Integrating enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with ecommerce platforms is key in the retail industry, where sellers face high degrees of operational complexity and escalating customer demands. With consumers expecting quick order processing, rapid fulfillment and direct insight into everything from inventory levels to expected delivery dates, retail businesses must pursue ERP- ecommerce integration and cultivate front-end systems that not only facilitate shopping but also inform.
Here at Pixafy, we help companies in the retail space navigate the ERP integration process — particularly those pursuing Shopify and Magento ecommerce installations. As a Shopify Plus Partner, we provide extensive integration services and collaborate with fellow vendors to ensure sellers can effectively foster communication between their ERP platforms and Shopify instances, without breaking their information technology budgets.
We offer integration services for a wide variety of ERP setups — even full-blown custom solutions — and specialize in crafting simplistic integration pathways. Our developers can easily connect Shopify to any ERP solution, including NetSuite. Here, we typically employ the NetSuite Shopify Connector, an out-of-the-box, fully-managed integration module that makes connecting these two powerful IT platforms easy.
Unpacking the Netsuite Shopify Connector
An estimated 18,000 organizations worldwide leverage Oracle’s NetSuite solution, making it one of the most popular ERPs on the market. Retailers constitute a good portion of NetSuite users, as the ERP supports omnichannel operations through robust order management and fulfillment features. It even comes with marketing campaign management and mobile-ready point-of-sale components. That said, NetSuite works best when paired with an equally impressive ecommerce platform, like Shopify.
As mentioned above, the Pixafy development team uses the NetSuite Shopify Connector from Celigo to integrate these two systems in a streamlined way. The module can import customer orders submitted via Shopify into NetSuite in real time. And the tool can import fulfillment and inventory level metrics entered into NetSuite into Shopify. As a consequence, data can flow freely between the two platforms, giving sellers the power to configure operational processes within which:
- Orders placed through Shopify are automatically delivered to the NetSuite Shopify Connector, where they will reside until they are created in NetSuite.
- Orders remain stored in the module in the event of a NetSuite error or malfunction, thus facilitating a one-click retry workflow for updating the ERP.
- Orders modified in Shopify can be updated within NetSuite with just a few clicks.
Celigo designed the NetSuite Shopify Connector for ease of use, with major field mapping functionality that extends across both the ERP and the ecommerce platform. Additionally, a streamlined backend interface supports platform customization, meaning sellers can adjust the module to meet their specific needs. It also comes equipped with robust self-management tools — this includes an installation wizard and flow configuration and scheduling options — which means retail businesses can easily manage their ERP-ecommerce platform connections long after go-live.
Mapping the integration process
The notion of joining two mission-critical systems might seem overwhelming. In reality, retailers pursuing this path can easily integrate their front-of-house ecommerce platforms and ERPs with assistance from a seasoned development agency such as Pixafy. Installing the Netsuite Shopify Connector is easy to do within the scope of an online rebranding project — an optimization that takes only a few working days to complete. With the module in place, retailers can manage data flows in a matter of clicks over the course of a couple seconds.
Finding the right ERP integration partner
In the end, ERP ecommerce integration can help sellers unlock new levels of efficiency through simplified data mapping between customer-facing purchasing portals and digital shipping and fulfillment infrastructure. This sort of technological interconnectivity benefits customers and, by extension, retail businesses. In short, integration is the way to go. But where should retailers turn for help? The ecommerce development marketplace is full of firms that can do this work.
Going with a proven organization like Pixafy is ideal, especially for sellers looking to pair Shopify and NeSuite. As a Shopify Plus Partner, we have the experience and connections that retailers need to make these robust systems speak to each other and ultimately catalyze operational improvement.
Is your business ready to talk ERP and ecommerce integration? Connect with us today or have a look at our development services selection and portfolio.
