The goal of integration strategies has traditionally been focused inward, with a priority on eliminating data silos, creating real-time integrations between applications, and building a simplified user experience for employees.
While these objectives are still important, the volatility highlighted recently by tariffs has many asking if it is time to look at interconnectivity outside the enterprise as well. Establishing direct integrations with suppliers and B2B customers is improving supply chain visibility, increasing brand stickiness, and allowing for just-in-time inventory planning.
Let’s explore how MuleSoft is enabling next generation integrations outside the four walls of an enterprise.
Integrated supply chain data: An old concept, evolved
Data sharing between companies is not new. Manufacturers, consumer goods companies, retailers, and many others have been using electronic data interchange (EDI) for decades to automate order processing at scale.
With the wide scale adoption of APIs, a new opportunity for external data sharing and capture is coming into focus. In addition to order data, companies and other organizations are actively sharing inventory data, logistics tie-ins, advertising attribution, and other data sources with their supplier/customer ecosystem.
Imagine a warehouse management system from one company, directly integrated via API to an order management system of another. This secure direct tie-in can improve inventory replenishment timing and help eliminate human error in traditional order processes. Order visibility and demand forecasting are also improved by the near real-time data connectivity.
When thinking about all of the data that can be shared or harvested, the use cases are as diverse as the supply chains driving them. The secret of success in these initiatives is the tooling and integration infrastructure that underpins an organization’s systems of record.
API strategy fundamentals
Important questions to ask ahead of embarking on an API integrated supply chain journey:
- Does my organization have an enterprise integration strategy, including API management and governance competencies?
- Are we using one tool primarily, or do we have four or more tools in our tech stack?
- Is my current integration architecture composable, or a brittle point-to-point model?
These are important questions to ask, as unfortunately integration tooling is often viewed as less critical than the applications it connects. To be successful in building an API integrated supply chain, the prioritization of sound integration strategy and the related mindset shift is critical.
Is this too complex for suppliers and customers?
After overcoming potential internal obstacles, it’s time to look externally to the question everyone invariably asks: Are my suppliers/B2B customers savvy enough to connect with?
Believe it or not, many organizations are already doing this. From startups to multinationals, search for a major retailer or supplier by name and include “developer portal” in the search. Thousands of companies have already started this journey, and with the proliferation of agentic AI, interconnectivity is no longer just a nice to have.
The real decision is whether a company will start the journey today and be only a couple of years behind competitors – or wait to fall further behind.
Get started with enterprise integration
The good news is getting started is a lot easier than it may seem. There are lots of great enterprise integration tools that can help you build this capability into your business and MuleSoft is one of those tools. Whatever tool you choose, don’t forget to focus on a composable API-led architecture. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, start by asking what it is and why it is important. All roads start with composability.
