How Integration Testing Helps Improve Software Quality

Hi everyone,
I wanted to start a discussion about integration testing and how it fits into modern software development workflows. You can check out a detailed guide here: integration testing.
Integration testing is the stage that comes after unit testing and before system testing. Instead of verifying individual pieces in isolation it focuses on how those pieces work together when combined. This is especially important in applications built with multiple services APIs and shared databases where interactions between components can create unexpected issues.
Why Integration Testing Matters
Integration testing helps uncover defects that might not surface during unit tests. For example a login module might work fine on its own but when connected to session services databases or external APIs things can behave differently. This type of testing makes sure that modules communicate correctly and data flows smoothly across the system.
Common Integration Testing Approaches
There are a few commonly used approaches depending on project structure:

• Incremental Integration Testing – testing subsets of components step by step
  
• Big Bang Integration Testing – integrating everything at once
  
• Service Level Integration Testing – common in microservice environments
  

Each approach has its strengths and trade-offs depending on team size and architecture.
Challenges People Face
From my experience some common challenges include:

• Setting up realistic test environments
  
• Managing flaky tests caused by shared resources
  
• Handling external dependencies like third party APIs
  

Automation and proper test isolation can help address these.
Questions for the Community
I’d love to hear your thoughts:

• How do you integrate integration testing into your CI/CD pipelines?
  
• Do you use specific tools for managing test environments or mocking services?
  
• What strategies have worked best for your team when testing complex workflows?
  

Looking forward to your insights!