Improving business efficiency by sharing data

Sharing data with suppliers, partners, and customers goes beyond mere efficiency—it fosters deeper, more collaborative relationships.

For suppliers, access to real-time data can streamline the supply chain, allowing for more accurate forecasting and inventory management. This transparency reduces delays and enhances the ability to respond to market changes.

In the case of partners, shared data can lead to better alignment on projects and objectives, enabling both parties to leverage insights for mutual benefit. This collaboration can lead to innovative solutions and more effective strategies.

For customers, providing them with direct access to relevant data increases trust and satisfaction. It empowers them to make informed decisions and offers a personalized experience. In each of these relationships, data sharing becomes a cornerstone for building stronger, more resilient business networks, driving growth and joint success.

The Power of Data Sharing via APIs

The way businesses share data with customers, partners, and suppliers is undergoing a transformative shift. Leveraging APIs for data sharing has emerged as a vital strategy for businesses aiming to outperform competitors. Data sharing via APIs offers a myriad of benefits that can significantly improve business operations:

1. Live and On-Demand Data Access: APIs provide real-time data access, ensuring that information is current and relevant.
2. Custom Data Retrieval: Users can access the specific data they need, not just a pre-defined dataset.
3. Format Flexibility: APIs allow data to be served in various formats, catering to diverse needs.
4. Evolution and Versioning: As your business grows, so can your APIs, evolving and maturing with version controls.
5. Ease of Consumption: Both users and computers can easily consume data through APIs.
6. Interoperability and Tooling Standards: Standards in APIs promote interoperability and offer a range of tooling options.
7. File Management Simplified: Avoid the complexities of managing cumbersome files.
8. Measurable and Auditable Access: API usage can be easily tracked, measured, and audited.
9. Business Reflection: Your API can be tailored to reflect your business logic and workflows.
10. Database Independence: APIs are not tied to specific database technologies.
11. APIs as Contracts: They serve as a contract, defining how data is exchanged.
12. Testability: APIs can be thoroughly tested for reliability and performance.

Implementing Data Sharing with RAW

RAW‘s API-centric approach offers a structured methodology for effective data sharing. Here are the main steps:

• Begin by identifying the relevant data and understanding the needs of your stakeholders. This helps in defining the scope and structure of your APIs.
• Implement robust data filtering or other data transformations to ensure that users can access precisely what they need, enhancing security and relevance.
• Post-deployment, focus on continuous monitoring and improvement of your API. This includes actively seeking user feedback and staying attuned to evolving business requirements. Regular updates and adaptations of your API ensure it remains efficient, secure, and user-friendly.

RAW offers a versatile and comprehensive solution for data sharing, supporting most common data formats and data sources. Whether it’s from CSV files, JSON data, relational databases, S3 buckets, the RAW platform facilitates the building and hosting of APIs for each unique data source or even combining them together.

1. Diverse Data Sources: Utilize RAW to create APIs that read and share data from multiple sources, including cloud storage, databases and even web services or other custom systems. This versatility allows businesses to tailor their data sharing strategies to specific needs and contexts.
2. Custom API Creation: Using Snapi, a programming language designed for API development, users can effortlessly write and customize their API endpoints. This simplicity empowers businesses to develop APIs tailored to their specific data sharing requirements​​​​.
3. Testing for Reliability: Before deploying, RAW enables users to test their APIs, ensuring that they perform as expected and deliver the desired data output effectively. This step is crucial for maintaining data integrity and reliability​​​​.
4. Personalized API Hosting: Choose the exact path for hosting your API, granting a level of customization that aligns with your business structure and branding​​​​.
5. API Metadata and Deployment: Edit the metadata to make your APIs easily discoverable in RAW’s built-in API Catalog. Once ready, deploy your API endpoint live, making it accessible for internal or external use.
6. Continuous Evolution: Regularly refine and update your APIs based on user feedback and evolving business needs, ensuring that your data sharing remains effective and relevant.

Supporting LLM technologies such as OpenAI GPT

In addition to data sharing mechanisms via APIs, RAW is at the forefront of embracing emerging trends in Large Language Models (LLMs) such as integrating with ChatGPT plugins or GPTs personas. This advanced capability allows businesses to experiment with or utilize cutting-edge AI technologies, enhancing their data sharing and processing capabilities. By leveraging these AI-driven tools, companies can automate and refine their data analysis, generate insights more efficiently, and offer their stakeholders more interactive and personalized data experiences. RAW‘s support for these innovative technologies positions businesses to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Next steps!

Data sharing through APIs is not just a technical enhancement; it’s a strategic business decision. By adopting API-driven data sharing, businesses can ensure that they are providing timely, relevant, and customized data to their customers, partners, and suppliers, thereby enhancing efficiency, transparency, and collaboration. With tools like those provided by RAW, implementing such a system is more accessible than ever.

Want to learn more?

• Read how RAW was used to help Switzerland’s Federal Statistics Office share data.
• Read technical documentation on how to build data sharing APIs by example.
• Learn how to build ChatGPT plugins with RAW.
• Finally, sign up now to get started for free!