API. Application Programming Interface. You’ve probably heard about it, but you never delved into it further. It’s IT-stuff after all, nothing to do with business management.  Are you totally sure?

According to McKinsey, APIs are “a significant engine of business growth” that “allow businesses to monetize data, forge profitable partnerships and open new pathways for innovation”. They simplify the access and integration of data from different sources, improve companies’ internal procedures and workflow, they can enhance e-businesses’ users experience and help the development of new products.

How APIs work

APIs are programming tools that allow different applications or programs to interact each other. They are code sets that describes a specific operation, which developers can embed to other operating system without having to program it again. For instance, to add an interactive map on the company’s website, you don’t need to learn how to code it, you can simply use the Maps API provided by Google.

To sum up, APIs allow to easily extend the functionalities of softwares and application by adding new features at a low price.

s-peek's API

All s-peek’s features (credit semaphore, FLASH and Extended12M Reports) are available via APIs.

They can embed in ERP, project management and business intelligence softwares to evaluate the feasibility of a project or to supervise the financial situation of suppliers/clients in order to avoid unexpected losses.

Invoice trading, digital factoring and crowdfounding services are some of the field in which s-peek’s API are already in use.

Usefull technical info

s-peek’s APIs are REST-based (REpresentational State Transfer web-services), which means they are designed in a specific software architectural style that exploit the HTTP protocol used by the web to allow the comunication between clients and a web servers. REST APIs are compatible with any programming language.

Responses are processed in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), a lightweight format for storing and exchanging data. s-peek also provides a free testing environment to test and develop requests.

FLASH and Extended12M Reports are available both in monitored version (data are automatically monitored and updated for one year) and standard ones.

A testing environment is available.

To learn more about the topic, click here or contact our technical support at: support@s-peek.com