Integration maturity is not a one-step process. As organizations grow, their systems move through different levels of integration, from basic manual data sharing to fully autonomous, intelligent, event-driven architectures.

Understanding the 9 levels of integration helps teams assess where they are today and what they need to scale reliably in the future.

This guide explains each level in simple terms, with examples and real-world context.

The 9 levels of integration range from manual data sharing to intelligent autonomous integration, progressing through file based, API based, event driven, process driven, and experience driven integration models.

Many integration failures happen because teams jump to advanced solutions without mastering foundational levels.

Knowing your integration level helps you:

• Reduce system failures

• Choose the right tools

• Avoid over engineering

• Scale integrations safely

• Align business and technical goals

Integration maturity is a journey, not a switch.

Data is moved manually between systems by people.

• Exporting CSV files

• Copy pasting records

• Manual uploads

• Error prone

• Not scalable

• Time consuming

This level is common in early stage businesses.

Systems exchange data using files on a schedule.

• Daily CSV transfers

• SFTP based data exchange

• Batch imports

• Better than manual work

• Simple to implement

• No real time updates

• Delayed data

Systems connect directly at the database layer.

• Direct database reads

• Replicated tables

• Tight coupling

• Security concerns

• High maintenance

This approach is generally discouraged in modern architectures.

One application connects directly to another using APIs.

• Salesforce REST API integration

• Web service calls between apps

• Real time communication

• Faster automation

• Hard to scale

• Complex maintenance as systems grow

Standardized APIs act as integration contracts.

• REST and SOAP APIs

• Public and private APIs

• Reusable

• Secure

• Scalable

This is where modern SaaS integrations begin to mature.

Systems react to events instead of constant polling.

• Webhooks

• Platform Events

• Streaming APIs

• Real time updates

• Loose coupling

• High scalability

Event driven models are essential for modern cloud platforms like Salesforce.

Entire business workflows are orchestrated across systems.

• Lead to cash workflows

• Customer onboarding automation

• Multi system approvals

• Business rules

• Error handling

• Workflow orchestration

This level aligns technology with business operations.

Multiple systems are unified at the user experience layer.

• Embedded applications

• Unified dashboards

• Single user interface across tools

• Improved productivity

• Seamless user experience

The backend remains complex, but the user experience feels simple.

Integrations that adapt and optimize themselves using intelligence.

• AI driven routing

• Automatic error recovery

• Predictive workflows

• Minimal manual intervention

• High resilience

• Continuous optimization

This is the future of integration.

1. Manual integration

2. File based integration

3. Database integration

4. Point to point integration

5. API based integration

6. Event driven integration

7. Process integration

8. Experience integration

9. Intelligent autonomous integration

Most enterprises operate across multiple levels at the same time.

Salesforce supports multiple integration levels naturally:

• APIs for real time integration

• Events for event driven models

• Automation for process integration

• Embedded components for experience integration

Modern platforms build on these capabilities to simplify Salesforce native integrations without heavy middleware.

• Stabilize before advancing

• Avoid skipping levels without readiness

• Design for loose coupling

• Monitor integration health

• Treat integration as a product

Integration maturity grows with discipline.

They range from manual integration to intelligent autonomous integration, covering data, application, event, process, and experience based models.

No. Most companies operate effectively between levels 5 and 7.

Yes. Most organizations use multiple levels depending on system criticality.

Yes. Salesforce supports API, event, process, and experience level integrations.

Integration maturity determines how scalable, reliable, and future ready your systems are. Understanding the 9 levels of integration helps teams make smarter architectural decisions and avoid unnecessary complexity.

The goal is not to reach the highest level quickly, but to reach the right level for your business needs.