eCommerce has come a long way in a short period. Its acceleration was exacerbated thanks to a global pandemic that forced businesses to adjust their digital sales plans. Even in FES, where relationship-based selling is still essential, accessible product data on the internet is no longer an amenity but a necessity.
AQ customers need to forge ahead in accelerating the process of maintaining accurate content that is easily standardized and uniform across all platforms where you store product data for your business. You must understand the mechanisms behind the API tool you rely on for these initiatives in order to succeed.
What is an API anyway?
API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface, which acts as a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. In a way, it works as a middleman that translates coded information from one platform to another. Many companies leverage APIs to integrate various solutions used across the business and eliminating the effort to maintain accurate data across systems. Not only does this tool reduce the time and effort required to keep your data uniform, APIs also eliminate the need to build custom or home-grown systems from scratch.
How can the Products API help me?
The Products API is the bridge from your eCommerce or ERP to AQ’s powerful Content Core. This tool allows you to extract product details from the go-to source for the most accurate and comprehensive product information. With AQ Products API, you can access marketing descriptions, images, CAD and Revit content, pricing, and more. You decide how to mold the foundation of product information with Products API, from how much there is to how often it's updated.
In other words, the API significantly simplifies populating a brand-new eCommerce site or maintaining accurate product data on your current site. If you don’t have someone in-house with the technical skills to implement the API, your next move to get up and running quickly is to bring a partner on board.
Finding the right partner
Velosio is a full-service technology partner with over 30 years of experience deploying best-fit business applications that keep you ahead of the competition. So, what does an implementation process look like? Velosio’s CEO shared an outline of the three-step process and more about how working with Velosio minimizes the strain on your resources, making it the quickest way to get up and running!
Once the partnership is established, Velosio will schedule and lead a call with you and discuss your current systems, outline the pain points of your current process, and determine how the Products API will support your goals. You will also want to come prepared with a list of goals to ensure the planning process goes smoothly.
Get ready, get set…
Now Velosio gets to work on creating the connection from the Products API to your site. The configuration will depend on the options you selected during the discovery call or other planning discussions. Depending on the amount of data required, this process typically takes between two to three weeks. During that time, Velosio will complete initial testing, which will be followed by your own testing to ensure all elements meet your expectations.
Go Live!
Once testing is completed to satisfaction by both Velosio and you, it's time to determine a go-live date and make final preparations to execute and get your site up and sales moving. Here are just some of the benefits of implementing Products API with the help of a partner:
- We take on all of the technical work. We make it simple and easy
- Speed to deploy; you can get up and running quickly
- Eliminate your manual work to maintain systems
- Eliminate the manual maintenance of updating hundreds or thousands of products, pricing, descriptions
- Gain control and efficiency
- Kickoff to go live in 30 days
To recap, leveraging a partnership to implement the integration minimizes the workload required from your end while ensuring that you benefit from the expertise of a company with years of industry experience. Reach out to our sales team at sales@AQ-FES.com to learn more.
Related links: ICYMI: FAQ's for AQ's Products API, Enrich Your AQ Content with Two Key Data Points
