It’s no secret that we’re living in a more connected world where new apps seem to be popping up daily, driving more and more demand for seamless user experiences that require well orchestrated integrations. Logtech is certainly no exception. In my role as VP, Global Application Network I get a front row seat to the latest innovations by industry leaders and novel offerings from new entrants in the supply chain space nearly every day.
Every software company worth its salt focuses on user experiences, but there’s another equally important, yet often overlooked, group with a vested interest … developers. Chain.io released its own set of developer tools a couple of years ago with the aim of making it easier for software developers to bring transformative solutions to market by leveraging our network and data model.
I decided to put on my [very novice] developer hat and check out some of the latest AI driven developer tools to see what I could learn and walk a mile in the shoes of a developer in today’s landscape. To be clear, I am not a professional developer and this was an exercise in understanding the experience. I won’t be writing your next integration. All the same, I learned a lot and there are some incredible tools out there that can enable talented developers to be even more productive and allow them to focus on being even more creative.
Replit
I know enough about software development to know that creating a robust infrastructure to support your app is both extraordinarily important, and one of the least interesting things on the list for developers. Enter Replit, “an AI-powered software development & deployment platform for building, sharing, and shipping software fast.” In short, it allows the user to quickly stand up simple prototypes, including web applications using modern authentication methods like OAuth2, to quickly get to the fun part of being creative.
Using the Replit AI Agent I was able to use natural language to build a basic version of two tools that calculated metrics common to supply chain operations, then quickly make them available to receive the inputs required, output a result, and make it available to another application. I had a working prototype in about 20 minutes - I was blown away! Now all I needed to do was connect it to Chain.io so I could receive the inputs from anyone on the network and return my calculations, without having to worry about transforming the data myself. Another few minutes with the Agent and Chain.io’s Open Connect documentation and I had my adapters built to connect me to the network.
Postman
For developers this one’s definitely not new. For the uninitiated, Postman is a tool that allows you to sample libraries of API’s that connect to other software platforms, test them using sample API calls, and even help you write documentation (yes, with the help of AI). As it turns out, writing documentation is another of those things people don’t like doing but is absolutely critical. Another quality of life improvement for developers!
I was able to quickly reference Chain.io’s Open Connect documentation to assemble the calls I needed to register my newly made prototype with Chain.io and test them for the expected responses. They too have an AI Assistant that allows you to use natural language to visualize responses from your API calls and write test scripts to handle a series of tests you might want to run if you were developing in earnest.
Open AI & Claude
Along the way, I tested out both Open AI’s well-known ChatGPT 4.0 Mini and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.5 models. When I had questions about the process or what I should do next, both were able to provide clear directions. I’d give the edge for this use-case to ChatGPT because of its ability to follow links and reference the web, in particular the documentation.
Where my knowledge gap might be in development, it was easy to see that either tool could help give concise instructions on process for just about anything. For developers this might mean easier access to best practices in another field that’s unfamiliar with a lot of jargon…say, supply chain, for instance.
Key Takeaways & Looking Forward
After spending time with these tools, a few things became crystal clear:
1. The Developer Experience Matters
The same attention we give to user experience needs to extend to developer experience. Tools like Replit, Postman, and AI assistants aren't just making development easier – they're fundamentally changing how quickly new solutions can be brought to market. For supply chain software companies, this means we need to think beyond our end users and consider how we can make our platforms more developer-friendly.
2. AI Is Transforming Development Speed
What struck me most was how AI is democratizing development. Tasks that once required deep technical expertise – like setting up authentication or writing documentation – can now be accomplished much more quickly with AI assistance. This isn't about replacing developers; it's about amplifying their capabilities and letting them focus on solving complex business problems.
3. Integration Is More Critical Than Ever
In the supply chain space, no solution exists in isolation. The ease with which I could connect my prototype to Chain.io's network demonstrates why having robust, well-documented integration capabilities is crucial. As the logistics technology landscape continues to evolve, the ability to connect and integrate will increasingly become a key differentiator.
As we continue to enhance Chain.io's developer tools and network capabilities, these experiences have reinforced our commitment to making integration as frictionless as possible. While AI-powered development tools are impressive, they're most powerful when combined with purpose-built platforms that understand the unique challenges of supply chain integration.
The future of logistics technology won't be built by any single company or platform – it will be created through collaboration between innovative developers, established platforms, and increasingly intelligent tools. Our role is to ensure that when inspiration strikes, the path from idea to implementation is as smooth as possible.
Whether you're a seasoned developer or, like me, someone curious about the development process, I encourage you to explore these tools. The barrier to entry has never been lower, and the potential for innovation has never been higher. The future of supply chain technology is being built today, one integration at a time.
