Most shop owners I talk with about my software and other software are frequently asking this question. It’s an important one because software talking to software is the new normal, presently how the technology world works, and the future of how things will be done.  Think of your smartphone. Did Android or Apple write all the apps that run on it? No, they didn’t, but they integrate nicely with the platform via APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). An API is just a way for two pieces of software to talk. You may also hear terms like gateways, endpoints, webhooks, and callbacks, which basically mean software talking to software at the common level. 

When I first got into this industry, everyone said “sure, we integrate,” but then I realized no one really told me what that meant. Likewise, with my own software company, we would tell potential clients that we integrated with an SMS but didn’t define it until we created a helpful, visual explanation.  We designed a webpage with its sole purpose being to define integration which you can view here: https://www.autoflow/integration/. You’ll see how we’ve created what we call six levels of integration between software and defined what we do (workflow and digital vehicle inspections) and how we communicate with the SMS at each level.

Why did we do this?  As both a shop owner and a technology geek, I’ve sought to be involved in moving the industry forward with adopting technology and demystifying it with simple, tangible explanations to truly help my fellow shop owners.  SMS integration is a subject you should ask about and clearly understand the answer given to you. Hope I’ve done my part in making that happen.