Iron Brick Insights ·
Agencies do not have to replace legacy systems to modernize. They have to unlock them.
Most agency systems of record work. They are old, hard to change, and hard to reach, but they hold authoritative data and encode years of policy. Replacing them is expensive and risky. API-led integration offers another path: leave the core in place, and put a governed layer of APIs in front of it.
Three layers, three jobs
System APIs unlock each source system and hide its quirks. Process APIs combine data and apply program rules. Experience APIs serve a specific channel: a public portal, a caseworker app, a report, or an AI agent. Each layer can change without breaking the others.
Why it works in government
- Incremental. Deliver value one API at a time, inside the budget cycle you have.
- Reusable. The API built for one project is available to the next, so costs fall over time.
- Governed. Every access goes through the same authentication, authorization, and logging.
- Ready for AI. The same APIs become safe, auditable tools for AI agents through MCP.
What it takes to succeed
Write the contract first (RAML or OpenAPI). Automate build, test, and release from the start. Stand up a small Center for Enablement with standards, templates, and a reuse catalog. And measure reuse, because reuse is where the savings come from.
We have applied this approach for FDA, HHS, HUD, and DFC. See our case studies, or try the reference APIs in our sandbox.