Home > Insights > Workday API: Everything You Need to Know
Are you interested in learning about what an API is in Workday? Or maybe you’re wondering if Workday has the API integration capabilities you need to optimize operations across your organization?
Look no further, because we’re here to give you the rundown on Workday API!
Workday provides a comprehensive collection of web services that bring hundreds of SOAP and REST web service APIs together to facilitate better connection and collaboration between Workday Integration tools and other systems.
With open APIs in Workday, users can access different business processes across functional areas within their Workday ecosystem and leverage integrated data reporting and monitoring capabilities to improve efficiencies. Read on to learn more about Workday API Integrations and how our senior-level Workday consultants can help you!
What is an API?
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of definitions and processes for building and integrating application software. APIs allow your service or product to communicate with other systems without knowing exactly how they’re implemented or configured within the technical landscape.
APIs can save the integration system user valuable time and money and simplify application development across the entire app landscape. When you’re creating a new product or managing an existing one, APIs can also give you the flexibility needed to pull data from existing systems, provide new opportunities for innovation, and optimize existing operations.
What is an API in Workday?
Workday APIs are fully developed public web services that help users manage core integrations and ensure they function as expected, even through future Workday updates or changes in the technical landscape. Web service APIs are protected by the same security model that keeps all other Workday systems, applications, and tools safe and secure over time.
Does Workday Have an API?
Workday offers standard-based web service APIs that support all integrations between Workday and non-Workday systems. These APIs are organized and implemented according to the customer’s safety and security permissions when executing each API call.
Workday APIs comprise a few different service categories, including:
Business Services
This is the main way to interact with Workday and directly communicate with functional areas of Workday, including staffing, financial management, benefits administration, and more. Business services first pull extensive data sets from different source systems, and then present “Response Groups” to return a subset of data, like contact details or position information.
Reporting Services
Reporting services are also known as Report-as-a-Service (RaaS). They offer defined methods to pull important data from the Workday system and ensure each source is managed properly and effectively. With reporting services, users can create custom APIs to ensure core business needs are met and requirements are fulfilled, no matter what.
Outbound Messaging Services
Outbound messaging services provide instantaneous notifications to outside systems and applications whenever business events occur within Workday. For example, the “Hire” event in Workday can convert to a different format to publish an outbound message to a third-party system for more efficient connection between systems.
Monitoring Services
Monitoring services improve integrations by increasing the functionality of their existing systems, assessing Workday integration structures across teams, and monitoring integration statuses between external applications.With this level of transparency, business users can improve visibility into their inter-system processing functions and promote better collaboration across systems.
SOAP vs REST APIs — What’s the Difference?
Workday also provides two kinds of APIs to promote better integration, connection, and efficiency across the entire organization:
SOAP
A SOAP API request is a standard integration protocol designed to help employees facilitate communication between applications built in different coding or programming languages.
REST
REST API is a set of principles that are geared toward the needs of web services and mobile applications across the technical landscape. And, because these are viewed as a set of rules rather than strict protocols, implementation processes and plans are left to the developers to decide.
How Can We Help?
Whether you’re interested in how you can use Workday APIs to improve your core Workday integrations or you just need an extra hand starting your Workday journey, Surety Systems can help!
Our senior-level Workday consultants have the skills and experience needed to guide you through successful Workday implementations, integrations, and upgrades and help you make the most of your investments in the process.
Contact Us
Interested in learningmore about Workday API integrations? Ready to get started on a project with our team of expert Workday consultants?
Contact us today!
