A rapidly evolving technology landscape means continuous innovation isn't just a strategy; it's a must. Danfoss got it.
They needed to improve API utilization and operational efficiency, so they partnered with Achieve—a recognized authority in crafting innovative technology solutions like Apiboost, a comprehensive, cloud-based API portal solution that provides everything you need to build a robust API partner ecosystem accessible to developers and business units alike.
Together, they embarked on a transformative journey, redefining the benchmarks of API management and propelling Danfoss further into the future of sustainable technological advancement.
Identifying the Need For Innovation
As one of the world's biggest engineering technology companies with 97 factories spread across 20 nations, Danfoss’s organization is deeply committed to advancing technological innovation and sustainability.
This dedication steered them to identify an opportunity for growth and efficiency: the augmentation and optimization of their API utilization.
Even though their existing API management system had served the company well for three years, supporting 300+ APIs, Danfoss had begun to reveal its limitations.
The constraints in development opportunities, the narrow content access rules (confined to 16 groups), and the lack of continuous integration and continuous deployment (CICD) began to hamper scalability and impede the firm's progress.
Additionally, the absence of an approval flow and rich content, restricted the system's utility and potential.
With these mounting challenges, Danfoss recognized the need for an overhaul and a more versatile and scalable system.
Setting Their Sights on Transformation
Despite the advantages of their existing API portal - chiefly, its integration with Apigee at no extra cost - Danfoss recognized an indispensable need for change.
They understood that fulfilling their vision of a more efficient, advanced, and sustainable future necessitated a comprehensive overhaul of their API utilization strategy.
With an unwavering commitment to bolstering their position as leaders in engineering solutions and enhancing their dedication to sustainable practices, Danfoss outlined six key goals that would shape their journey toward this change:
To augment API usage across the organization, simultaneously refining the overall developer experience and enhancing the user interface.
To introduce a unified portal that accommodates internal and external users and efficiently caters to all API target groups.
To automate processes to a greater extent, assign defined responsibilities to API product owners, and create smoother, more effective workflows.
To have a single portal solution that seamlessly supports their upgrade from Apigee Edge to Apigee X.
To establish a feedback loop mechanism connecting the API consumer directly to the API product owner.
To streamline operations and avoid the complexities and expenses associated with incorporating additional systems.
Acknowledging the challenges that lay ahead, Danfoss resolved to invest in a solution that would meet their evolving needs.
They stood poised to propel their organization forward on their journey of continuous technological innovation, ready to bring about a transformation that would significantly impact their operational efficiency and market standing.
Finding the Perfect Partner to Realize Their Vision
Recognizing the scale of their ambitious vision, Danfoss partnered with Achieve, an expert in the field, to implement the required transformative changes.
Building on Danfoss's well-established foundation, the team at Achieve knew that Apiboost offered the necessary solutions to meet Danfoss's goals.
Here is how Apiboost’s comprehensive features helped Danfoss meet the demands of the market:
Expansion of Development Possibilities: Apiboost allowed Danfoss to move beyond the previously restrictive 16 groups by introducing a scalable system that could reach all of Danfoss's target audiences.
Incorporation of CICD: Apiboost’s CICD gave Danfoss the ability to fully automate the management of content, site permissions, and access groups through integration with their existing CICD pipelines.
Introduction of Approval Flows: Apiboost’s robust approval flows ensured responsibilities were distributed across multiple team members, removing the bottleneck that had slowed the process when it was the responsibility of a single employee.
Enrichment of Content: Apiboost’s robust content management capabilities enabled Danfoss to provide deeper and richer content experiences to their developer community. Improving the overall developer experience, and driving engagement.
Support for Team Concepts: Apiboost’s enhanced team support ensures that Danfoss’s development community has a consistent capabilities that works with both their existing Apigee Edge implementation and their future migration to Apigee X. The migration from Edge to X will have no impact on the development community and avoids any complex migration efforts in the future.
Even with these improvements, Danfoss remained conscious of the risks, including the long implementation phase and additional costs required to stay on top of Apigee X and Open API specifications.
But, with the power of Apiboost and support of the Achieve team on their side, Danfoss was confident that they were on the right path to achieving their vision of an innovative and optimized API management system.
Seeing Their Vision Come to Life
The strategic partnership between Danfoss and Achieve proved instrumental in the realization of Danfoss’s vision.
Together, they launched a robust API management system that tackled the issues that plagued the previous system and introduced a wealth of beneficial features that boosted overall performance and user satisfaction, such as:
Increased API Management: The number of APIs managed by the new system increased dramatically to 120 in the first year. With the robust platform and the processes in place, Danfoss expects this number to double every year.
Expanded Audience Reach: The new system accommodated an expanded audience, with the number of access groups rising from a mere 16 to an impressive 210.
Improved Approval Flows: The approval process became smoother and more efficient. What used to be a task for one person was successfully delegated to 25 individuals within a year, removing bottlenecks and speeding up the entire process.
Enhanced User Experience: The addition of rich content greatly improved the overall developer experience. The portal ended up attracting 5,000 developers by the end of 2023, a testament to its success.
Supported Team Concepts: Full support for team concepts was achieved through the implementation of Apiboost on Apigee X, paving the way for enhanced collaboration and increased efficiency in the development process.
While the transformation was not without its challenges, the benefits far outweighed these risks. Danfoss made a significant leap in advancing their API utilization, marking a critical milestone in their commitment to technological innovation and sustainability.
The company was able to go faster to market, save development time through reusable code and functionality, and see a probable increase in sales due to the improved efficiency and expanded customer use of their APIs.
This case serves as an inspiring example of how an unwavering vision, coupled with the right partnership, can bring about a profound transformation in a company's technological capabilities and business performance.
Danfoss, with Achieve's assistance, has set a new standard for API management, underlining the power and potential of innovative solutions in shaping the future of engineering technology.
