You put real effort into keeping your HR system accurate and up to date. Whether it’s payroll, time tracking or IAM processes across your system landscape, that high-quality data becomes essential. But when it sits locked inside a single system, it can create limits and frustration.

This is where integrations step in. By connecting your HR data to other systems, or letting your HR system read data from elsewhere, you ensure that the right information is available wherever it’s needed. Integrations turn your HR data into a living part of your wider digital ecosystem, supporting smoother operations and a more complete HR experience.

If you’re familiar with APIs and webhooks, you can jump straight to the developer documentation.

Why would you want an integration?

At its core, an integration automates the transfer of data between two systems. You enter the information once in your HR system, and the connected systems automatically receive it without any extra work.

This automation brings clear benefits:

  • It removes the risk of conflicting or outdated data

  • It reduces manual work and the time spent re-entering information

  • It ensures everything stays in sync across your system landscape

  • It improves data quality and consistency over time

  • It supports smoother onboarding and offboarding flows

And if the integration connects to an IAM solution, like ours often do, you can even free up licenses for expensive IT systems. You’ll know immediately when someone leaves the company or changes roles, which means instant updates instead of delayed cleanups.

Now that you understand why integrations matter, here’s how it works in CatalystOne.

Basics of integrating with CatalystOne

CatalystOne is designed to sit at the center of your system landscape, empowering automation and turning your HR master data into real operational value. With automatic provisioning and de-provisioning, you can reduce license costs. With consistent data flows, you keep employee information in sync across systems. And with automated updates, you save time while improving data quality.

How CatalystOne talks to other systems

An API is not an active component — it does not push or initiate anything on its own. Instead, an API is a passive interface that waits for another system to make a request.

When a request is received, the API responds with the data it is allowed to provide, or performs the action the request asks for (if permitted).

In practice, this looks like:

  • Another system asks: “Can I retrieve the latest employee list?”
    The API responds with the data.

  • Another system sends new information: “A new employee has been added — here are the details.”
    The API accepts the data and updates the system, if the request is valid.

The key point:

APIs do not push information out by themselves.
They only respond when another system calls them.

Real-time updates with webhooks

To keep everything in sync, CatalystOne also uses webhooks.
A webhook is a notification triggered the moment something important happens.

Instead of another system constantly checking for changes, CatalystOne pushes updates instantly when:

  • someone joins

  • someone leaves

  • someone changes role

  • employee details are updated

This keeps connected systems up to date in real time without unnecessary work.

Keeping everything secure with API keys

Every integration uses its own unique API key, which works like a digital access card. Only systems with a valid key can connect, and each key is limited to the data you specifically approve.

This gives you:

  • controlled access for each integration

  • the ability to revoke or replace keys at any time

  • security and full traceability

  • confidence that your HR data is only shared where it should be

In short

CatalystOne APIs move your HR data where it needs to go.
Webhooks make sure updates happen instantly.
API keys keep everything secure.

Together, they provide fast, reliable and safe integrations — without needing to be a developer to understand the basics.

Not a developer? Here’s what matters for you

Integrations are a key part of creating a seamless HR experience. CatalystOne often sits at the center of your system landscape as the source of truth for HR master data. By integrating with other systems, you ensure:

  • Data stays consistent across your tools

  • Manual updates are eliminated

  • Access rights and licenses stay accurate

  • Information is always in sync where it is needed

If you’re a developer, you can design, build, and maintain integrations yourself using our RESTful APIs and webhook functionality. All the technical resources you need can be found in our Developer Portal.

If you’re not a developer, or don’t have the time or experience to build integrations internally, CatalystOne can build them for you. Using our own integration platform, we work like any other integration vendor — with the added benefit of already knowing your data model and HR processes.

Why integrations are useful

At their core, integrations automate the movement of data between systems. This means:

  • Update information once in CatalystOne

  • Connected systems are updated automatically

  • Errors caused by manual re-entry are avoided

  • Time spent updating multiple tools is removed

If your integration is connected to an IAM solution, it may also help reduce license costs by automatically removing access when someone leaves the company or changes roles.

How CatalystOne helps you build integrations

We can deliver integrations as a service. This includes:

  • Designing and implementing integrations on your behalf

  • Applying security-by-design principles

  • Ensuring reliability and long-term support

  • Building with flexibility so the solution can be adapted to your workflows

For many widely used systems, we already have integrations running with other customers. These are mature, tested, and easily configurable.

If you need something new, our process is clear and collaborative:

  1. We align on scope and timelines together

  2. We gather requirements based on your ways of working

  3. We focus on solving your specific problem, not just connecting systems

  4. We iterate until the integration delivers the expected outcome

At CatalystOne, integrations are part of what we do best — and we work with you from day one to ensure everything functions smoothly.

To get started, reach out to your CSM, who will connect you with our integration experts.