How to Automate a Print on Demand Store via API

Business process automation provides advanced capabilities for optimization and enhancement of your existing business, manufacture or any production establishment. In particular, when it comes to the print on demand business, a dedicated print on demand API will help you interconnect underlying workflow processes, combine separate apps and digital capacities, and accelerate eCommerce workflow as a whole.

An API interface integrated with, for example, a marketplace platform like Etsy, offers a wide range of tools and capacities to efficiently manage both an online store and certain internal production processes.

How Can API Help Your POD Business?

With the extensive functionality of a centralized API, your print on demand services are enabled to:

• Feature centralized, protected documentation access;
• Interconnect other integrated software tools in one place;
• Synchronize the work of departments based in different locations;
• Rapidly, autonomously process orders;
• Get better promotion on social media;
• Automate the printing process all-around;
• Acquire a convenient client database;
• Adjust automated notifications about product shipments and such.

Custom integration in Print on Demand

An API is integrated software that must be properly adjusted to fit a particular business system and purpose. Namely, all the components must be properly synchronized, compatible virtual systems must be created and supported, requests between local and global schemes must be set up.

SQL requests and special technologies for business data streams’ integration are used for that. All in all, the following aspects must be adjusted and configured:

• Models of major components & their localizations;
• Models of component groups & their localizations;
• Types of connections between the components;
• Mechanisms that allow identifying & interconnecting the components.

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Accurate shipping rates based on your customer’s location

Proper pricing calculation is crucial and it can be efficiently aided with print on demand automation as well. There are systems of various complexity to help you set the right prices and shipping rates, the basic functionality of which should include:

• An ability to calculate costs for several tariffs at once based on the terms of shipping, its volume, & additional requirements;
• Automated shipping date calculation based on the underlying workflow schedule;
• Cost calculations & comparisons based on the type of shipment (via courier, takeaway or transport);
• Automated calculation of costs for shipping order to pick-up points, terminals, & parcel stations;
• Tariff sorting;
• Retail margin calculation both in currency & in percents from the product or delivery price;
• Compatibility with plugins for the measurement of the overall product dimensions;

The following aspects are usually specified to calculate average shipment costs:

• Sending location/address;
• Shipping location/address;
• Weight, volume, & dimensions of shipment;
• Type of products shipped;
• Additional conditions.

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Notifications about automatic shipping

Automated notifications about the status of the delivery is an extremely convenient common feature in most APIs. Providing a customizable print on demand order fulfillment application, your API of choice will let you forget about manually checking whether an order reaches a customer all the time. 

Such notifications can be sent via:

• Email newsletters;
• Messenger chats;
• SMS messages;
• Social media.

A customizable application also boasts push-notifications that are displayed to certain customers based on their history of interaction and preferences. These have been “all the rage” in the eCommerce industry for the longest time and you definitely shouldn’t pass on them. 

Order fulfillment

Рrint on demand automation also allows making order processing and fulfillment smoother, more precise, and faster. This will result in the acceleration of all the other dependent processes and boost your profits in the long run, by:

• Storing & analyzing related order images;
• Storing & processing order data in special forms;
• Marking completed orders;
• Allowing convenient notes & comments.

Many more additional features can also be implemented as well. 

Develop custom API solutions for Print on Demand Store

If you need maximum versatility and look to get a solution that would perfectly fit your individual needs, you can order a custom product that will be programmed from scratch. Implementing a custom print on demand API for business, we should go step by step as follows:

• Tech reference preparation. Initially, all the underlying data about software requirements and client desires as to the end product. 
• API server development. The basic code is written, overall software architecture, and functional carcass are built during this stage;
• Interactive documentation. There should be technical documents with detailed illustrations and examples that guide users through interface nuances and features;
• Integration with other software. You should connect API with popular social media, payment systems, geolocation tools and maps, sales and logistics systems, and other solutions.
• QA & testing. These are the crucial steps of the way that allow polishing your software to the desired quality – QA and testing should always be planned and structured.

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Summary

Employing a customer or readymade API interface in the printing business of any type accelerates the pace of production, saves lots of working time and professional resources, and boosts the overall business success in the long run. Integration won’t take too long and you will get a significant workflow boost on all sides of performance, so consider the effort.