How do I implement the FSC integration?
PTV is undergoing an architecture reform, as part of which API version 12 will be released. The new version differs significantly from version 11, which will be decommissioned after the transition period. Please take this change into account when planning a new integration!
To import data from the Finnish Service Catalogue to the digital services of your organisation, you need to connect the information system of your organisation and the FSC by means of a data system integration. The expertise of an IT supplier is required for this.
Matters to consider when planning and implementing integration
Anticipate and engage key actors
The FSC integration can be implemented at any time, but the most natural timepoint for doing it is when your online service is renewed. If possible, it is advisable to make the decision on this well in advance. This enables you to orient yourselves to the matter and engage all the necessary parties – such as the management, information management, communications, persons with expertise in the subject of the content, and cooperation partners – and to have enough time to plan the competitive tendering process and the implementation of the integration.
It is important that the integration project and the utilisation of integration in the production phase are supported by the management of the organisation.
Learn from others and cooperate
Familiarise yourself with integrations implemented by others well in advance and ask your cooperation organisations about their experiences of matters such as publication platforms, preparing a call for tenders or interesting IT suppliers.
Attend a workshop on the utilisation of FSC data to share tips and to hear what kind of experiences others have had.
Also, find out what the FSC situation is in your cooperation organisations. Have any of them already implemented the integration or are they in the process of planning it? Could you work together to prepare a call for tenders or even put out to tender a shared publication platform?
Carry the competitive tendering out smartly
It is very important that your organization has a good understanding of FSC and your own needs regarding integration before preparing a request for quotation, so that you are able to procure a high-quality PTV integration and guide the IT supplier in its implementation.
There are a large number of IT suppliers in the market who have previously implemented the FSC integration for commonly used publication platforms. It is possible to include in the call for tenders the requirement that the IT provider must already have a publication platform with an FSC integration, experience in implementing FSC integrations or experience of similar integrations. You should require that the supplier have at least experience in integrating data through json interfaces. It is also advisable to request references to verify the supplier’s competence.
Have your contents in order well in advance
Go through and update your organisation's FSC contents well in advance so that outdated or poor-quality contents do not pose an obstacle to the deployment of the integration.
If you are planning to use the FSC information of some other organisation, you should also examine them well in advance and if necessary, ask the organisation to update the information.
Step-by-step implementation
The FSC integration can also be implemented step-by-step, for example, by first importing only the details of the service locations and later, the details of the services.
It is advisable to carry out the implementation iteratively, in other words, to be prepared to develop the integration on the basis of the acquired experience and feedback from customers. Resources should also be reserved for this.
Report the integration
Data in the Finnish Service Catalogue can be retrieved without identification, which is why the Digital and Population Data Services Agency knows only about a small part of the integrations. If your organisation is planning the FSC integration or uses it in production, notify this to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to the address ptv-tuki@dvv.fi. The Agency can then communicate information to you about service disruptions and changes in the interface and is aware of who is using the data.