How to Create API Value Chains to Grow Your Business

by Spencer Nguyen • January 31, 2022

Woman looking up how to create API value chains.

An application programming interface (API) value chain connects you to your customers through a series of partners. Unlike browser-based web apps where your customers buy goods or services directly from your website. APIs are a vital component of your digital business strategy. They help you analyze data and enable a multi-cloud strategy that can dramatically accelerate your time-to-market. Once you know how to create API value chains, you can implement them right away.

APIs drive value when enterprises disrupt the market. Companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Uber have been doing this for decades and dominated their traditional counterparts. However, the competition is beginning to catch up. Lock-downs and restrictions in the past few years – as well as lost revenue to API value chain-enabled businesses – have prompted brick-and-mortar businesses to focus more on creating API value chains of their own.

Technology is changing the way products are designed, developed, manufactured, distributed, sold, and serviced on an international level.

APIs Drive Efficiency

By using APIs to drive efficiency, you can operate more effectively and become more agile. This allows you to grow your business by reaching more customers and partners while boosting their access to new products and services. Traditional business methods have been radically transformed with the introduction of digital manufacturing, online marketplaces, API value chains, and on-demand services.

The ability to create value by connecting with customers, businesses, and machines is at the center of this market disruption. These real-time connections are dynamic and contextual. Powered by APIs, these digital value chains are your key to the future success of your operation.

Learn how to create API value chains for your business. DreamFactory can help you reach your customers through an integrated developer portal and online marketplace.

How APIs Create Value

Understanding how APIs create value will help you learn how to create API value chainsto benefit your business. There are two categories for digital value chains: internal and external. External value chains have two parts, so technically, there are three distinct types.

Internal value chains are directed more towards your employees, whereas external value chains cater to entities outside of the company – your customers (B2C External Value Chain) and your partners (B2B External Value Chain). It is very important that you implement and integrate all three. Businesses utilizing just one are missing out on a huge part of their market share.

Internal Value Chain: How to Create API Value Chains for Employees

Successfully implementing a digital value chain within the workplace begins by connecting your internal apps and records with your workers. Many companies have been working on this for the past decade or two, but have not been able to achieve the desired results.

The development of innovative digital solutions has shifted the focus to providing employees and critical stakeholders with tools for gathering information and collaborating with others so they can make quick, accurate, and beneficial decisions. The integration of internal applications and services has always been a bit of a challenge for businesses because of silos, stringent hierarchies, legacy applications, and a large number of applications that have never been properly documented.

This problem can be solved with catalogs. By creating internal API catalogs, you can document and share applications, data, and interfaces, enabling better consumption and integration for a more efficient operation.

Contact DreamFactory for more information on how to create API value chains that connect your employees through application integration and data-sharing.

B2C External Value Chain: Connect, Engage, and Serve Your Customers

The internet allows customers and clients to conduct business from anywhere with access to the web. This puts people into the “now” frame of mind. Whatever they want – information, new shoes, concert tickets – they want it instantly. A few clicks and they can get anything the world has to offer.

To stay in the game, you have to be able to fulfill the needs of your customers. In today's market, you can't just throw up a website and hope people will come. People have become too adept at browsing, and they want to browse from wherever they happen to be at the time. This means you have to be accessible through mobile apps, digital watches, home computers, and tablets. Any device that can connect to the Internet. Learning how to create API value chains, can make this happen.

Plus, they help you understand your customers. With these tools, you can expose specific contextual services or data seamlessly. This allows your customers to place an order, book a ride, or do whatever they like, wherever they like.

Learn how to create API value chains to empower your partners through secure access API gateways. Contact DreamFactory for more information.

B2B External Value Chain: Empower Your Partners

Digital connectivity partners are the go-between for you and your customers. They play a crucial and strategic role and need to be integrated into the fabric of your business. This means they need to have immediate and secure access to vital data so that they can make quick decisions and ensure the right products are delivered to the correct consumer in a timely manner.

Similarly, you also need insights into the data and digital activities of your partners. For example, you need to know the status of a supplier's inventory to gauge manufacturing quotas and timelines. With APIs, you can integrate your applications and systems with your partner's system in real-time, without compromising the security or integrity of their data.

Additionally, you can use APIs to leverage your partner company’s information to expand the scope of your customer base. Learn how to create API value chains to connect you to your partners. In the end, it’s all about tearing down the walls and openly sharing data. APIs are the “digital glue” that helps break through barriers and create value chains for a seamless data exchange.

Getting Started with DreamFactory

DreamFactory’s experts developed a full-service API management platform to guide you through the full lifecycle. Build your first API in minutes, maintain your existing APIs, or convert your older SOAP web service into a full-featured, secure, and documented REST API. You can do it all without writing a single line of code. It’s a simple way to open your organization up to new business opportunities and draw in new customers. Add new value to your organization in an afternoon with a new API strategy.

Ready to get started? Our guided tour can take you through every step of the process with your own data or sample data. Start your 14-day free trial today!