Connection Methods Explained: API, EDI, and Portal Integrations
A practical walkthrough of the three ways Tranztec connects systems, and when each one is the right fit.
Tranztec connects systems through three methods, and which one applies depends on what the system on the other end supports — not a preference either side gets to pick in isolation.
API integration connects directly to a system's programmatic endpoints for near-real-time data exchange. This is typically the fastest to set up when the target system has a modern, documented API.
EDI integration uses standardized transaction sets (204, 214, 210, 990, and others) to exchange documents with trading partners that require it — most large shippers, brokers, and enterprise retailers.
Portal integration covers systems that don't expose an API or support EDI at all — data is captured or delivered through a web interface instead. It's the least automated of the three, but sometimes it's the only option a given partner supports.
Most carriers and brokers end up running all three simultaneously, one per trading partner, which is exactly the fragmentation a shared connectivity layer is built to absorb.