Today, integrating technology into supply chain management isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. Whether you’re sourcing materials for an EV battery, authenticating luxury sneakers, or ensuring the quality of a high-end water cooler, digital tools can streamline your operations, reduce errors, and protect your brand reputation.
The good news? Building customized applications to tackle supply chain challenges is easier than you think, even for complex systems.
By harnessing the power of application development and API integration, you can create targeted, user-friendly tools designed to solve specific supply chain problems. This blog will walk you through key concepts like sharing data seamlessly, building efficient applications, and solving supply chain issues, all while leveraging real-world examples from a powerful API toolset.
Invest in application development for supply chain
Supply chain management is a complex beast—diverse datasets, multiple stakeholders, and high risks all converge in one ecosystem. But with the right tools, you can tame it. By building a custom application, businesses can:
Improve operational efficiency and accuracy.
Provide end-users with easy-to-use interfaces, reducing training needs.
Gain unparalleled insights into their operations and consumer confidence.
Whether you’re a supply chain manager, developer, or CIO, applications designed to streamline these processes are increasingly becoming a competitive advantage. And with tools like OpenText Thrust API Services, building these apps is simpler than you’d think.
Step 1: Share data seamlessly
The backbone of any efficient supply chain system is data—tons of it. From purchase orders to quality reports, this data needs to be captured, classified, stored, and retrieved efficiently. However, traditional methods often involve manual entry, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
This is where intelligent API integration comes in handy. Imagine this scenario:
A material knowledge worker receives a batch of procurement documentation for cobalt, a critical raw material for EV batteries.
Instead of manually processing each document, the knowledge worker uploads them into the custom application. The app uses intelligent capture, information extraction, and translation APIs to handle tasks like:
Classifying documents automatically (e.g., invoices, receipts, quality assessments).
Extracting essential details like batch numbers, timelines, and supplier data.
Translating international documents into the worker’s preferred language.
Step 2: Build custom applications for your supply chain
No two supply chains are identical, so why settle for one-size-fits-all software? Custom-built applications allow you to resolve specific bottlenecks within your operations. Through thoughtful UI design and API capabilities, these apps empower your teams to streamline processes.
For example, continuing our EV battery supply chain example, after you’ve ingested all the various documents and metadata is available, you can build an app that leverages AI and OpenText™ Aviator to quickly answer questions like, “Where was the cobalt sourced and refined, and what’s its final purity?” With the heavy lifting done by APIs, knowledge workers can focus on decision making rather than data entry, saving time and reducing errors.
Use cases
In the above example, we solved for proactive supply chain operations management by leveraging intelligent documents management. Designed with Thrust APIs, a custom app can:
Auto-upload, classify, and process documents in the background.
Pre-fill forms with extracted data like batch numbers, cutting down on manual input.
Deliver critical information in seconds so workers can make informed decisions.
In another use case, we can also leverage APIs to drive better traceability and product authenticity management that minimizes fraud. Authenticity is a growing concern in global markets, especially when dealing with high-value or luxury items. Whether it’s an EV battery or designer sneakers, counterfeits can damage both brand reputation and consumer trust. Here is how OpenText can help:
A customer scans a product’s QR code using OpenText GPAS ,typically via a mobile phone
The app connects with GPAS API and Metadata API to confirm the product’s authenticity and provide details like registration status and origin.
If counterfeit activity is detected (e.g., cloned QR codes), brands can pinpoint the issue and take action.
Step 3: Solve supply chain problems with insights
Having real-time visibility into your supply chain is critical for identifying inefficiencies, mitigating risks, and planning effectively. Customized applications enable brands to tackle these challenges through actionable insights.
The benefits
Fraud detection: Filter registrations to flag counterfeits and manage authentication easily. For example, if a single product’s QR code is cloned and registered across multiple locations, an app can highlight issues, allowing businesses to deploy investigators to stop revenue leakage.
Predictive analytics: Use integrated AI tools to forecast demand, optimize inventory, and reduce costs. Historical datasets imported into the app can identify trends you might miss and alert you before disruptions occur.
Improved consumer confidence: Enhance trust in your brand bygiving consumers the ability to confirm the authenticity of their purchases. It also reduces the risk of counterfeits circulating in the market, protecting your bottom line.
Key takeaways for developers
Developers play a critical role in leveraging tools like APIs to build robust supply chain applications. Platforms such as OpenText’s developer portal offer a wealth of resources, including free trials, sample applications, and documentation to support your project.
To get started:
Visit developer.opentext.com.
Sign up for a free trial to explore APIs like GPAS, Metadata, or Intelligent Capture.
Check out the sample applications to inspire your own custom development.
With just a handful of Thrust APIs, you can build powerful apps that optimize processes, improve efficiency, and add real value to your supply chain operations.
A competitive advantage for CIOs and executives
For CIOs, VPs of Applications, and other executives, adopting custom applications for supply chain management has far-reaching benefits:
Reduced operational costs through automation and enhanced efficiency.
Improved decision-making and agility via real-time insights.
Stronger customer relationships by ensuring authenticity and quality.
By investing in application development, organizations can stay ahead of competitors and position themselves as leaders in their industry.
Wrapping up
Managing a dynamic supply chain requires modern solutions. By leveraging application development and API integration, you can build targeted tools that simplify day-to-day tasks, enhance visibility, and solve systemic challenges. Whether it’s handling procurement efficiently, providing authenticity checks, or detecting counterfeits, the possibilities are endless.
The best part? You don’t have to start from scratch. Tools like OpenText’s Thrust API Services empower you to create sophisticated yet user-friendly applications with minimal development effort. Visit the OpenText Developer Portal today to explore how you can revolutionize your supply chain operations.
Increase efficiency and bolster customer confidence. Watch the demo of OpenText™ Thrust API Services to learn how custom applications can help you manage your supply chain.
Watch the demo of OpenText Thrust API Services
