Shipping KPI monthly news August 2019

Overview

Explaining API

Last month covered how manual data entry and spread sheets could be used to apply relevant data to the Shipping-KPI database. This month will cover how integration with our tailored API could greatly reduce the effort required to stay updated.

API is an abbreviation for Application Programming Interface. As such, it is not a programme or a database, but rather a means of communication between the two. An API – depending on how it is written – is a set of routines that allows for transmission of data from one source to another. In this case between the Shipping-KPI and the user’s operational system.

Authorizing and adjusting your API

In order to start developing your API, you will need to apply for vendor capabilities, which will open a new section on the website, where you can create your API. During this application, you will also be given a Client ID and a Client Secret, which is necessary during the later stages of development.

The API you are developing will contain unique strings of code, so it is only useable by you and your account. This authorization is based on an industry standard utilized by software majors such as Google and Facebook.

Cherry picking

Once you have an authorized and functioning API, you can save a large amount of effort in submitting your quarterly data. However, please keep in mind that the API simply picks and delivers the information you have programmed it to. For this reason, it is important that the data you want to apply is stored in such a way that it is accessible for the API.

For more information

Please email any comments and questions to Peter Lundahl Rasmussen: plr@bimco.org.

About BIMCO's Shipping KPI System

  • It has 64 different indicators
  • Provides an accurate comparison of ships
  • Has anonymised data
  • Boosts performance improvements
  • Ship/fleet/industry benchmarking

 

Johan Conrad
in Copenhagen, DK

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