A Universal Electronics API

If you're managing excess inventory or material shortages, you're probably doing it through spreadsheets and email. You track what you have. You send lists to customers or suppliers. You wait for responses. Then you manually piece together quotes to find the best option.

Seminode turns your Excel files into an API. Upload your excess inventory or shortage list, and it becomes queryable by your suppliers and customers. They can search it, quote on it, and transact with you through structured channels instead of email threads. It works for both supply and demand.

Start with a CSV File

The minimum requirement is a CSV or Excel file with four columns: Material Number (the manufacturer part number), Manufacturer name, Unit Price, and Quantity. That's it.

Optional fields like date codes, lead times, and internal part numbers help, but you don't need them to get started. Seminode normalizes manufacturer names, converts currencies, and standardizes the data automatically. Your file becomes a live feed that suppliers and customers can query.

For Excess Inventory

When you have excess from production changes, obsolescence, or overstock, upload a supply list. Seminode creates a network node where customers and brokers can discover your inventory. Set it to public (anyone can query) or permissioned (only approved partners can see it).

Quotes come back through structured inbox threads instead of scattered emails. You see who quoted, when they quoted, and what terms they offered. Compare offers side by side. Accept the best one. Track the entire history in one place.

For Material Shortages

When you need parts, upload a demand list. It could be a BOM, shortage report, or purchase requisition. Share it with your supplier network, and they can submit quotes directly on your requirements without having to use email and spreadsheets.

The platform tracks which suppliers responded, how quickly they responded, and what their pricing trends look like over time. This gives you leverage in negotiations and helps you identify reliable partners.

Works with Your Network

Your customers and suppliers don't need to use Seminode for this to work. Partners on the platform get real-time API access to your data. Partners not on the platform receive email notifications with Excel attachments and can respond via email. Seminode parses their responses and brings everything back into one unified view.

This means you can start using it today without waiting for your entire network to adopt the platform. As more partners join, the experience improves, but it's valuable from day one.

Scale to API Integration

If you start with Excel uploads and find value, you can adopt the full API for programmatic access. Sync inventory automatically from your ERP. Trigger shortage queries when production schedules change. Build custom workflows that fit your operations.

The API provides endpoints for uploading listings, searching network feeds, submitting quotes, and managing transactions. Authentication, webhooks, and SDKs make integration straightforward. You control how deeply you integrate based on your needs.

Built on Open Standards

Seminode wraps the Open Materials Availability (OMA) specification, an open protocol for material data exchange. Because it's built on open standards, you're not locked in. The protocol is documented and available for anyone to implement. You could run your own infrastructure or use multiple vendors that speak the same language.

This matters because it means the network can grow beyond any single platform. As more companies adopt OMA, whether through Seminode or their own systems, the data becomes more interoperable. A distributor's excess inventory can match an OEM's shortage list automatically. Pricing data aggregates across companies. The network gets more valuable as it grows.

One API for Supply and Demand

What makes this universal is that it's built on an open standard that anyone can build on. OEMs use it to publish excess and source shortages. Contract manufacturers use it to move high-volume inventory and reduce procurement costs. Distributors use it to match supply with customer demand and centralize quoting.

Everyone accesses the same infrastructure. Everyone benefits from the same network effects. The API serves supply and demand equally because the underlying protocol is designed to be symmetric.

Start with a CSV file. Get value immediately. Scale to full integration if you need it. That's a universal API built for electronics.