Top 5 Workflows Every eCommerce Merchant Should Integrate With Their ERP
Thursday, September 10, 2020Eric Zegarski
Top 5 Workflows Every eCommerce Merchant Should Integrate With Their ERP
When it comes to integrating your commerce systems, there are numerous workflows you can integrate. Knowing where to start can somewhat be a challenge if you’re new to the world of integration. An integrated commerce network allows your business to:
- Fulfill orders faster and improve customer service
- Near real-time inventory updates on your eCommerce store
- Near real-time inventory updates in your ERP
- Eliminate human entry and reliance on CSV exports and imports
- Mitigate the risk of error due to human entry that will cause bottlenecks and lost revenue
- Greater insight on your operations allowing for agile business decisions
You can learn more about the benefits of integration
here.
Integrated Workflows 101
Our
Blueprint Builder is a fantastic tool to get stated with. It allows you to select your business systems and view what workflows can be integrated between them. Each business is unique and therefore it’s crucial you understand your organization’s data flow. Having a comprehension of your data structure will allow you to identify which workflows are essential for your business.
However, there are 5 workflows that every online merchant should have integrated. These workflows will enable bi-directional data flow that will not only save you time and money but allow you to build organizational wide transparency.
1. Inbound orders
The inbound orders workflow sends vital order data from your eCommerce platform into your ERP. It will send information related to incoming orders placed on your store. It enables you to track your orders in near real-time. Some of the line items related to this workflow include:
- Payment Method
- Customer Info (Address, Shipping Address)
- Billing Info (Bill to, Billing Address)
- Item (Order Date, Price Level, Quantity)
2. Outbound Shipments
Outbound Shipments sends crucial shipment information from your ERP to your eCommerce platform. It ensures that your eCommerce platform contains the latest shipment information. This workflow sends line items related to but not limited to:
- Shipment Date
- Shipment Method
- Shipment Address
- Tax Information
3. Outbound Inventory
Outbound Inventory is a must have workflow for every eCommerce merchant. It provides almost real-time inventory updates to your eCommerce store. This is especially handy if you’re selling the same product at multiple avenues online. It ensures your store has up to date inventory levels. Associated data with this workflow includes:
- Product Information (quantity, name, ID, pricing)
- Product Quantity (available, on hand)
- Catalog ID
- Product ID
4. Outbound Returns
Outbound Returns sends information from your eCommerce platform into your ERP regarding returns. With the recent rise in the popularity of eCommerce, an increase in returns is a natural side effect of increased sales. Managing these properly will allow you to keep track of returning inventory as well as financial implications due to returns. This workflow sends data like:
- Credit (issued and spent)
- Order (shipping, refund, amount)
- Return (label, shipping info)
- Discount & Refund Amount
5. Inbound Customers
Inbound Customers workflow communicates customer data from the eCommerce platform to the ERP. This workflow creates a record for each customer in your ERP. This workflow is essential for tracking customer activities and identifying your top customers. This workflow communicates data like:
- Shipping Address
- Number of Orders
- Verified Email Address
- Order Frequency
- Accepts Marketing
eBridge is Your Universal Integration Solution
eBridge Connections has pre-build connectors for all leading
eCommerce platforms like
Shopify,
BigCommerce,
Magento,
WooCommerce. In addition, we support
ERP solutions from
Sage,
Microsoft,
SAP,
NetSuite,
Intuit and many more. Our platform is designed to support your scaling business as your needs change. With the rise of multi-channel our integration platform also supports marketplaces like
Amazon and
Walmart, as well as fulfillment solutions like
Shipstation.
In addition, eBridge is hosted on Microsoft Azure, therefore ensuring an almost 99.9% uptime and industry leading security. With an integration solution from eBridge, you can ensure that your commerce network is connected and communicating data bi-directionally.
