ERP Integration: What is It and How to Develop It with eCommerce Platforms?
ERP integration with several eCommerce platforms is very important for these software providers. It allows you to access all necessary data from online retailers’ stores. Without such information, ERP systems cannot perform their basic functions. So the question arises: why is it so? It is because ERP systems are responsible for a large number of operations that help online merchants automate and optimize their business activities. However, it is necessary to have the ability to work with different types of data and effectively process them through their systems.
In this article, we will explore the most significant features of ERP software and find out what data they require from online stores. Moreover, you will discover how to develop ERP integration with many shopping platforms and marketplaces without problems.
Main features of ERP system
Today, it is challenging to overestimate the role of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in the eCommerce market. It is software designed for medium and large businesses to manage day-to-day activities, such as project management, accounting, procurement, and risk management.
ERP software helps retailers improve operational efficiency, reduce operational and management costs and lower risks connected with financial operations. It allows employees to manage data and share it between different departments easily. For management, ERP systems provide access to data that allows to make important business decisions for the future and to analyze the previous activity and results of the company.
The rate of ERP programs depends on their level and quality of integration with shopping platforms. So why is the ERP eCommerce integration so important? Because it is vital for ERP suppliers to have access to data from retail stores related to products, orders, stock levels, and shipping to automate retailers’ activities.
But data integration takes a lot of time and money if to make it by yourself, and many software vendors decide to use the API2Cart to avoid a lot of problems.
If you have a goal to develop the connection between your ERP solution and several eCommerce platforms, such as Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc., be prepared for a huge number of problems that you may encounter during this process. See a list of the most common issues that may appear during the ERP API integration with various shopping platforms:
- Such integration takes a lot of time. The API architecture of different platforms differs greatly. Some of them are easy to connect to, but some APIs are really hard to even investigate, because API documents on some platforms do not always contain all the necessary information. That is why the development of the connection requires a preliminary study of the platform and weeks of work of your developers to complete it.
- Integration is expensive. You will need to find a qualified team of developers to create integration with multiple eCommerce platforms. Their salaries usually vary from 2000 to 6000 dollars per month. Of course, it depends on the number of platforms, the skills of specialists, and so on. But you will definitely have to spend thousands of dollars, because integration with shopping platforms is a technically complicated process that can be carried out in a few days.
- Integration requires further maintenance and upgrades. The development of connection is not the end of the story. Shopping platforms are constantly changing their versions of the API. What does this mean for you? It means that you will have to make changes and update integration regularly. As a result, you will have to spend more money, time and effort.
In addition, it is sometimes difficult to secure your API connection and properly protect your customers’ data. However, you can overcome all the problems associated with ERP system integration with several eCommerce platforms using the API2Cart solution.
API2Cart API Methods for ERP Systems
API2Cart provides a unified API for integration with multiple eCommerce platforms and marketplaces at once. Using it, you can easily connect your ERP solution to Magento, Shopify, Wix, PrestaShop, eBay, Amazon, etc. You will not need to develop integration with all these platforms separately and spend your company’s time, money and effort. In addition, API2Cart constantly expands the list of supported platforms and updates integration, as eCommerce platforms regularly release new versions. So you don’t need to hire a whole team of new developers.
In particular, integration with several eCommerce platforms via the unified API provided by API2Cart allows ERP systems to receive product lists, synchronize inventory on all platforms, define shipping details, and organize data in detailed reports.
Below we describe the basic API integration methods for EPR software.
Inventory control
Keeping accurate and synchronized inventory data across all sales channels is vital for retail businesses.
You receive order notifications via the order.add event webhook or receive new orders using the order.list method.
You can update the inventory quantity on all sales channels using the product.update method, using the increase_quantity and reduce_quantity options.
Import orders
First, it is setting up webhook events order.add to receive notifications every time a new order is placed. Webhook use is much more profitable than the API because it reduces server load, stores API requests, and provides more relevant information.
Another option to track new orders is to periodically follow the order.list method to obtain a list of products that you want to import into your system. Filter your order by time using the created_from and created_to options.
Automate shipping
Automatically insert the tracking URL or update tracking information into the eCommerce store using order.shipment.tracking.add to notify end customers easily.
Create shipments using the order.shipment.update and add tracking numbers to orders through order.shipment.add methods.
Update order statuses using the order.update method.
Work with categories
API2Cart has the ability to work with categories in several ways. For example, we have the following methods:
Make reports
Let your customers get a complete picture of what is happening and how resources are spent with analytics and reports:
It is very easy to learn more about the supported integration methods of API2Cart by visiting our documentation section.
The outcome
As you can see, API2Cart is the best choice for developing connections with different platforms without spending a lot of money and valuable resources. API2Cart has all the necessary API methods that help the ERP solution provide all its functions to e-sellers.
In addition, API2Cart has detailed API documentation with examples, 24/7 customer support and a 30-day free trial period. Our specialists will help you quickly and effectively develop ERP integration with over 40 eCommerce platforms.
You can schedule a call with our managers to get detailed information and examples of how API2Cart can help your ERP software attract more customers and integrate with shopping carts at once.
