Develop your skills, optimize your pricing workflows and recognize your achievements with hx Renew APIs
Almost a year ago, hyperexponential proudly launched its certification programme with the “Core Model Developer Exam”. This first and foundational exam has been received very well, and we are proudly handing out certificates and badges to many eager examinees every quarter. More and more hx Renew certificates are being shared on LinkedIn.
People are happily showcasing their new achievement, and we are here to celebrate each and every one of them!
Introducing the specialist Model Developer API Exam
But, this is only the start! hyperexponential is excited to announce the release of the “Model Developer API Exam”.
Not only is this an addition to our certification family, but the “Model Developer API Exam” adds another layer to the certification path. It is the first specialist certification and is designed to be the next step after taking the foundational exam.
It focuses on the topic of hx Renew APIs, and accredits the user with specialist knowledge of this field. From here you are in the perfect position to become a Pricing Decision Intelligence (PDI) expert.
The API certification has given me confidence that I am writing best practice code to interact with the Renew API, which has provided me with a solid foundation to write more complex and powerful scripts.
Haris Osmanovic, Single Risk Pricing Actuary, HDI Specialty
APIs for insurance with hx Renew
The hx Renew APIs are a critical feature of the platform and are what makes hx Renew so flexible and customisable. Users who acquire the “Model Developer API” certification are specialists in using hx Renew to automate their workflow and utilise third party data.
This is a highly valuable and free feature of the platform, and it is critical to leverage Pricing Decision Intelligence.
You may not be using our APIs yet but this is about to change. Stay tuned to learn about the benefits of integrating with our APIs, and why you should be adding this certification to your list of skills.
Luckily, we have two experts with us who are able to explain hx Renew APIs, and how they can add value to your pricing process. Let’s hear from our Solutions Engineering Lead Josh Boddy and Nancy Simpson, Customer Success Manager.
Expert Interview
Daphne: Thank you so much Nancy and Josh for joining me today!
Nancy: Sure, very happy to be here.
Josh: Likewise!
Daphne: Why don’t we just dive right in. Josh, could you firstly explain what is meant by hx Renew APIs?
Josh: Absolutely, Daphne. The hx Renew APIs are a set of programming interfaces that allow external systems to interact with the Renew platform. They enable you to programmatically execute tasks that could otherwise be done through the platform's GUI, such as retrieving data, performing calculations, and automating workflows.
Daphne: Can I use APIs to get data in to hx Renew as well as out of it??
Josh: Yes, you can retrieve data from hx Renew. You might load it into another system and change the data there. The updated data can then be sent back into hx Renew. But this is just one example for how you can pull and push data from hx Renew.
Daphne: What value does that add for me as an actuary?
Josh: For an actuary, the use of hx Renew APIs adds immense value. For example, batch rating and scenario analysis are very difficult in Excel and tedious to carry out. However, the APIs allow for efficient data manipulation, automated batch rating, and complex scenario analysis without manual intervention. This direct control over data and models via code streamlines your workflow, increases productivity, and enables more sophisticated analyses.
Daphne: Mhm, that sounds great but is it hard to set this up?
Nancy: Not at all! We offer many examples in our documentation and in the training pages. Generally, actuaries have found it very easy to work with our APIs. Teams are able to setup the integrations seamlessly with little to no support from us. The point of our APIs is to empower actuaries and make their life easier, not harder. We encourage anyone to get started with it and experience themselves how easy it is to create integrations with the hx APIs.
Daphne: Great, so much about the actuaries. How can underwriters in my team benefit from that?
Josh: It allows for a "single pane of glass" view, meaning underwriters can access data, analytics, and necessary tools all in one place, significantly reducing the need for context switching between multiple systems. Integrating with your underwriter workbench is a great example. By streamlining information access, underwriters can make more informed decisions and work more efficiently. The underwriter can also more easily highlight changes made through batch rating, which enhances the transparency of the process and the underwriters confidence in the analysis.
The integration enhances risk assessment, improves operational efficiency, and ultimately allows for better, quicker underwriting decisions.
Daphne: What are examples of successful use cases by customers?
Nancy: One of our customers has recently integrated their hx Renew environment with Cybercube. The developers built the integration fully independently and are now testing it. It allows the team to leverage Cybercube's powerful analytics platform and directly import data into hx Renew, so they do not have to spend time adding in this data manually. They can easily export the data from hx Renew to Cybercube, carry out their analysis is Cybercube and then import the updates data back into hx Renew.
It makes us really proud because more clients are looking to integrate with Cybercube and this just really showcases that actuaries have the control and create integrations on their own.
Daphne: This sounds like I am missing out if I do not get started with Renew’s APIs. Now, I have no experience working with such, how do I get started?
Nancy: Starting is straightforward, Daphne. We offer comprehensive documentation, a private Stack Overflow channel for query resolution, and step-by-step guides to help you integrate with our APIs. There are also comprehensive training chapters with video tutorials that you can access through your environment.
These resources, combined with our customer support, ensure you'll be up and running in no time.
Daphne: Sounds amazing!!! Where can I find a list of all of the endpoints?
Josh: Very simple. We have dedicated swagger pages with all the endpoints, which are linked in your own customer environment.
Daphne: Okay, so say I learn how to use those APIs, why should I care about the exam? Is it not enough to know myself that I am doing fine?
Josh: While knowing you’re doing well is important, participating in our API exam provides formal recognition of your skills and understanding of how to effectively use hx Renew's APIs. This certification not only boosts your credibility but also assures your team and management of your proficiency, ensuring that you’re leveraging the APIs to their fullest potential.
Nancy: It is also a great way grow your career and enhance your developer skills. The new skills are formally recognised by us with a badge and certificate, which you can share with your network, for example on LinkedIn. And most importantly, it puts you on the right path to become a PDI expert. My recommendation to customers is, as soon as you are ready, get yourself certified to become a PDI master of hx Renew.
Daphne: This sounds fantastic. Thank you very much for the interview and sharing your insights, Nancy and Josh.
Nancy: You are welcome!
Josh: My pleasure.
Get started with APIs in hx Renew
Have you already worked with the hx Renew APIs? No? Kick off your first project and get your hands on our APIs. You can find all of our API training content in the usual training pages under 'Model Developer.' Here, we have some video tutorials and example files for you to get up to speed with the hx Renew APIs.
Sign up to become a certified specialist of hx Renew APIs!
The exam consists of 30 multiple choice questions and takes 20 minutes to complete. It can be taken in person, or online.
The primary preparation for the exam is getting hands-on developer experience with the hx Renew APIs. It is also worth looking at the corresponding training, which can be found in our customer service portal.
The training and exam covers topics like:
Third party integrations
Authentication
Best practice around calling v2 API endpoints
Features, parameters and limitations of specific API endpoints
We have run examination sessions in the hour before our user groups, which have been well subscribed. Additionally, a good number of people have taken the exam online, in a 1:1 session with one of our Learning team acting as an invigilator. You can also organise a larger exam session for your whole team.
Get in touch with us here: hx Renew certifications
