Development of SquashTM middleware - ClickUp by Ayokai

When project and test management tools work in isolation, tracking requirements and anomalies becomes complex. This was the situation faced by Plus Que Pro, whose teams used ClickUp to manage projects and SquashTM to structure tests.

To streamline these exchanges and guarantee real-time synchronization, Ayokai designed a tailor-made middleware capable of connecting these two platforms seamlessly.

Understanding expectations and problems

Plus Que Pro relied on ClickUp for project management and SquashTM for test tracking. But these two tools operated without direct interconnection, forcing teams to juggle between platforms to track the evolution of requirements and anomalies.?

This lack of fluid linkage led to discrepancies between business requirements and their validation, complex tracking of anomalies and time-consuming manual updates.

Three main obstacles slowed down the teams' work:

• Scattered information flows: every modification had to be passed on manually, increasing the risk of oversights or inconsistencies.
• Lack of traceability: it was difficult to obtain a clear and reliable view of the evolution of requirements and anomalies.
• Repetitive, time-consuming updates: teams were wasting time entering the same information over and over again.

The objective was therefore clear: eliminate this friction by automating data exchanges between ClickUp and SquashTM, for smooth synchronization and simplified tracking.

1. Middleware design?

Before launching development, we had to unpack the SquashTM and ClickUp APIs. The aim was to understand their capabilities, their limitations and the best way to make them interact.?

The challenge was clear: design a middleware capable of ensuring fluid communication between the two systems, while guaranteeing the reliability of the data exchanged.

To achieve this, several mechanisms were put in place:

• Automatic transformation of user stories into requirements: each task created on ClickUp had to be converted into a requirement on SquashTM, thus ensuring continuity between the project and testing.
• Synchronization of anomalies: when a defect was identified on SquashTM, a bug ticket had to be generated on ClickUp to ensure its follow-up by the teams concerned.
• Bi-directional status updates: any changes made in one of the tools had to be instantly reflected in the other, guaranteeing real-time consistency.
• Custom field mapping: platform-specific data had to be correctly aligned to avoid any loss of information.
• Automated notifications: stakeholders were to be alerted as soon as a major update was made, facilitating the monitoring of evolutions.

To structure these exchanges, a robust technical architecture has been put in place.?

It relies in particular on a MongoDB database, used to store transaction history, and on an error management engine to identify and correct inconsistencies in real time.

2. Implementation of bidirectional communication

The development of the middleware was structured in three main phases, with a clear objective: to guarantee fluid, reliable data exchange between SquashTM and ClickUp, while anticipating any inconsistencies.

Step 1: Studying APIs and structuring permissions

Since each platform has its own access and data management rules, an in-depth analysis of the SquashTM and ClickUp APIs was carried out in order to :

• Identify potential incompatibilities and avoid any loss of information.
• Define the permissions required to enable the middleware to access, modify and synchronize data securely.
• Structure exchange flows and adapt API requests to ensure optimum compatibility between systems.

Step 2: Development of interconnect services

Interconnection services were developed to automate interactions between the two tools:

• Requirements creation and updating: transformation of ClickUp user stories into SquashTM requirements, with automatic synchronization in the event of modification.
• Anomaly management: transmission of defects detected on SquashTM to ClickUp in the form of follow-up tickets, ensuring rapid processing by the teams concerned.
• Status synchronization: instantaneous updating of information between the two platforms to avoid discrepancies and inconsistencies.

Step 3: Setting up monitoring and reporting mechanisms

To guarantee optimal operation and detect any anomalies, several monitoring mechanisms were integrated:

• Detection of synchronization errors via a monitoring engine, enabling rapid identification of any inconsistencies.
• Recording of exchanges in a MongoDB database, providing a detailed transaction history for accurate monitoring and rapid analysis.
• Automated notifications, alerting users to critical updates for greater responsiveness.

Thanks to this architecture, the middleware ensures reliable and transparent bidirectional communication between SquashTM and ClickUp, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

3. Validation and deployment?

Before going into production, the middleware was subjected to a series of rigorous tests to ensure its stability and smooth operation.?

Each validation phase had a specific objective:

• Unit tests: individual verification of each module to ensure that each component functions correctly.
• Integration tests: simulation of exchanges between SquashTM and ClickUp to ensure error-free data flow.
• User acceptance: the middleware is made available to QA teams to test its behavior in a real environment and identify any possible adjustments.

Once these validations had been completed, the middleware was deployed on a Docker containerized infrastructure, guaranteeing optimized management of the environments. Integration with GitLab CI enables automated updates and precise tracking of project developments.

Conclusion

In developing this middleware, Ayokai has provided a precise technical response to a concrete need: to automate synchronization between SquashTM and ClickUp. From API analysis to production launch, every step was designed to guarantee smooth, reliable exchanges between the two platforms.

This project reflects our expertise in business tool integration and process automation. We design tailor-made solutions, adapted to complex environments and specific business requirements.

Do you have an integration project? Need to optimize your tools? Contact us for a collaboration tailored to your needs.