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Using LinkSafe’s Open API for Seamless Integration between Systems

Our policy at LinkSafe has always been to listen to our customers, work closely with them so we understand exactly what they want to do and then tailor solutions so we meet their needs precisely. We’ll then maintain a dialogue and monitor requirements so we can always be sure we continue to meet those needs.

A significant part of that strategy is the development of an open API that’s available to all our customers. This enables them to gain significant benefit from our systems and to integrate them with their own.

In this article
What’s an Open API and how can I Use it?
How the LinkSafe Open API can Help You

What’s an Open API and how can I Use it?

An API is an application programming interface. There can be private ones that are only available to the companies that develop them as well as open or public ones that can be accessed by any companies that are authorised to use them.

An API is simply a piece of software that provides the link between two systems. It allows those systems to interact with each other, either via internal or external networks and often using the internet.

An API is needed because systems that are developed separately by different companies will store their data in varying formats. It therefore provides a means of standardising those formats so that each system can understand what the other is saying and can respond accordingly.

When one company passes data via an API, it will do so in a format that is required by the receiving system. That system will consequently know what that data represents, will be able to process it correctly and can then pass back data to the originating system in a format it can understand and use.

The LinkSafe API is a one-way API. That means that we don’t extract any data from the other party, but they can easily access the data they’ve stored in our solution. This helps maintain privacy and ensure data security for all parties.

Our API helps eliminate the need to manually enter data into LinkSafe’s system and then repeat the process for any LinkSafe response that needs to be entered to a customer’s system. It avoids duplication of input and reduces the possibility of data entry errors.

An example of this would be using our API for your contractor management to pass details of your contractors into a finance system, and then track compliance within LinkSafe’s Compliance Management Software. As soon as a contractor is flagged as non-compliant within the LinkSafe solution, a client can configure their software to block work orders or payment of invoices. This reduces a lot of risk and manual work checking compliance and streamlines administrative work.

How the LinkSafe Open API can Help You

The open API can be used in a number of ways to ensure your system integrates fully with ours. These can include:

  • providing an induction checklist and extracting required data for new contractors
  • issuing work orders to authorised contractors that have been through the induction process and are marked as compliant
  • exchanging timesheet information to update project, contractor, payroll and billing details on various systems
  • passing progress and reporting details between systems.

The open API ensures that various, disparate systems can operate together in a totally integrated manner. But, by imposing stringent protocols and standardisation of data formats, it ensures this is done in a secure and efficient manner and that data can easily be accessed by those who are authorised to do so. The result is a seamless process that benefits all parties