing your system landscape.
- Event-Driven Architecture: When and How to Use ItA technical guide to event-driven architecture: patterns, message broker fundamentals, real tradeoffs, and when to choose events over a synchronous API call.
- Microservices vs. Monolith: Choosing the Right ArchitectureA technical comparison of microservices and monolithic architecture: tradeoffs, Conway's Law, data consistency, and a practical decision framework.
Related services, industries & solutions
- API Development & Systems IntegrationAPI design, partner integrations, and systems-integration engineering connecting ERP, MES, WMS, and third-party platforms into a reliable data flow.
- Custom Software DevelopmentDesign and development of secure, scalable custom software for companies across Sweden and the Nordic region.
- Technical DiscoveryIndependent architecture review, feasibility studies, technical due diligence, and system audits before you commit budget to a build.
- Data Engineering & AnalyticsData pipelines, warehousing, quality validation and BI reporting built to make scattered operational and sensor data reliable enough to trust.
- DevOps & Cloud InfrastructureDevOps engineering for teams with manual, risky deployments: CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, and observability built as a real discipline.
- Node.jsHow North Tech Labs uses Node.js for backend systems and APIs — its real strengths, its trade-offs, and where another runtime fits better.
- NestJSHow North Tech Labs uses NestJS for structured Node.js backends — its real strengths, its trade-offs, and when plain Node.js fits better.
- RedisHow North Tech Labs uses Redis for caching and session storage — real strengths, honest trade-offs, and where it doesn't belong.
- DockerHow North Tech Labs uses Docker for reproducible containers — real strengths, honest trade-offs, and where it fits in a deployment architecture.
- KubernetesHow North Tech Labs uses Kubernetes for container orchestration at scale — real capabilities, real operational cost, and when a simpler approach fits better.
- ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)A representative reference architecture for a custom ERP platform covering production planning, inventory, procurement, and financials for manufacturers.
Frequently asked questions
Is this relevant if we only run one or two systems today?
Most of it becomes relevant once you cross roughly three independently built or bought systems — that's typically where point-to-point integration stops scaling and the questions in the enterprise architecture guide start mattering.
Do we need a dedicated enterprise-architect role to apply this?
No — these are decisions (system of record, integration pattern, service boundaries), not a job title. A small team can make them deliberately without a formal architecture function.
How does the ERP guide fit into this broader topic?
ERP build-vs-buy is one common instance of the system-of-record decision this cluster covers more generally — worth reading the enterprise architecture guide first if you're facing that decision as part of a wider integration picture.
Have a question about architecture & systems integration?
These guides cover the general pattern — the fastest way to get a specific answer for your situation is to ask us directly.