OEKO-TEX, the International Association for Research and Testing in the Textile Industry, recently launched a new application programming interface (API), which enables the validation of OEKO-TEX certificate data to be shared across a company’s online portals, Cloud applications, databases and software.
The API is intended to make information between textile service providers and their users more transparent and accessible. Businesses can also incorporate these validations in their internal enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems or databases for compliance management.
David Pircher, OEKO-TEX business development manager said the API will benefit brands and retailers who need to monitor and manage a large number of certificates. Users can search for individual certificates as well as bundled queries, which could include several hundred OEKO-TEX certifications for retailers with a wide assortment of products.
The API is the latest development in OEKO-TEX’s arsenal of management tools.
Earlier this year, the association launched its Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) certification, which enabled brands, retailers and manufacturers to evaluate and track the sustainability of their supply chains.
The new API keeps tabs on the validity, issue and expiry dates of STeP certificates, as well as OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificates. Users can also set up automatic notifications to send alerts prior to a certificate expiring. With this new tool, the association hopes to reduce the level of communication so participating companies can grow their partnerships in a more efficient way.