ERP API integration with multiple eCommerce platforms is highly essential for such software providers. It allows getting access to all the necessary data from retailers' online stores. Without such information, ERP systems can not perform their primary functions. Why is it so? That is because ERP systems are responsible for a significant amount of operations that help e-retailers to automate and optimize their business activity. However, to be able to do that, it is needed to have the ability to work with various types of data and process it effectively by their systems.
In this article, we are going to explore the most important features of ERP software and find out what data they require from online stores. We also want to show how it is possible to develop ERP integration with dozens of shopping platforms and marketplaces at once with no difficulties.
What Is ERP API Integration?
ERP API integration is the process of connecting enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with other software applications via APIs to enable real-time data exchange, streamline operations, and improve business efficiency.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems play a crucial role in eCommerce. Designed for medium and large businesses, these systems help manage daily activities like project management, accounting, procurement, and risk management.
ERP software enhances retailer efficiency, reduces costs, forecasts effectively, and mitigates financial risks. It simplifies data management and sharing across departments, enabling informed business decisions and performance analysis.
The quality of ERP systems heavily depends on their integration with shopping platforms. Why is this integration essential? ERP providers need access to product, order, inventory levels, and shipping data from eCommerce stores to automate and optimize business processes.
However, data integration can be complex and costly. Many software providers choose API2Cart to streamline this process and avoid common integration challenges.
3 Main Difficulties of eCommerce ERP API Integration
If you have a goal to develop the connection between your ERP solution and multiple eCommerce platforms like Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. on your own, be prepared for a vast number of issues you may face during it. Explore the list of the most common problems that may appear during the ERP API integration with different shopping platforms:
- Integration requires a lot of time. The API architecture of various platforms differs a lot. Some of them are not hard to connect with, but some APIs are really hard even to explore as API Docs of some platforms not always contain all the necessary information. That is why the development of connection requires previous platform investigation and weeks of your developers' work to complete it.
- Integration costs a lot of money. You will need to find a qualified team of developers to build the integration with multiple eCommerce platforms. Their salaries usually vary from $2000 to $6000 per month. Of course, it depends on the number of platforms, qualification of specialists, etc. However, you will have to spend thousands of dollars for sure as integration with shopping platforms is a technically complex process that can be done for a few days.
- Integration needs further maintenance and upgrades. The development of the connection is not the end of the story. Shopping platforms change their API versions all of the time. What does it mean for you? It means that you will have to make changes and upgrade the integration continuously. As a result, you have to spend more money, time, and effort.
Moreover, sometimes it is hard to provide the API connection security and protect your clients' data as it should be. You can overcome all the problems associated with ERP system integration with multiple shopping platforms using the API2Cart solution.
Two Methods for Integrating ERP and eCommerce Platforms
When it comes to connecting ERP systems with eCommerce platforms, businesses typically choose between two main approaches:
- Building Your Own In-House Integration
- Unified API Solutions (like API2Cart)
In this method, software developers create and develop direct, one-to-one integrations between the ERP system and each eCommerce platform. While this approach offers full control over eCommerce integration logic, it is highly time-consuming, complex, and expensive to maintain.
Every eCommerce platform has its own API structure, authentication methods, data formats, and update cycles, which means developers must continuously monitor and adjust each integration as changes occur. This approach also slows down scalability since adding new platforms requires starting development from scratch.
An alternative and more efficient method is to use a unified API that acts as a middleware between your ERP system and multiple eCommerce platforms. Effective and reliable eCommerce solutions, such as API2Cart allow software developers to integrate their software with 60+ eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, including Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, OpenCart, PrestaShop, and others, at once - through a single API.
This drastically reduces development time, cuts maintenance costs, and allows businesses to scale faster by enabling instant access to new eCommerce platforms without building separate integrations. Moreover, unified APIs handle all API updates and changes on the platform side, freeing your tech team from ongoing support tasks.
API2Cart API Methods for ERP Systems
API2Cart provides a unified API for integration with multiple shopping platforms and marketplaces at once. Using it, you will easily connect your ERP solution to Magento, Shopify, Opencart, PrestaShop, eBay, Amazon, etc. You won't need to develop the integration with all of these platforms separately and spend your company's time, money, and effort. Moreover, API2Cart takes care of further integration support and updates, so you won't need to hire a full team of new developers.
In particular, integration with multiple eCommerce platforms via the unified API provided by API2Cart enables ERP systems to retrieve product lists, synchronize inventory on all storefronts, determine shipping details, and organize the data in detailed reports.
Below we describe the main API integration methods for ERP software.
Inventory control
Keeping inventory data accurate and in sync across all sales channels is vital for retail business.
You get notified about the order via webhook for order.add event or retrieve new orders via order.list method.
You can update stock quantities on all sales channels via product.update method using increase_quantity and decrease_quantity parameters.
Import orders
- Webhook for order.add event: Set up the webhooks for order.add event to get notified every time a new order is placed. Using webhooks is much more beneficial compared to polling an API, as it decreases server load, saves API requests, and provides more up-to-date info.
- Order.list method: Another option for tracking new orders is executing the order.list method once in a while to get a list of products to be imported into your system. Filter orders by creation time with created_from and created_to parameters.
Automate shipping
Automatically insert shipment tracking URL or update tracking info into the eCommerce store by using order.shipment.tracking.add to seamlessly notify end customers.
Create shipments and add tracking numbers to orders with the help of order.shipment.update and order.shipment.add methods.
Update order statuses via order.update method.
Work with categories
API2Cart provides the ability to work with categories in several ways. In particular, we have the following methods:Make reports
Let your customers get a full view of what’s going on and how resources are being spent through analytics and reports:
It is very easy to learn more about supported methods of integration by API2Cart visiting our documentation section.
Conclusion
As you can see, API2Cart is a perfect choice for developing connections with various platforms without spending a lot of money and valuable resources. API2Cart has all the necessary API methods that help ERP solutions provide all their functions to e-retailers.
Also, API2Cart has detailed API Docs with examples, tech support, and a 14-day free trial period. Our specialists will help you develop your ERP API integration with more than 60+ eCommerce platforms fast and efficiently.
You can also schedule a call with our sales representative if you want to get detailed information and examples of how API2Cart can help your ERP software to win more clients and integrate with shopping carts at one go.
