We tend to call it Developer portal, but in reality we have to address many more stakeholders than “just” developers. Especially when your APIs are linked to a complex (although market-leading!) B2B trade insurance product. We give it a try…

1. THE BIZDEV
PORTAL
Or “why great Dx is not enough“
London / 9th of Nov 2018
Sophie Rutard
Head of API
Euler Hermes

2. WHO WE ARE – EULER HERMES
▪ B2B insurance, covering companies against loss of
payments since >100 years
▪ Global market leader, with ~850 bn € of global coverage
▪ ~6.000 Employees
▪ Part of Allianz – 2nd largest insurer worldwide
2

3. OUR API BACKGROUND
▪ We released our first API in Germany in 2007 (SOAP)
▪ Adapted it to worldwide needs in 2012 – backed by a
specialist consultancy team
▪ Once our customers have it they’re really happy!
▪ But our current setup isn’t really scalable
3

4. WHAT IS CREDIT INSURANCE?
4
Grey company
Green company
60 days terms

5. HOW DO WE DO IT?
5
Grey company
Green company Risk assessment and
continuous monitoring
THIS IS WHERE THE
API COMES IN!
Individual coverage for each buyer

6. A TYPICAL B2B SALES PROCESS
Prospecting
Mia is using
Salesforce
Sales & Order
mgmt
Katie is using a
bespoke warehouse
mgmt software
Credit mgmt &
accounting
Sabine is using SAP
Debt Collectiont
David is an external
broker, using
bespoke software.
Mark is an external
lawyer, using
bespoke software.
Although working in different departments and systems, all these business experts rely on valid and up-to-date
information provided by Euler Hermes. Our API is made to deliver the data where they need it - real-time.
PhotosbyMarilyTorresfromPexels
< API >
< API >
< API >
< API >
< API >

7. WHAT IT TAKES TO INTEGRATE
OUR API
Mia, Katie, Sabine, Mark
and David are brilliant
business experts.
They want to increase
efficiency, but they don’t
know much about APIs!
PhotosbyMarilyTorres,rawpixel.comandHiteshChoudharyfromPexels
Nina agrees to setup a project
and hire Nitin.
He is a great developer, but he
never heard of credit
insurance before…
They ask Nina for budget.
Being the CEO, Nina
understands the business
case, but she’s not an API
expert. She just needs
facts to agree on funding.

8. KEY REQUIREMENTS - BUSINESS
▪ Non-technical demonstration of the API’s business value
▪ Functional API catalogue
▪ Inspirational usecases beyond the API, helping to improve our
customer’s end-to-end Ux
▪ Support for estimation of project efforts and business case
calculation
▪ Easy communication channel to handle issues and to inform
about functional API enhancements
▪ Clearly defined contacts for 2nd level support

9. KEY REQUIREMENTS - DEVELOPERS
▪ Tutorials: Easy introduction to the business context
▪ Detailed explanation of key legal requirements
(audit proof logs, contractual obligations from the insurance product, etc.)
▪ Highlight business consequences of functional errors
▪ Clear link between API doc and related functional usecases
▪ Plus the usual elements:
▪ API key generation
▪ Functional API documentation
▪ API ref
▪ Sandbox environment
▪ Release notes
▪ Versioning policy
▪ SLA / performance tracking
▪ …

10. THE BIZDEVPORTAL MUST…
Enable a mixed team of biz and IT experts to be autonomous in delivering
something that:
▪ Enhances the end-to-end Ux
▪ Complies with legal requirements
▪ Is backed by professional support when needed

11. MY KEY MESSAGES
1. Know who your stakeholders are. Address them in their language.
2. If the business people don’t buy in, a developer won’t even have a look at
your dev portal.
3. The project will only suceed if developer and biz experts work together; The
BizDevPortal needs to support such collaboration.

12. Sophie Rutard
Head of API@EH
sophie.rutard@eulerhermes.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-rutard-7081baab
Currently hiring an API Senior Analyst
in Paris!
THANK
YOU!