APIs are the building blocks for connected experiences. Discover how Concord and MuleSoft can help retailers unlock valuable data and empower developers.

For retailers to remain competitive, they must deliver connected and frictionless personalized customer experiences. But with increasing touchpoints across the customer journey, the challenge has become learning how to effectively use an extensive customer database to enhance these experiences.

Despite efforts, retailers struggle to create connected experiences for customers due to data being stored across multiple systems. Integration gaps between customer-facing channels, back-office applications, and legacy systems lead to data silos that are difficult to consolidate. To succeed, retailers must integrate a growing number of apps and data sources to automate business processes and create seamless shopping experiences that meet customer expectations.

The importance of APIs in retail

Digital transformation today requires more than implementing a single application or technology; it involves integrating multiple best-in-class technologies to create differentiated experiences for your customers and employees.

Traditional methods of integrating applications are no longer sufficient. To keep up with the fast pace of business, retailers must embrace API-led connectivity. This approach enables retailers to build an application network that is more agile, responsive to market changes, and capable of operating at a faster speed.

APIs allow different systems to communicate and share information that would otherwise be incompatible. By decoupling systems, retailers can generate valuable data and transform it into secure “building blocks” that can be used and reused for other solutions. The benefits of API-led connectivity for retailers include:

• ‍Connected disparate systems: Facilitate data synchronization, application integration, legacy systems modernization, and merging older and newer systems within a unified platform.
• ‍Seamless commerce experiences: Connect customer, product, and sales order data to create more consistent experiences across web, mobile, social, and in-store channels.
• ‍Transformed business relationships: Improve collaboration and efficiency by sharing data across your ecosystem.
• ‍Consistent service: Empower service agents to deliver quick and personalized customer experiences using real-time customer and order data.
• Engaged and loyal customers: Enhance customer loyalty by integrating APIs across purchases, customer service, and in-person activities.
• ‍Optimized stores and associates: Help associates keep up with shopper expectations with connected devices and real-time inventory data.

By adopting API-led connectivity, retailers can create a single view of every customer, gain a comprehensive understanding of sales and inventory levels, and build a cohesive network that is secure and easily managed.

Building connected experiences with MuleSoft

Retailers can leverage APIs to share customer profiles and sales order data across various teams in the organization, enabling a more personalized and seamless customer experience.

With MuleSoft’s prebuilt APIs and connectors, retailers can quickly integrate data flows between various systems such as ERP, CRM, OMS, marketing, and commerce. This integration streamlines the synchronization of customer profiles and sales orders, making it easier for retailers to create a single, comprehensive view of their customers.

MuleSoft helps retailers easily share customer data across systems, whether stored on-premises, in the cloud, or a hybrid environment. This capability allows retailers to make better decisions regarding inventory, promotions, and customer engagement, ultimately enhancing the retail experience.  

Concord’s partnership with MuleSoft

As a MuleSoft partner since 2017, Concord excels in helping businesses leverage the MuleSoft platform for success. We equip developers with powerful integration tools and resources to drive digital transformation:

1. Pre-built capabilities simplify integration: Developers can take advantage of pre-built connectors and APIs, simplifying the process of integrating different systems within the organization.

2. Accelerated development reduces time-to-market: With Concord’s expertise and frameworks, developers can quickly build and deploy integrations, reducing time-to-market for digital transformation initiatives while enhancing reliability. Some of our accelerators include:

• ‍Building secure CRM data integration: Synchronize your on-premise database, cloud-based CRM tool, and mobile application in real-time to maximize value for internal users.
• ‍Delivering faster capabilities: Develop a proper data integration strategy that fuels growth and enables rapid delivery of new capabilities.
• ‍Reducing technical debt: Modernize applications to double efficiency and empower IT teams to showcase the logic and cost savings achieved through integration best practices.
• Realizing ROI from modernized infrastructure: Implement real-time communication and establish a scalable architecture model for future integration services to realize the ROI anticipated with your original investment.

4.. Pre-built capabilities simplify integration: Developers can take advantage of pre-built connectors and APIs, simplifying the process of integrating different systems within the organization.

5. High scalability and flexibility: MuleSoft's scalable platform allows developers to adapt to changing business needs and scale integrations as the organization grows.

6. Enhanced collaboration: Developers can collaborate more effectively with other teams, streamlining communication and aligning integration projects.

7. Innovation opportunities: MuleSoft's platform provides developers with the tools to innovate and create new digital experiences for customers and employees.

Concord has experts across the entire data lifecycle who view data and integration from a business value perspective. We understand that integrating with MuleSoft APIs isn't done just for integration's sake but to serve a larger purpose. Our broader perspective positions us as strategic advisors who drive value, rather than merely producing integration code.

If you're struggling with your MuleSoft integration process or seeking to maximize the value of your MuleSoft investment, Concord here to help. We work closely with you to understand your unique requirements and develop a custom solution that fits perfectly with your business. Contact us today to learn how you can leverage MuleSoft to integrate your data and create engaging experiences for your customers.

In our latest eBook, Keep Calm & Data On, we share how to empower data-driven decisions that will turn your data into valuable, usable business currency.