So you've got a problem. There's this piece of software your company has been using for a long time now, and it works great. People enter data into it all day long. But this other software does something slightly different, and you want that one, too. But what would be neat is if you could figure out a way for both pieces to talk to each other. The solution? Middleware.
Middleware is a way to fix a problem that doesn't have to exist. So, let's examine the issues with middleware technology and see where it leads.
What Is Middleware? Middleware is computer software designed to allow communication between two different types of applications. It's a way for you to connect two disparate systems that weren't designed to talk to each other and give them a way to have a chat.
Popular examples of middleware platforms include Dell Boomi, Informatica, MuleSoft, and Tibco, which are widely used to integrate disparate systems in industries ranging from logistics to finance.
Some examples include:
This has created what I like to call the Integration Era. In this era, we've built these tools to integrate with other ones because we need them to work together.
But while it seems to be about communication, it's really not. It's a Band-Aid, and I'd like to say it officially: The Integration Era is over.
What's the Problem With Middleware? Say I've got software, and I'm documenting the number of widgets in our system. Then, let's say, my buddy, Jim, is doing the exact same thing with the exact same product.
But he's super busy, and he doesn't have the time to do all this data entry, and if he does, he's not necessarily paying attention to the details. Does he count by physical units? By weight? Meh, whatever, the machine will figure it out.
And yes, this is what middleware would fix. A middleware engineer would come up with a fancy solution involving some pairing of APIs and software magic, and there would be a way to fix all of Jim's data inaccuracies. The information would get routed into the right system, whatever that happened to be. But the result is what I call a disconnected conversation, and that's a problem.
Middleware creates these disconnected conversations because it does all the work. Jim enters numbers into a system, and the information goes to whatever other systems need it.
Why do we need that other step? Why should Jim's job be all about entering data when he can send the data into the systems directly? And frankly, why do we need so many systems?
The Solution Is Connected ConversationsThis method of going right to the source is a connected conversation. Part of the problem with middleware is sometimes it's a big game of telephone. Wires get crossed, and bad data is entered into the system and misinterpreted by the middleware.
And sometimes, the real world throws a monkey wrench into our virtual desk jobs -- like when a port strike causes supply chain delays and middleware operators suddenly have to juggle hundreds of changes.
We need to be direct, and that's going to require change.
Workers will need to transition to becoming digital workers. AI may do some of these tasks. In other cases, employees will leverage AI to do some tasks independently. We won't have so many systems, and things will be more centralized. The solution is having AI do the heavy lifting -- finding patterns, summarizing data, and making recommendations. But it's people who will analyze these insights and make the decisions that truly matter.
We need to be direct and interfere between our systems. It's the only way to achieve the supply chain of our dreams.