Dev Story: Separating Core Business Logic From Integration Code in Pipelines

In a software team building a shipping and order management application, developer Marta reflects on how the system evolved after adopting the TPF framework, with new carriers, dashboards, and reconciliation processes added over time. A code review by teammate Daniel raises a subtle concern: a pipeline change was technically correct, but the underlying business logic had not actually changed. A casual conversation with colleague Elena helps Marta articulate the distinction between steps that define the business — such as order validation, inventory reservation, and payment authorization — and steps that merely connect it to the outside world, like callbacks and message publishing. The insight leads Marta to recognize that treating these two categories as identical can obscure what the application actually does. Rather than a structural overhaul, her takeaway is a conceptual one: stop conflating business rules with integration mechanics.