An API (application programming interface) is a technology that lets different vendors connect their solutions using standard protocols as compared to heavily customized consulting-driven integrations. Using Tableau and Solver as an example, Solver’s cloud-based CPM application connects to the Tableau API interface to deliver data and dimensions directly from Solver to the Tableau cloud. Benefits of such standard integration include:
Nicely categorized financial data that makes it easy for Tableau dashboards to handle changing account structures, new business units, financial periods.
Because data is already clean coming over from Solver, it automatically creates the dashboard data model in Tableau.
Solver can act as a data warehouse by combining ERP and other data sources, and then delivering it as a single data stream to Tableau, reducing implementation time and cost.
Solver’s data schema is a so-called “star schema,” and when transferred to Tableau, it eliminates complex data modelling in Tableau prior to dashboard design.