Data exchange between services

Data exchange between services happens when one system sends information to another. The receiving service may not be able to use it straight away because it expects a different format (how each value is written) or configuration (how the data is arranged). Data transformation is the conversion carried out so the destination system can read and process the shared data.

What transformation can involve

A destination system may have a different data structure from the source system, so the data cannot simply be copied across. It must be converted to match the destination's structure. Common changes include:

• Changing the order of fields so they follow the destination's layout.
• Splitting or combining fields, such as separating a delivery address into street and town, or joining a room number and building name into one location field.
• Changing date or number formats, such as turning 07-11-2026 into 2026-11-07, or writing 1200 as 1,200.
• Replacing codes with full values, such as changing membership code S to Student, because a code alone may mean nothing to the receiving service.

For example, a sports centre's booking system sends a member's details to a payment service. The booking system stores the address as one field, but the payment service needs a street field and a town field. It also stores the membership type as S, while the payment service needs Student. Without these changes, the payment service cannot match the record to the right customer and price.

Why poor transformation causes problems

If data is poorly transformed, it may be unusable or cause errors in the destination system. A date in the wrong format might be rejected, an unreplaced code might be meaningless, and split fields might not match the destination's structure. This can stop a booking, payment or record update from working.

Responsible use means planning and checking the transformation, so the destination system can understand and process the data it receives. Shared data is only useful when the receiving system can use it correctly.