API Information

An API integration can sound daunting, however the process is actually relatively simple. Let's walk through the basics. API stands for 'Application Programming Interface.' Simply put, it is a method for completing a site function without the need to log in and do that manually in SMS. Examples include viewing an incident record, adding a chemical product, enrolling a learner in online training, and updating monthly hours worked. When another system (e.g. HRIS, Insurance Carrier, Purchasing software, LMS) additionally offers their own APIs, the two systems can work together to perform automated functions. The client writes a simple stepped process to call first the host system, determine what data has been updated, then call SMS to update the records on our side (or vice versa.) This job runs on some predetermined frequency (e.g. every day) to keep the two systems aligned.