What Archie's API Can Actually Do – DevPlant's Story

The challenge

Most workspace software has an API, but that doesn't mean it's possible to build on

Coworking space, corporate office, any large premises with people and spaces to manage – the question is the same: can you bend the API of your software to your will?

DevPlant is a coworking space built by developers, who had yet to find a coworking software that would truly match up to their ambitions.

Problem 1: They were undergoing arduous daily manual invoicing tasks.

Romania requires every business invoice to clear a government portal within five days, with no exceptions, and no grace period. Businesses are 80% of DevPlant's customer-base, but there's also a steady stream of daily walk-ins.

This meant new invoices constantly, all processed manually, as their software couldn't integrate.

Problem 2: Someone from the team had to be on the floor every day.

Members would be coming in on different days of the week, and there was no clarity on which desks or rooms were free and which had been booked. Anna had hatched a plan for e-ink displays on every desk and room (inspired by local stores), pulling live availability so nobody had to wander the floor guessing what was free.

Yet none of the coworking platforms they had tried so far were mature enough to share reliable real-time information.

CEO Anna Boros wanted her team's workload as streamlined as possible, but they needed coworking software with an API they could build on.

The solution

An API mature enough for automated invoicing and real-time displays

With Archie's API, you are prepped with thorough documentation, security with the Oauth 2.0 authorization framework, and webhook support. Setup doesn't necessarily require a lengthy onboarding call. We provide everything you need to take Archie and run with it, without asking for help – although we're always responsive if you have questions!

"Once we started with Archie, it was clear it was going to work. We integrated the e-invoicing with our own invoicing software and then to the government. Archie was the only coworking software we tried where this was possible. Once the invoicing worked, it was clear the API was mature enough for our real-time display idea."

For automated invoicing: Archie's billing system handles recurring billing, automated e-invoices, and syncs with accounting software. DevPlant could plug it into their own system, then through to the government portal.

For e-ink occupancy displays: This is where webhooks did the real work. Archie's webhook system covers exactly the events a project like this needs (bookings, check-ins, users) each with created, updated, and deleted variants, delivery guaranteed and retried if it fails. Archie even has a recipe for the receiving end.

In practice, this means that DevPlant's displays could react the instant a booking changed, instead of polling Archie every few minutes just to check.

The result

Something solid to build on — and easy for members to use

"Archie finally gave us something solid to build on. A system like Archie is just a must."

Anna's team is already planning the next build: tying meeting room bookings to the building's heating and cooling, so a room reserved after-hours keeps its climate control running instead of shutting off on a timer.

Archie's technical depth hasn't come at the cost of ease of use. Members book through an interactive floor map without going through any approval process, and Anna's take on the platform is the best summary of why that matters:

"Other systems were very corporate and very business-oriented, but people couldn't necessarily book easily. Archie's UI is really good, we use the community features for notifications, and the interactive floor map is really easy to customize. I love that Archie is people-oriented."