Advantages of API integration

Every company has technical systems that interact with others. APIs can be used to simplify processes considerably. A move that also has customers in mind.

APIs play an important role in the modern IT world. But what is an API? API is short for application programming interface and enables independent applications to exchange data on a source text level and communicate with one another.

One example of an API is probably already familiar to you from your day-to-day routine. With many online shops, there is no need to create a login as you can log in using another service instead, such as via Google, Swiss Post Customer Login or Apple Login. This exchange of data between an online shop and an external provider’s service is performed via an API. The advantage for the shop operator here is that they are spared the effort of developing the registration functionality themselves, and instead can rely on long-established services. It also means the operative business logic for registration is already in place and can be implemented more quickly, saving on time and effort, as well as development costs.

The goal of such programming or application interfaces is always to facilitate the exchange of information between different systems. Used appropriately, interfaces save users time and effort, making everything more convenient and, ultimately, further benefiting the customer.

Swiss Post has also developed APIs for business customers. By using these interfaces, for example, the user is able to create barcodes for parcel post directly from their own systems. This means the nature of the application is unimportant: it may be an ERP, the backend for marketplace software or an online shop.

Increased transparency and convenience for customers can be provided by functions displaying the shipping status of orders in the online shop, for example, or offer recipients shipping options at the ordering stage allowing them to decide which day the parcel should be delivered on.

With APIs, processes are more efficient, there is less effort involved in terms of development and system potential significantly increases. So it’s certainly worth considering APIs for specific tasks when it comes to designing online shops or applications.

Application programming interfaces offer a whole range of options and usage scenarios. Do you know of any other interesting ways to use APIs? Let us know in the comments on this page.