API Technology is Automating and Transforming the Procurement Process

Dell Premier uses APIs to help customers and partners save time, automate processes and enjoy the benefits of online commerce.

At Dell Technologies, we’re passionate about helping our customers and partners innovate and modernize their IT processes. With Dell Premier, we offer a comprehensive online solution that streamlines the procurement process, so you can shop your catalog in a secure platform that scales with your business to simplify purchasing and gives you greater control over the entire ecosystem.

We’re committed to providing our customers and partners with the best possible experience when interacting with us. That’s why we’re constantly innovating and expanding our portfolio of integration offerings, including our API technology.

What Are APIs and How Do They Work?

Application programming interfaces (APIs) are vital tools for businesses in all industries. They provide a seamless and secure way to exchange information between two programs. Common API examples in our daily lives include social media integration, mapping and geolocation and payment gateway integration.

There are two different communication patterns to consume APIs: pull and push. Pull APIs involve the customer or partner initiating communication by sending a request to the server for data retrieval. For example, with our order status API, users can input their order number and submit it to retrieve real-time order status information from the server. With our push API, we send real-time notifications during the entire procurement process, ensuring customers and partners receive updates as their order advances through each fulfillment stage, including received, booked and shipped statuses. Thus, our customers and partners have the freedom to leverage a hybrid model, utilizing both pull and push APIs based on their individual business needs.

What Does Dell Premier Offer?

Dell Premier offers integration solutions, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and IT Service Management Integration, to help automate and modernize the procurement process. APIs enhance the customer and partner experience by allowing us to customize integrations specific to your needs. They provide a secure way to exchange information between our system and yours, giving visibility into viewing product pricing, tracking orders, retrieving quotes, receiving advanced ship notifications and accessing other real-time information via an API integration.

Here is a sampling of Dell Premier’s available APIs.

Graphic providing benefits of Dell Premier's API integration.

Click here for our full API Library.

How Can APIs Benefit You?

The scalability and efficiency APIs offer our customers and partners’ businesses is undeniable. They eliminate dual-entry and offer significant time savings. Information is available in real-time directly from a secure online environment, without the need to pick up the phone or email a Dell account team member. Additionally, as we look to the future, we know technology is always changing and advancing. If you have an existing integration with us, you’re better equipped to receive expanded services as they become available.

We hear exceptional feedback about the work our account team delivers to our customers and partners throughout the entire integration process. Our work today to enhance digital transformation is not only keeping up with present technologies, but it is also seeking to stay ahead of how our customers and partners want to do business with us. 

Ready to Get Started?

Contact your Dell Account team today to set up your consultation:

    • Discuss your complementary integration with full end-to-end support
    • Assign a dedicated technical contact for project duration
    • Create an agreed-upon project schedule

Interested in learning more about our online solution? Explore Dell Premier here.

Thank you to Michael Harrison and Anup Kamble for sharing their expertise and making contributions to this article.

Adrienne Foley

About the Author: Adrienne Foley

Adrienne is a global messaging lead on the CSG Solutions marketing team. She drives content syndication, strategy and brand continuity for Dell Premier - our online platform that simplifies the IT procurement process for our commercial customers and partners. Additionally, she's involved in driving her team's executive briefing program presence and evolving their thought leadership strategy. As someone who has always pushed herself out of her comfort zone, she has enjoyed working and living abroad in Japan, Italy and Spain. Her drive for diverse experience includes her career in marketing - ranging from leading digital media campaigns for consumer and small business customers, partner marketing, business development, and currently branded content and messaging for our commercial customers. She is an active mentor for upcoming marketing talent at Dell Technologies, and hopes to be able to lead and inspire a team of dedicated marketers in the future. She holds a dual degree in Communication & Linguistics from University of California San Diego and an MBA from Boston University.