API Integration Checklist for Service Teams

Service organizations often underestimate integration complexity until late in delivery.

Confirm data ownership early

Define source-of-truth systems for each critical field before any implementation begins.

Set clear failure handling rules

Document retry behavior, fallback states, and alerting to avoid silent data mismatches.

Secure credentials and scopes by environment

Use distinct credentials for development and production, with least-privilege permissions.

Add observability from day one

Basic event logs and error metrics dramatically reduce debugging time during rollout.