Manifest 2024 was a great show - it was great to connect with old friends and meet new ones. There's some very cool tech in supply chain, I could have spent hours just watching the robots. One of the benefits of a large trade show is the opportunity to workshop your elevator pitch - here's what we do at Liminal Network:
At Liminal Network we make APIs so easy shippers will use them. If you're an LTL shipper or 3pl, we can have live status and documents in your CRM, ERP, or customer-facing website (note I didn't say TMS) by end of day tomorrow. It's one simple API call that can live in a frame, no project required. No TMS doesn't mean it won't work with your TMS, it just means you don't need one to get started with us. All you need is the tracking number. It'll run faster if you also have the carrier name, but that isn't necessary.
Chances are building and maintaining communication lines like API and EDI isn't part of your strategic differentiation. It's a cost center, something that your customers demand. You already outsource EDI management - with Liminal Network you can outsource APIs.
-Hillary
Posted 2024-02-13 16:43 UTC+0000 link
I'm at the kickoff keynote at Manifest - it's amazing to be in a room with so many supply chain geeks. We're having great conversations about new technologies and digital transformation, and the customer journey is front and center.
Yesterday Peter Bolstorff said something I'm still thinking about - with digitization we traded functional silos for technical silos. We still have work to do on breaking down those walls. Everything comes back to the customer journey. Whether the user is an employee or external customer, we need to improve their experience.
It's going to be a great couple days of networking and learning. If you're at Manifest I'd love to meet up, just look me up in the app.
-Hillary
Posted 2024-02-06 16:38 UTC+0000 link
Last week we presented a webinar about API security - if you missed it the recording is up now. You can view the recording on the NMFTA's website.
It was a lot of information so we put together a cheat sheet - you can download it here.
We're looking forward to seeing you at Manifest next week!
-Hillary
Posted 2024-01-30 17:29 UTC+0000 link
Have you mapped your customer journey? It's not just for SAAS - it is a great way to document your customers' experience and see ways to get better. Here's my imaginary journey for a company selling physical goods online:
I've heard executives be shocked that their websites didn't have features we expect in a B2C world - does yours? We're here to help build them quickly without adding to your maintenance load.
-Hillary
Posted 2024-01-22 23:26 UTC+0000 link
Why do we care so much?
First off, what are EDI and API? They are both ways of exchanging data. EDI is a "standard" that has been around for decades. Those air quotes are because it is not really standard - everyone has customized their specifications. Setup is expensive and time-consuming, it is (relatively) slow and expensive to process, and EDI is very easy to break. One misplaced character can cause an entire file to fail.
APIs are a newer way of exchanging data when compared to EDI, they have been around for years. You might see references to JSON or XML, they are languages used in APIs. We like APIs because they are easily reusable, scalable, and near-real-time. Not to mention they can be very secure when they are set up correctly.
Why make the switch to APIs when EDI has worked for years?
Our goal is to remove the barriers to switching, with us you can outsource the boring maintenance work of APIs, freeing up your people to do work that no one else can. Want to learn more? Click Schedule a Demo below.
Hillary
Posted 2024-01-15 22:45 UTC+0000 link