An API (Application Programming Interface) is the interface through which one piece of software makes its data and functions available to others, following fixed rules. It’s how two systems talk without someone copying data from one into the other by hand.
How it works
One system sends a request (say, “give me tomorrow’s delivery orders”) and the other replies with the data in a structured format. Most APIs today are REST APIs: they travel over the web like the pages of a website and exchange data as JSON. A good API is documented, meaning it spells out in writing what data it exposes, in what shape and with what permissions, so the people using it don’t have to guess.
APIs and logistics integrations
In distribution, APIs connect the systems that pass an order along: the ERP, the WMS, the TMS or route planning software, and the driver app. An API integration replaces exporting and re-importing files: orders flow in on their own and the delivery outcome goes back to the ERP with no manual steps.
APIs are also how vehicle data can be read straight from the manufacturer, with no hardware on board: that’s the data-as-a-service model.
FAQ
API integration or Excel files: which is better?
It depends on volume and on the source system. A file is the quickest route and needs no development; an API removes the manual steps but requires the ERP to be able to call it or expose its own data. Many projects start with files and move to an API later.
Does Optivo have APIs?
Yes. Optivo exposes documented REST APIs, so direct integration with ERPs, WMSs and TMSs is possible when the system in place can work over an API. What to connect, and how, is assessed case by case, starting from the data the system already produces.