How do we structure people, processes, and technology to deliver consistent, secure, high-quality APIs quickly at scale? Lessons from the NHS England API Platform Team.
think that API consumers are their only customers. PROBLEM COUNTERMEASURE Treat both API consumers and producers as customers using JTBD, surveys and benefit identification. OUTCOMES • Poor API producer experience. Frustration. • Slow API delivery. Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
a technical, clinical, product and safety perspective.1 PROBLEM API satisfaction survey SUCCESS METRICS Make integration easier for everyone, both external and internal, with a one- stop API platform.1 GOAL Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
open standards using REST, FHIR, OAuth2.2 • Self-service access to test environments. • Comprehensive, clear docs based on OpenAPI. • Single point of contact for support. Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
to integrate with NHS APIs • Understand the auth mechanism • Integrate & Test • Get help and support • Internal developers: • Understand API delivery lifecycle • Have a platform to build on • Get help and support Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
PROBLEM COUNTERMEASURE Lower lead time by implementing technology that raises the layer of abstraction. OUTCOMES • Error-prone. • High-lead time. • Non-scalable Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
creation process. • Constraint: specialist knowledge of Apigee proxies. • High-lead time. Non- scalable. PROBLEM COUNTERMEASURE Abstract away Apigee deployments with a deployment service: Proxygen. RESULT • 75% reduction in lead time • 50% reduction in API support burden Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
APIs. • Generates Apigee API proxy using the OpenAPI description. • Available as API and CLI • Capabilities • Register new APIs on the platform • Publish API descriptions • Manage containers and secrets • Manage API proxies, products and security mechanisms • https://github.com/NHSDigital/proxygen-api-specification Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
an API platform team. • Two keys to ensuring high API platform team performance • API platform teams should have a two customer-mindset. • In manual or complex processes, introduce abstractions to lower lead time. Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929
and Navin Bose (YouTube) 2. NHS Digital API Platform (Retrieved 20 Oct 2024) 3. NHS Digital API Management Product Backlog (Retrieved 20 Oct 2024). 4. Developer Integration Survey – January 2023. (Retrieved 20 Oct 2024). 5. API Producer Overview slide deck (Retrieved 20 Oct 2024) 6. From API review to collaborative API design (Retrieved 20 Oct 2024) Survey & Q&A: Slido #2636929