Mark, a Lead Architect at a fast-growing fintech company, was staring at yet another backlog of integration requests.  

His team was stretched thin, struggling to keep up with new automation demands while maintaining existing workflows.  

Every week, business users asked for faster connections between tools, more automated data flows, and better system visibility, but development resources were always a bottleneck. 

He had seen AI-powered tools emerge in other areas of software development, from code assistants to intelligent debugging, but integration work still felt manual, repetitive, and resource-intensive. 

Then, a colleague shared something interesting: AI wasn’t just changing how companies used data; it was changing how integrations themselves were built, optimized, and managed.  

Some companies were already using AI-augmented iPaaS solutions to accelerate integration development. From AI configured automation processes, creation of new connectors and operations in real-time to documenting integration processes rapidly. 

Mark realized he wasn’t just dealing with an efficiency problem. He was facing a shift in how integrations would be built in the future. 

The Pain of Traditional Integration Development 

For decades, integration work has been a complex, code-heavy process. Whether connecting ERP systems, automating finance workflows, or integrating CRM and marketing platforms, companies have faced the same challenges: 

• Manual Effort: Developers must manually configure workflows, map data fields, and set up error handling. A constant burden of creating and maintaining documentation up to date. 

• Scalability Issues: With every new system, integrations become more complex, requiring constant maintenance and troubleshooting. 

• Slow Time-to-Value: Building an integration from scratch can take weeks or months, delaying automation benefits. 

• Specialized Skills Required: Traditional integration work demands technical expertise, creating bottlenecks for non-developers. 

A recent report by Forrester found that 75% of IT leaders cite integration complexity as the biggest challenge in digital transformation.  

As companies rely on more SaaS applications and automation, the problem is only getting worse. 

Think of AI as the Co-Pilot for Integration Development 

Imagine a skilled co-pilot sitting next to you as you build an integration. Instead of manually writing every step, it suggests best practices, auto-generates configurations, and flags potential errors before they happen. 

AI-powered iPaaS solutions work the same way: 

• They understand patterns from thousands of integrations and proactively assist developers in building smarter, more efficient workflows. 

• They automate repetitive steps, allowing teams to focus on business logic rather than low-level configuration. 

• They act as a real-time assistant, troubleshooting issues and optimizing performance without human intervention. 

This shift isn’t about replacing developers. It’s about augmenting them, removing friction, and making integration work faster, more scalable, and less error-prone. 

How AI-Powered iPaaS Transforms Integration Development 

Unlike traditional integration tools, modern iPaaS solutions leverage AI to simplify every stage of the integration lifecycle.  

Here’s how: 

• AI-Assisted Development:  AI suggests integration workflows, maps fields automatically, and generates low-code automation sequences. 
• Self-Generated Documentation: Removing the “cognitive burden of documentation" with automated AI LLM documentation. This solves the burden for the developer to create documentation and helps the Managers gain visibility and understanding. 
• Self-Optimizing Workflows – AI continuously monitors performance and suggests improvements based on real-time data. 
• Automated Troubleshooting – AI detects and resolves errors before they impact business operations.

All of the above are capabilities to help simplify the integration strategy, the outcome of AI is in its use cases for various industries.

Below an overview of where AI and iPaaS together can help IT leaders and business experts gain benefit from: 

 

"Integration shouldn’t be a bottleneck. It should be a business enabler. AI-powered iPaaS removes complexity, allowing companies to focus on outcomes, not technical limitations." - Antti Toivanen, Head of Product, Frends 

 

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Impact story: How a healthcare provider served over 1 million customers with an integrated approach

A leading healthcare provider serving over 1 million customers across hundreds of locations faced a critical challenge: How to manage vast amounts of sensitive patient and business data, while ensuring seamless and secure operations?

With thousands of daily transactions across various digital health platforms, maintaining efficiency, compliance, and reliability was a growing concern.

Their existing infrastructure relied on multiple disconnected systems, creating bottlenecks in data exchange, increased manual workload, and potential security risks.

Resolution:  

To overcome these challenges, the healthcare provider reassessed their integration approach and looked for a solution that would:

• Unify and automate workflows across all business-critical systems 
• Ensure compliance with strict data security and privacy regulations
• Reduce manual intervention while improving efficiency
• Scale operations without increasing IT complexity

The organization selected a modern integration platform with advanced automation capabilities.

By adopting a low-code integration approach, they accelerated process automation, reduced time-consuming development efforts, and gained end-to-end visibility into their data flows.

End Result:  

With this integrated approach, the provider was able to:

• Automate 170+ processes, significantly reducing manual effort
• Execute 17,000 API and process transactions daily, improving response times
• Reduce operational costs by streamlining system connectivity
• Enhance patient experience by ensuring fast and secure data availability across platforms

One of the biggest advantages was the affordable total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to traditional integration methods.

By optimizing their IT infrastructure, the provider was able to scale services without exponential increases in costs or complexity.

But wait, what about AI?  

Many organizations are now enhancing integration strategies with AI, unlocking additional efficiencies. Here’s how AI-driven integration makes a difference compared to traditional methods:

AI is profoundly good at summarizing. One of the next big improvements is the introduction of automated AI summaries to relieve doctors from the information overload.  

The Future: AI Will Continue to Reshape Integration Workflows 

The role of IT and integration teams is shifting.  

Instead of spending weeks writing scripts and debugging workflows, AI-powered iPaaS enables teams to focus on higher-value work, designing smarter automation strategies, optimizing business processes, and driving innovation. 

"The companies that win the automation race aren’t just integrating faster. They’re integrating smarter. AI is the key to making that possible." — Antti Toivanen, Head of Product, Frends 

AI isn’t just another tool in the integration toolbox. It’s fundamentally changing how integrations are built, managed, and scaled. 

Companies that embrace AI-driven integration today will move faster, reduce costs, and unlock automation at a scale previously impossible. 

📢 Want to see how Frends iPaaS can help?  Book a demo