discover the power of using yourmemership api's

Presented by

Discovering the Power of API’s

Anirudh Pandya ‘Rudy’Empowered Margins, Inc.

http://www.empoweredmargins.com/ym

Discovering the Power of API

… if you are using an API

Raise your hand …

…if you don’t know what an API is


About API’sWhat are they?

How can I benefit from API’s?



‣Definition: API’s (Application Program Interfaces) are a set of software tools, protocols and routines that provide access to data in a Cloud Application using pre-defined formats. API is like a window into your database in the Cloud Application.

‣API’s use standard formatted data such as XML and JSON to query the database and retrieve results.

‣ API’s run “behind the scenes” and avoid the limitations and inefficiencies of User Interface’s (UI’s)

‣API’s allow us to query the ‘raw data’ stored in the Database used by Cloud Applications

What is an API?



‣Repeatable - Tasks are accomplished faster, because the functions/tasks are running at the code level

‣Efficient – data can be created once and reused in multiple ways

‣Integrated - streamline business reports using data from different systems for accurate decision making

‣Batch Processing - multiple tasks concurrently to save time, money and stress!

How are API’s Helpful? (Business Perspective)



‣Secure – API’s can be made secured through trust relationships using encryption certificates and keys

‣Platform Independent – API’s can be accessed using any coding platform

‣Standard data formats– API’s expect and return results in standard data formats like XML formats

‣Future Ready and Scalable – API’s can support unanticipated future uses, like data migrations or reuse of existing data towards a new product

How Are API’s Helpful?(Technical Perspective)


Webinar Title

Middleware Applications Connect Cloud Software

MiddlewareAPI API


Webinar Title

‣Middleware servers play a connecting role between Cloud Applications

‣Middleware Servers need to be setup to host the Scripts that make the API calls

‣These Servers can be hosted in the cloud or any server farm like Amazon, Rackspace, …

‣Middleware Servers sometimes need to host data from the Cloud in their database for batch processing outside the Cloud Application

Role of the Middleware



Let’s Get Practical



Raise Your Hand if you like to enter data twice?

Common Problem: Duplicate and Asynchronous Data

Raise Your Hand if you like to manually generate reports?


Webinar Title

• Automated Data Synchronization to reduce Double Entry and reduce human errors

Automation

• Single Sign On – Provide your members the convenience to use YM credentials to gain access to multiple software’s

Single Sign on

Case Study – Triggering Thought


Case StudyAutomate – Data Sync

YourMembership to Salesforce


Webinar Title

‣Goal:Association wanted to increase New Member engagement within the investor/donor community to increase follow-ups using a CRM tool

‣Association wanted to synchronize New Member Profile data with CRM tool (Salesforce) to eliminate data duplication

‣Association wanted to keep the data changes updated between YourMembership and CRM tool periodically synchronized

Business Problem



Old Way (Hard Way)

Update 1

PROBLEM: Data only moving one direction

New Member Extract

Update 2

Update 3Account

ManagementTeam

Member YM Admin

Member Profile Updates

Dues & Donation Exports

Profile Update

Manual ReportsDaily

Weekly

Monthly

Admin Pulls Reports

Manual Updates



‣Setup a scheduled script on the middleware

‣Scheduled script fetches new changes from YM and SalesForce into a Database on the middleware server

‣The script compares the time stamp on changes and writes updates to respective systems

‣Created and Mapped Custom Fields in YourMembership and SalesForce

‣This process was to be scheduled as a daily batch job and could also be triggered manually by the administrator.

Technology Solution Specifics



New Way: Data is Synchronized

Account Management

TeamMember

Profile Update

Solution: Synchronous Data

Member Profile Updates

Dues and Donations

New Member ReportsAutomatic Updates

Middleware

APIAPI



YM serves as the single point data entry and information collection source.

Member can modify their own profile records in YM and it can be synchronized over to any other cloud application

The sales team maintains its workflow autonomy within CRM but has access to the newest member information for follow up

Automatic and frequent reporting

Engage newest members with most accurate data

Benefits



‣Involve all stakeholders – Requirements and Testing

‣Understand and Map data between YM (source) and target application

‣Business Rules around Internal Workflows to tackle Updating & Deleting records

‣Data Synchronization Conflict – Who wins? YM or other application

‣ Error – Logs and Notifications

Checklist – Synchronization API


Case StudyIntegrate – Single Sign on



‣Association had geographically dispersed staff of coaches

‣Association needed a Single Sign On to allow Coaches to access 3rd Party resources like reporting timesheets, training material and performance records

‣Association Coaches had to remember 4 sign in credentials and URL access points

‣Association Support Staff spent time on support calls regarding account lockout and resetting credentials

Business Problem



Problem #1YM Admin

I have to CREATE 4 different

usernames and passwords!

Problem #2YM User I have to

REMEMBER 4 different

usernames and passwords!

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.



Solution Overview: Single Sign-On Using YM as Identity Provider

APIAuthenticates Member

Secure Packet for Member Login to various Applications

Middleware(Member Database)

Member Signs into YM WebsiteNavigates to Custom Page for SSO



One Solution Fixes Multiple Problems

Happy Member

I only have to create ONE

username and password!

I only have to remember ONE username and

password!

Happy YMAdmin

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1 Login and Password!

1 Login and Password!



Technology Solution – Single Sign on



‣SSO Solutions are implemented with YM as the Identity provider◦Enable @@WEBSITE_ID@@ Macro at YM

‣Identify Internal Process to Provision users◦Auto Create members◦Deletion of Members Scenarios

‣Service Provider Application◦Get all SSO Documentation from Service Provider◦Ensure your current account status provides you access to API’s◦Get API’s keys from Service Provider◦Check with Service Provider if Trust certificates are required

Before Implementing an SSO …


About the YM API



‣YM API can be accessed using API Key’s assigned to all customers. ◦ “Content Settings > General Settings > API Config”

‣YM API documentation is available online◦To use the YM API one needs to know the Input/Query/Search

Parameters and understand the format of the Output data, these can be found at https://api.yourmembership.com/reference/2_03/Methods.htm

YM API Notes

https://api.yourmembership.com/reference/2_03/Methods.htm


‣ Engage all stakeholders for Specifications◦ Stakeholder to prepare their own Use Case Scenario – How do they plan to use the data? How often?

‣ Train all stakeholders on expectations◦ To recognize the limitations of the Middleware solution

◦ To use and test the integration

‣ Changes in business rules/workflow can impact the API functioning◦ Some API Implementations are sensitive to nomenclature standards and configurations

‣ Map your own Data and Data Flow before engaging the vendor◦ The YM Data mapped to the data in the Endpoint Application

◦ Ensure all the Data Operations (like creating, modifying and deleting data) are accounted

‣ Support Contract◦ Post deployment/implementation support

Setting up API based Solutions for Success –Some Best Practices




‣ Share Test Scenarios and Test Data with Developer/Vendor

‣ Parameterize◦ API key, Sync time, Credentials, Endpoints, Email address

‣ Alerts & Error Logs◦ Manage and Review Error Logs periodically◦ Email failures to Stakeholders

‣ Ensure Script and Server follow Eastern Time while interacting with YM API◦ API solutions are dependent on YM’s Server time and any time sensitive cutoffs may be constrained by

this time

‣ Track YM API Call Limits

Technology Solution – Best Practices



A Few Cloud Integration Solutions by Empowered Margins


Thank you
