Flexibility and efficiency through APIs
Today’s work processes increasingly suffer from painful frictional losses resulting from the immense number of business processes, solution models and objectives. Over the course of time, proprietary methods have developed for various tasks, each of which, in turn, meets its own specific requirements. What is missing, however, is the synergetic potential to create a large entity through the cooperation and combination of the originally individual processes, which increases flexibility and efficiency. This can be achieved through the consistent use of APIs.
Coordinated processes as an efficiency tool
The use of APIs to increase efficiency and flexibility is not primarily aimed to increase revenue directly. This aspect is already indirectly achieved with consistent application. Above all, it is important in this area to minimise resistance forces and avoidable resource consumption in order to achieve greater economic efficiency in this way. More information on aspects of economic efficiency when using APIs can be found in the article Economic benefits of APIs.
In the area of software development, the use of APIs allows the creation of a universal tool tailored to individual needs that provides related business processes and services side by side. A large part of the efficiency losses observed in the company is due to the constant switching between the required applications - a configuration that prevents any flexible response to current or time-critical events right from the start.
APIs create a common basis
Here APIs can help in two ways. On the one hand, they unite all applications required for the task under a common user environment. On the other hand, the internal structure of APIs allows flexible adaptation to current conditions.
The benefits of this strategy are spectacular: APIs not only allow previously separate applications to be efficiently combined into a single functional unit, but they also enable rapid and problem-free expansion with additional functionalities. Regardless of how many individual applications cooperate with each other - access to them is always simple and highly effective.
APIs as a tool for flexible data management
A coordinated application environment consisting of several jointly operating applications requires the uncomplicated and fast administration of all necessary data as well as flexible access to it. APIs make data sharing effortless, allowing universal access that is essential for collaborative or time-critical processes.
The demand for simple tools to change or extend application functionality, which is associated with flexible data management, is also fully met by APIs. They open up effortless and user-friendly ways for efficient and flexible data exchange with customers and business partners, combined with seamless access to all necessary backend processes.
APIs as a bridge between developers and users
The special data structure of APIs allows particularly intensive and fast communication channels between software developers and end users or marketing professionals involved in business processes. This enables optimized strategies to respond very quickly to changing market conditions or other external influences.
Conclusion
In all phases of the operational value chain, APIs can achieve often dramatic efficiency gains and noticeable process flexibility. This ranges from conceptual design to administration and usage. APIs support the development of new products and processes as well as the optimization of existing resources. When networking with cooperating systems, accessing data in real time and eliminating loss of time, the use of APIs is a must.