Introduction
The current commerce and retail industry players, regardless of their specific segment and business lines, are driven by a common vision: to strategically align their business processes, technology, operations, systems, and financial investments towards achieving omni-channel capabilities. This journey towards digital transformation has made it clear to business owners that expanding their supply chain footprint through value-based partner ecosystems is crucial. This expansion involves collaborating with last-mile delivery fulfillment services, a diverse range of manufacturers across different regions, third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses, and marketplaces to boost customer traffic, and engaging in ONDC (One Nation, One Code) initiatives, among others.
To support this expansion plan, businesses must share their inventory view of Available to Promise (ATP) with multiple partners. This information is vital for the partner ecosystem to make informed decisions and establish mutually beneficial business models. However, as inventory data is highly confidential, it is crucial to ensure the secure lookup of this information while still allowing authenticated and authorized partners to access it through token-based APIs. This approach safeguards the confidentiality of the enterprise’s inventory information and contributes to the sustainability of its business model.
Enhancing Business Efficiency through Accurate Inventory Lookup
Accurate inventory management is a cornerstone for Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands seeking operational optimization. Accurate inventory lookup empowers brands to elevate their business operations through precise order promising, efficient delivery date detection, and fulfillment optimization. By enabling brands to access real-time inventory information, this lookup process ensures timely and accurate order fulfillment, tracking inventory from purchase to sale. When managed effectively, inventory lookup significantly contributes to a positive customer experience, enhances inventory management, and improves cash flow.
Maintaining the security and integrity of inventory lookup calls is crucial when interacting with the Inventory System. The existing challenge lies in establishing a secure, reliable, and seamless integration with the Inventory system. The diagram below illustrates a sample flow of information during the inventory lookup process.
Overcoming Challenges with Secure Token Management
In the process of inventory lookup within the current Order Management System (OMS), there is a need to make API calls using a secure access token. However, managing and maintaining this access token for invocation from various sources and at different times can be challenging. Generating a new access token for every lookup operation can also be costly. In the existing Sterling OMS system, a common approach is to store the access token as a property and utilize it during inventory lookup. When the token expires, the property is updated with a new access token. However, this approach becomes problematic when the number of calls increases, as updating the property with the access token can result in a race condition and lead to failed API calls.
To address this issue, a solution can be implemented by maintaining a constant variable at the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) level to store the access token. This constant value remains the same across multiple threads, ensuring consistent access to the token. In the event that the token expires, the constant value can be updated to reflect the new valid token. This approach can be applied to various operations within the system, including ATP, price lookup, reservation, and delivery date determination. By implementing this solution, the system can effectively manage access tokens for different functionalities, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted API calls.
Conclusion
Implementing the proposed solution empowers businesses to effectively manage access tokens and mitigate potential system issues. Its versatility allows for application across different systems that rely on access token authentication. By embracing secure and efficient inventory management practices, businesses can optimize their fulfillment processes, maintain real-time inventory visibility, and thrive in the dynamic digital commerce landscape.
At Acuver, we specialize in facilitating businesses’ digital transformation by providing expert consultancy services on best practices and technical implementations. Our dedicated team advises global customers on embracing omni-channel journeys, including designing robust business flows, adopting cutting-edge tools and frameworks, conducting thorough due diligence on existing landscapes, and recommending comprehensive security measures.
Author: Pradeepa K H
