Leveraging Data Integration using APIs for Enhanced Data Analytics in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Data is the “New Oil”. In a fast-evolving technological world where the survival of organizations mostly depends upon technology, data is the catalyst that is driving business optimization, growth and success. Most successful organizations are data driven. They capitalize on the magical spell of data analytics. Data analytics plays a pivotal role in enforcing well informed decisions in strategic marketing and planning, new product development and other shifts that drive business growth and development across various sectors. Unfortunately, in Papua New Guinea (PNG), due to the splintered nature of diverse data systems and the incapability of interoperability poses significant barriers to effectively capitalize on the strengths of data analytics. Due to the involvement of traditional manual processes and the existence of data and systems in silos, the integration of data and advance data analytics remains a major challenge. This research explores the integration capability of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and the potential of leveraging it to address these challenges. It involves a mixed methods approach, consolidating qualitative interviews with data science and analytics professionals and quantitative analysis of case studies from both local and international organizations. It assesses the current state of data integration and analytics in PNG, taking into consideration the limitations of traditional and manual processes of data exchange methods. Significant findings have shown that API-driven data integration presents advantages for growth and efficiency. The study does not only reveal and promotes the rich advantages of API, instead it acknowledges and uncover the challenges that are to be attended for a successful implementation.

It proposes a practical framework that is workable in PNG context for API adoption in data integration, which includes a customize architectural design for API Integration. The significance of securing APIs and the transmission of data safely between different systems is echoed in the proposed architectural design. The research exposes the transformative potential of APIs in the space of data integration and analytics in PNG. By embracing API-based data integration, diverse organizations can unlock more reliable and timely insights, ultimately supporting data-driven development and policy-making in the country that are based upon reliable data.