Customer Lifecycle APIs
Understanding Nue's Three-Tier Architecture
Nue provides a comprehensive solution for managing complex subscription lifecycles, from back-office operations to high-performance customer portals. Our architecture recognizes that different use cases demand different performance characteristics and integration patterns.
Why Three Tiers?
Back-office operations need deep Salesforce integration and complex business logic execution. System integrations require external API access while maintaining Salesforce as the source of truth. Customer-facing portals demand instant response times and unlimited scalability.
Nue addresses each of these needs with purpose-built API tiers:
- Apex Global Methods - Powerful subscription management directly in Salesforce
- CPQ Revenue Lifecycle APIs - External access to Apex Global Methods for system integration
- Commerce APIs - AWS-powered performance for self-service experiences
Apex Global Methods
The foundation: Powerful subscription management in Salesforce
Nue's Apex Global Methods are sophisticated Apex functions that handle complex subscription operations directly within Salesforce. They provide enterprise-grade capabilities for managing amendments, renewals, co-terming, proration, and all the intricate logic required for subscription businesses.
Why Apex Global Methods are powerful:
- Complex business logic: Handle sophisticated subscription scenarios like mid-term amendments, usage-based pricing, and multi-currency operations
- Deep Salesforce integration: Seamlessly work with your existing Salesforce workflows, triggers, and customizations
- Transaction integrity: All operations maintain ACID compliance within Salesforce
- Native performance: No network latency for Salesforce-to-Salesforce operations
Best for:
- Internal admin operations
- Back-office processing
- Salesforce-native automations
- Complex subscription amendments requiring human oversight
Limitations for self-service:
- Salesforce governor limits restrict throughput (100 queries, 10 seconds CPU time per transaction)
- Synchronous processing can cause timeouts under load
- Not suitable for high-volume, concurrent customer interactions
CPQ Revenue Lifecycle APIs
Bringing Apex Global Methods to your external systems
CPQ Revenue Lifecycle APIs are REST endpoints that expose Nue's Apex Global Methods to external systems. Think of them as a secure gateway that lets your applications call the same powerful subscription logic that runs inside Salesforce, from anywhere.
The power of external access:
- Same business logic: Execute the exact same Apex Global Methods that your Salesforce users rely on
- System integration: Connect ERPs, data warehouses, and custom applications to your subscription operations
- Maintain consistency: Ensure all systems follow the same business rules and calculations
- Direct Salesforce updates: Changes immediately reflect in Salesforce, maintaining it as your source of truth
Best for:
- ERP integrations
- Back-office system connections
- Automated billing reconciliation
- Opportunity-based workflows
Important consideration: Since these APIs call Apex Global Methods internally, they inherit the same Salesforce governor limits. This makes them perfect for system-to-system integration but not suitable for high-volume, customer-facing applications.
Commerce APIs
Breaking free: AWS-powered performance for self-service
Commerce APIs represent a fundamental architectural shift. Instead of calling Salesforce directly, these APIs run on AWS infrastructure with a replicated copy of your Nue data model. This allows them to deliver the instant response times that modern customer experiences demand.
How it works:
- Replicated architecture: Nue maintains a synchronized copy of your subscription data on AWS
- Millisecond responses: Queries run against optimized AWS databases, not Salesforce
- Asynchronous sync: Changes are queued and synced back to Salesforce without blocking the user
- Nue as source of truth: The Nue object model exists in both AWS and Salesforce, maintaining consistency
Breakthrough capabilities:
- Unlimited scalability: Handle thousands of concurrent users without hitting governor limits
- Real-time pricing: Calculate complex purchasing instantly
- Payment processing: Native integration with Stripe with others coming soon
- Self-service ready: Purpose-built for customer portals and e-commerce experiences
Best for:
- Customer self-service portals
- High-volume e-commerce sites
- Real-time configuration and pricing
- Mobile app backends
- Any customer-facing experience requiring instant response
Feature Comparison
Feature | Apex Global Methods | CPQ Revenue Lifecycle APIs | Commerce APIs |
|---|---|---|---|
Where it runs | In Salesforce | Calls Salesforce | AWS Infrastructure |
Access Location | Salesforce only | External systems | External systems |
Performance | Standard Salesforce | Standard Salesforce | Millisecond response |
Tax Integration | 🟣 | 🟣 | 🟣 |
Multi-Currency | 🟣 | 🟣 | 🟣 |
Complex Amendments | 🟣 | 🟣 | 🟣 |
Free of Governance Limits | ⚪ | ⚪ | 🟣 |
Real-time Pricing | ⚪ | ⚪ | 🟣 |
Invoice Generation | ⚪ | ⚪ | 🟣 |
Self-Service Ready | ⚪ | ⚪ | 🟣 |
Native Payment Gateway Interaction | ⚪ | ⚪ | 🟣 |
The Bottom Line
Apex Global Methods give you powerful subscription management capabilities directly in Salesforce - perfect for your internal teams and complex business logic.
CPQ Revenue Lifecycle APIs extend this power to your external systems while keeping Salesforce as the source of truth - ideal for integrations and automation.
Commerce APIs break free from Salesforce limits entirely, running on AWS to deliver the performance your customers expect - essential for self-service experiences.
Each tier serves a specific purpose in your subscription lifecycle management strategy. Choose based on who will use it (internal vs. external vs. customers) and the performance requirements of your use case.