Define acceptance criteria for a data integration project
Turn a request to connect systems into a testable agreement about data, ownership and recovery.
Define the data contract
List the records and fields that need to move, their source of truth and the receiving system. Explain how identifiers, timestamps and missing values are represented. Use a small authorized sample to expose differences early. A clear contract reduces ambiguity when the systems disagree.
- Name the owner of each source and destination.
- Record required fields and acceptable values.
- Define how duplicate or late records should be handled.
Specify the failure behavior
A useful integration plan covers partial failures as well as the happy path. Decide when a request may be retried and how a repeated request is recognized. Keep enough evidence to trace a record without logging credentials or unnecessary personal information. Describe how operators can reconcile an interrupted transfer.
- Test unavailable endpoints and rejected records.
- Ensure retries do not create duplicate business actions.
- Define a safe method for resuming after an interruption.
Validate the outcome with the owner
Compare source and destination records using agreed examples, then confirm the operational result with the team that uses the data. Document timing, coverage and known exclusions. A limited pilot can validate the design before a wider rollout. Scope, implementation work and commercial terms should be confirmed through the current discovery process.
- Check representative records end to end.
- Record exceptions and unresolved mappings.
- Keep the rollback and support responsibilities explicit.