HAYSTACK Hooks Web Services

Haystack Hooks connects your parts and logistics database and management tools to the information contained in IHS Haystack Gold®. Haystack Hooks offers direct access to detailed, continuously updated product data associated with the millions of items listed in the U.S. Federal Supply Catalog and more than 40 U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and related commercial databases.

With Haystack Hooks, predefined part and logistics data is accessible on demand, using XML communication in HTTP via a secure connection to the Haystack Gold® web portal.

Organizations can select as little or as much of the data they need and integrate it with their internal systems for access via the in-house applications they currently use. You provide the necessary information such as National Stock Number (NSN), National Item Identification Number (NIIN), part number, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code or vendor name, and Haystack Hooks provides the part information you need.

Benefits:

• Accelerates business, manufacturing and supply chain processes 
• Supports the extraction of specific reference content for manipulation and re-use 
• Improves product quality, standardizes access and enriches internal or legacy applications 
• Mines a broader pool of content for decision support and business intelligence

Who uses the service:

• U.S. government 
• Top-tier aerospace & defense companies 
• Government suppliers & contractors 
• International governments and foreign militaries 
• Several branches of U.S. military

Haystack Hooks enables organizations to connect their systems in real time to the back-end databases in IHS Haystack Gold®. With Haystack Hooks, IHS provides the technical set up, hosts the service and provides the reference user documentation necessary for successful implementation.

Access to critical part and supplier information is tailored to your organization’s requirements with:

• Flexible data extraction capabilities; extract only the specific reference content required for applications and users. 
• Multiple search parameters support 
• XML Document Type Definitions (DTD) access to simplify data structure mapping 
• Internet Protocol based security

Customer issues resolved by Haystack Hooks:

• Data delivered to a parts supplier client was used to identify potentially profitable fulfillment criteria to rank requests for quotes (RFQs) that the client received. Haystack Hooks results were used by the client’s sales staff to compare available price history against their price to determine potential bid options and to analyze factors such as available sources, lead time and time to complete the sale.

• Two separate but similar clients used batch-processing with a custom web interface that quickly and efficiently analyzed pricing information.  NIIN/NSNs were imported into the batch interface and a tab delimited file returned for use with MS Excel/Access. Both clients uploaded to an FTP server for processing and returned to the FTP server to download the results in a similar format. IHS developed and delivered access to both the custom web interfaces and the FTP routing system with minor modifications in the data received for each client.

• IHS worked with a maritime sensor manufacturer operating a naval support web site designed to connect Navy personnel with direct contact information of manufacturer’s technical representatives. IHS populated the part listing with NSN/vendor information and associated the supplied technical contact information with the part record.

• An online government auction liquidation service responsible for most of the government’s Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) sales needed to supplement the information provided to potential buyers. Haystack Hooks provided an XML link to associated end items/weapon system names, when applicable, to items listed for auction.
  

To understand how you will benefit using IHS Haystack Gold (PDF) , take a tour of IHS Haystack Gold.