How Liminal’s API Hub is Revolutionizing Supply Chain Communications

A revolutionary change is coming to supply change communications. Liminal’s API Hub is breaking new ground by providing businesses with a simple, secure way to share real time data with their partners.

As supply chains grow more complex, it’s becoming more difficult for business systems to talk to each other. This communication breakdown adds complexity, raises costs, and aggravates customers. 

“Our API Hub provides businesses with a simple way to communicate with each other and a single place to manage their APIs,” said Liminal founder and CEO Hillary Drake.

“Too many businesses are trapped by outdated EDI technology that is expensive to maintain and is limited in the types of data it can communicate. Using our API Hub provides companies and their customers with the data they need when they need it.”

Why APIs are a Step Forward

What makes APIs a better choice than EDIs is their flexibility, scalability, and efficiency.

APIs, or application program interfaces, are commonly used by technology companies to allow software applications to communicate with each other in real time. Using this technology allows companies to share data, such as order status or when a shipment has been delivered.

EDI, or Electronic Data Interchange, was introduced to supply chains in the 1960s to provide long-distance communication before the Internet. The challenges of using EDIs are that they require a significant amount of startup time, specialized programming, and ongoing maintenance.

The Liminal Advantage

A challenge to using APIs is that every API is slightly different. They might have different credentials, different field names, or return data in slightly different formats. Working through these differences can be cost prohibitive for companies to do on their own.

Liminal has developed an elegant solution to this challenge by building standard integrations for companies such as Estes Express, A Duie Pyle, and Old Dominion. Using APIs provides Liminal with the flexibility to add integrations to the API Hub from any company or system that uses an internet connected API.

The API Hub delivers a company’s supply chain data in real time. Allowing employees, customers, and suppliers access to bills of lading (BOL), proof of delivery (POD), and tracking information across a company’s network and through its website.

The API Hub was built from the ground up to keep data secure. It includes built-in multi-factor authentication, encrypted credentials, and whenever possible, the system deletes and overwrites data as soon as delivery has been confirmed.

Getting Started with the API HUB

Liminal has three options that make it easy for companies to start using the API Hub. There’s a sandbox where customers can test using their own data. A self-service option and documentation for people who want to set up their account.

Liminal also has a skilled team of supply chain and IT professionals available to help customers set up, test, and implement the API at their company.       

“At Liminal, we’re committed to building tools that solve today’s practical problems in supply chain communications,” said Drake. “Once people have tried the API Hub and see how simple it is to implement and how much more cost effective it is than EDIs, we’re confident that our API Hub will become the new standard for supply chain communications.”

To see Liminal’s API Hub in action, set up a demo.