What is an API and What do You Need to Make Use of an API

Intro to API's and Application Integration

In general, an API is a way for applications to share data, receive information, or verify user accounts. There will be a set of allowed actions and a particular structure for providing the action details for each API.

Having an API creates the possibility for an application to communicate with another application. For instance, entering a new record in one application might trigger sending that new record to another software. The API receives and processes the new record, adding it to the other software application. However, a developer had to program that trigger so that the new data would be sent to the API for the second software application.

Scorecard has an open API that you can use to update measures and data values. To integrate Scorecard with another application, you will need a developer's assistance to set up triggers for sending data from that application to Scorecard or retrieving data from Scorecard and adding it to the other application. Before the developer can set up the connections, you will need to figure out what data should transfer, when, how often, and which system will be the owner/authority for specific data elements.

Here's a quick visual explanation: