The ‘Digitaler’ era: APIs for a smarter tech stack
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When people talk about technology reshaping the way we work, the conversation often drifts towards the big and the flashy with things such as AI breakthroughs, headline-grabbing startups, or new platforms that promise to change everything overnight. But in reality, the real shifts are often much quieter. They’re the small, everyday changes that free up time, reduce friction, and give people the space to focus on what actually matters.
From paper to digital…to “digitaler”
I see this firsthand in my role as a Lead Product Manager. Every day, businesses are rethinking how they handle work that used to be slow, manual, or paper-heavy. But what’s interesting now is that the shift isn’t just from paper to digital, we all know that story is well underway. The new challenge is for businesses already surrounded by digital systems, tools, and platforms. They’re asking, “How do we simplify this landscape rather than add to it?”.
We’ve already moved from paper to digital, but now we’re entering what I call the era of ‘digitaler.’ Not more tools, but better-connected ones. Not digitising for the sake of it, but simplifying the digital world we already live in.
This is where integrations, APIs, and interoperability really come into play. They’re what turn a tangle of tools into a connected system, pulling the loose threads together into one neat knot.
The quiet power of simplification
A property consultant recently told me that what used to take her four days now takes her 10 minutes. The impact wasn’t dramatic, but it was real. Suddenly, she had days back to focus on the things that actually move her business forward. And she’s not alone. Across sectors, the story is the same: compliance is critical, documents are constant, and time is always tight. The businesses winning here are the ones adopting tools that simplify, not complicate.
Beyond the stack
One of the clearest trends I’m seeing is that people are tired of over-engineered tech stacks. Businesses don’t want “yet another app”. They want solutions that integrate with what they already use and flex to their needs. For some, that means plug-and-play simplicity; for others, it’s embedding capabilities directly into their own systems through APIs. Either way, the demand is for technology that adapts to them, not the other way around.
Why the human element still matters
Even the smartest technology won’t succeed if it forgets the human element. We’ve all experienced the frustration of ticket queues, chatbot loops, and being left wondering if anyone will ever get back to us. The difference comes when users feel heard and supported.
At Signable, we think about this on two levels. As the UK’s leading eSignature software provider, our customers trust us for our intuitive web app and seamless end-user experience. But we also know that many businesses want deeper control over how they use our platform. That’s why we launched our API Developer Portal, because customers told us they wanted more control, less friction, and faster ways to integrate. It’s designed to make our API as approachable as the rest of our product.
With everything from in-depth use case guides to quick “get started in minutes” resources, it’s a welcoming launch pad that helps teams embed Signable directly into the tools and workflows they already use every day.
At the end of the day, technology should never feel like a barrier. Whether it’s a customer needing a quick answer or a developer looking to embed tools into their own systems, the role of product teams is to make that journey as smooth as possible.
Growth without complexity
That’s why I think the next wave of progress in workplace technology won’t come from stacking on more features, but from creating clarity. When support feels human, when integrations feel seamless, and when the essentials just work, businesses unlock the freedom to focus on bigger, more valuable problems.
If there’s a takeaway here, it’s this: don’t look for the tool that promises to change everything overnight. Look for the one that makes tomorrow just a little bit easier. Because when you stack enough of those small wins together, you suddenly find you’ve made a bigger shift than you thought.
Key takeaways
What I’ve learned is that “digitaler” means something slightly different depending on your role, but it comes back to the same principle: making tech feel lighter, not heavier.
If you’re leading a business:
- Don’t just ask “what does this tool do?”, ask “How does it improve my team’s workload?”’
- A smaller, connected stack is usually more powerful than a bigger, fragmented one.
- Adoption lives or dies on trust. If people don’t feel supported, they won’t use the tools you buy.
If you’re building or integrating tech:
- Optimise for time-to-first-value – can someone set up their first working flow (or make their first API call) in under 10 minutes? Our Getting Started page is designed to get someone sending an envelope within that timeframe.
- Prioritise interoperability – APIs, webhooks, and clear docs matter more than feature checklists.
- Reliability is UX too – stable versioning, changelogs, and fast support build more trust than flashy launches.
Curious about what ‘digitaler’ could look like in your business? Explore our new API Developer Portal and get in touch today. We’d love to show you how Signable helps businesses grow without the complexity.
Andy Jackson
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