A common topic of discussion during our recently held Supply Chain User Groups was APIs – what are they, what do they do and why would we need them?

Firstly, what are APIs? Well, API is an abbreviation of application program interface, which is a set of routines, protocols and tools for building software applications. Most operating environments, such as Q-Pulse, provide an API so the I.T. department can write applications consistent with their operating environment.

Within an organisation, if different sites or departments are using several systems to manage business processes at the same time, it can be difficult to acquire corporate engagement of another solution, such as Q-Pulse. This challenge effects businesses across a multitude of industries, and can lead to staff duplicating their efforts as information is being fed into several systems, instead of one.

However, what if you can use the system that employees use daily and are familiar with to encourage engagement of compliance management activities?

By using APIs, you can. For example, a user viewing a customer record within their CRM system can raise a customer complaint which will automatically be recorded in Q-Pulse. This ensures that the information being entered is being consolidated in one, central place.

By integrating with other information systems such as ERP, manufacturing resource planning (MRP), e-mails and customer relationship management (CRM), an integrated quality management solution can support a variety of processes throughout the organisation.

For example, an API gives the user two options:

Create – they can raise a non-conformance of ‘goods in’ against a supplier within the ERP system.

Read – the user can view the customer satisfaction through CRM by reading the customer complaints from Q-Pulse.

Currently, our customers using APIs are benefitting as;

• Quality of data entered is improved and dynamic;
• Compliance is improved as staff are using tools familiar to them;
• The training overhead can be reduced as there is no need for everyone to learn Q-Pulse.

If you are interested in implementing an API, then simply fill in an API requirements guidance form. You can find these by clicking the link or by navigating to Support Portal>Downloads>Q-Pulse API.

For further information on APIs, or to find out how they might benefit your business, contact us today at info@gaelquality.com.