Did you know that the IMPLAN application programming interface (API) makes it possible for National Package subscribers to integrate IMPLAN Cloud with existing workflows and tools? With IMPLAN’s API, you can easily integrate IMPLAN Cloud impact analysis and data into any website, application, workflow, or visualization tool.

An API is a documented, consistent way for multiple computer programs to communicate, enabling seamless integration and replicable automation.

How can an API help my organization reach its goals?

Although the IMPLAN Cloud web application provides an easy-to-use way to build and execute models, there are other use cases that require running models in an automated way, integrating models into custom applications or dashboards, augmenting IMPLAN data and model outputs with additional data and analytics, or using IMPLAN models and data in other models and tools in your workflow. That’s where the API comes in.

IMPLAN offers APIs that fit with your organization’s needs. You can access the same data sets, models, and secure cloud infrastructure as the IMPLAN Cloud from your internal or external applications. APIs make it possible to integrate IMPLAN Cloud into data science tools such as Stata, R Studio, and Jupyter Notebook.

The Nitty Gritty

Let’s break down the nitty gritty details of how the IMPLAN API works for you.

The IMPLAN API is a REST (REpresentational State Transfer) API. REST is designed to be easy to use and allows different systems to interact with each other flexibly and scalably. REST APIs are optimal due to the simplicity of their implementation as well as their usability in many types of software, tools, and environments. REST is often combined with JSON, which is an accessible way to structure data.

We offer two types of IMPLAN API interfaces: the Impact API and the Batch API. Which option is the best fit for your organization will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

The Batch API allows you to perform industry output impacts at scale. It returns summary economic indicators and tax results. This API can process thousands of events in a matter of seconds. It is transient, meaning it doesn’t store any of the data you provide.

The Impact API supports more detailed analysis, including building regions and exporting region data, running all types of events supported by IMPLAN, and exporting detailed results. The Impact API will provide more detailed results than the Batch API, but with a longer response time. The Impact API is persistent, meaning you can build projects and access them both in the API and in IMPLAN Cloud.

Unlock Your Potential

The IMPLAN API opens up a tremendous amount of different use cases. It provides a flexible experience that can suit work related to ESG initiatives, shifting to renewable energy, remote work, carbon neutrality, inflation, supply chain management, and so much more.

If you're interested in learning more about the IMPLAN API and how it can help you conduct economic impact analyses, we encourage you to check out the recent webinar, Opening the IMPLAN Cloud.

If you’re ready to dive in and discuss what type of API would best suit your organization, let’s schedule a demo! We can’t wait to show you how much potential you’ll unlock with an IMPLAN API.