Integration Overview
OpenBoxes Lift is built with an API-first philosophy. Every action you can perform in the OpenBoxes interface is backed by a REST API, making it straightforward to connect your supply chain data with the other systems your organization depends on.
Available Integrations
| Integration | Description | Tier Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| DHIS2 | Sync stock and consumption data to national health information systems | All tiers |
| QuickBooks | Financial synchronization for invoices, purchase orders, and payments | Dedicated+ |
| SSO Providers | Connect Okta, Azure AD, or other identity providers | Dedicated+ (OIDC), Enterprise (SAML) |
| Custom Integrations | Build your own using the REST API | All tiers |
Integration Philosophy
OpenBoxes Lift follows three principles for integrations:
- API-first --- Every data entity (products, locations, inventory, shipments) is accessible through the REST API. If you can do it in the UI, you can automate it.
- Webhook-ready --- Event-driven notifications for key supply chain events are on our roadmap, enabling real-time data flows without polling.
- Standards-based --- Where industry standards exist (HL7, GS1, OAuth 2.0), we align with them rather than inventing proprietary protocols.
How Integrations Work
Most integrations follow a common pattern:
- Authentication --- Generate an API key or configure OAuth 2.0 credentials in your OpenBoxes Lift dashboard.
- Configuration --- Set up the integration parameters (endpoints, data mappings, sync frequency) through the portal or configuration files.
- Data flow --- Data moves between OpenBoxes and the external system on a schedule or in response to events.
- Monitoring --- Track integration health and sync status through the portal dashboard.
Tier Requirements
Some integrations require higher-tier plans due to the infrastructure they need:
- Shared tier --- REST API access, DHIS2 integration, custom integrations via API
- Dedicated tier --- All Shared features plus QuickBooks, SSO with OIDC (Okta, Azure AD), and higher API rate limits
- Enterprise tier --- All Dedicated features plus SAML SSO, custom integration development support, and dedicated integration engineering assistance
Tip: If you are on the Shared tier and need an integration that requires Dedicated, contact our sales team about upgrading. We can often arrange a trial period so you can validate the integration before committing.
Requesting New Integrations
We are actively expanding our integration catalog. If your organization needs a connection to a system not listed here:
- Check the community forum at community.openboxes.com --- someone may have already built what you need.
- Submit an integration request via your support portal or email support@openboxes.cloud. Include the system name, your use case, and the data you need to exchange.
- Consider a custom integration --- the REST API is flexible enough to support most use cases with modest development effort. See our Custom Integrations guide.
Rate Limits
API rate limits vary by tier:
| Tier | Requests per minute | Concurrent connections |
|---|---|---|
| Shared | 60 | 5 |
| Dedicated | 300 | 20 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Exceeding rate limits returns a 429 Too Many Requests response. See the Error Reference for details.