E-shop ERP Integration: The Complete Guide

E-shop ERP integration automates the syncing of products, stock, orders and invoicing between your online shop and your commercial/accounting software. In Greece, the most common combinations are WooCommerce with SoftOne, Entersoft, Pylon, Galaxy or BusinessClouds, ERP packages widely used by Greek businesses. Implementation costs range from €2,000 (basic API integration) to €8,000+ (advanced, with myDATA, ERP customisations and real-time sync; myDATA is the e-invoicing platform of AADE, the Greek tax authority). Implementation usually takes 3-8 weeks, depending on complexity. In this guide we cover which ERP suits your business, what can be synced, which methods exist (API, XML, webhooks), what each option costs and how to avoid the usual mistakes.

What is e-shop ERP integration, and do I need it?

The short answer: not every shop needs it. Connecting an e-shop to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is often unnecessary, especially for smaller online shops. A small shop with only a few orders a day can usually run its processes without commercial (ERP) software, which keeps costs lower. Once an e-shop grows, though, and reaches 20 or 30 orders a day, integrating it with an ERP system can prove extremely useful.

Set up around the needs of the business, this integration cuts the time your processes take, because it automates many everyday tasks. That frees the owner to focus on more strategic and important matters and step away from routine admin, such as changing prices in two places. Whether to integrate depends on the specific requirements and workload of each e-commerce operation, but once an e-shop starts growing, it can become an essential tool for improving the efficiency and productivity of the business.

Why connect your online shop to an ERP system?

Below we look at why you should connect your online shop to your ERP. The integration brings several benefits, and one of the most important is better customer service. When order, warehouse and invoicing information is available instantly, customers get quick, accurate answers to their questions, which raises their satisfaction and strengthens the reputation of the business.

Automatic stock updates are another advantage you can’t ignore. An ERP integration also speeds up adding new products, because information can be transferred easily and accurately. By making processes more efficient, businesses can cut running costs and improve their performance. Finally, creating orders and invoices instantly keeps fulfilment running smoothly and speeds up order processing. Let’s look at each of these in detail below.

How does it improve customer service?

Connecting your online shop to your commercial software improves customer service considerably, because it gives you a complete view of every transaction. Customers get instant access to their order information and better service, since their purchases are tracked accurately. Automated invoicing and customer-database management keep things running smoothly and raise customer satisfaction, which in turn builds loyalty to the shop. Your customer service team can find any detail about an order straight away and help customers faster with both old and new orders.

Automated stock management

Automated stock management is a crucial part of running an online shop that is connected to commercial software. It is probably the most important benefit, because available quantities are always up to date and customers see the real availability picture. This avoids cancelled orders, and the business doesn’t waste its budget advertising products on Google and Facebook ads that may be running low or already sold out.

Accurate stock management is also vital when the online shop is connected to larger platforms such as Skroutz, Greece’s largest price-comparison site and marketplace. It matters even more when the e-shop is connected to marketplace services such as Skroutz’s own checkout, Skroutz Cart, because cancelled orders there can have negative consequences, including penalties or extra charges. Automated stock management therefore helps customer service and keeps the supply chain running smoothly and sustainably across the business.

Automatic price updates on your e-shop

In a world where prices change constantly, failing to keep prices up to date in the online shop and the commercial software at the same time can lead to significant losses. This matters all the more because businesses need speed and accuracy when changing prices to stay competitive.

Automatic price updates on your e-shop do exactly that, letting you take advantage of market opportunities and avoid losses. Being able to change prices in a single place, instead of in both the e-shop and the commercial software, makes a huge difference, because mismatched prices can mean lost sales or customers being given the wrong information.

Changing prices quickly can therefore lead straight to a sale or stop you losing money, making your business more effective and efficient.

Instant creation of orders and invoices in the ERP

Creating orders and invoices instantly in the commercial system brings major advantages for how a business organises its processes. Every time an order is placed, it goes straight into the ERP, with no need to re-enter the customer’s details and the products they ordered. This cuts data-entry time and reduces the chance of errors.

What’s more, all orders are recorded alongside the orders from the physical shop, giving a complete picture of sales in one place. This centralised management makes it easier to monitor and analyse sales and supports strategic decisions. Businesses can then make their processes more efficient and respond faster to market needs, giving their customers better service and keeping a competitive edge.

Making processes more efficient

In a competitive market, full integration between the operations of an e-shop and an ERP system can be a decisive factor in raising productivity and streamlining overall business processes. Connecting these systems gives a fast, accurate flow of information, so you can make quick, well-informed decisions. It also reduces the margin for human error and improves the customer experience, which strengthens the competitiveness and growth of the business. This integration is therefore an important step towards operational excellence.

Which ERP should I choose for my e-shop?

How does the integration work technically? API vs XML bridge

The first step is to analyse the requirements of the business so the two systems can be fully integrated. This is the step most often skipped, and it is where most mistakes come from. We need to know which data actually matters and has to move between the systems. Next, we develop and install the right interface, which lets data be exchanged in real time. Maintaining the connection keeps the e-shop running smoothly and keeps sales in line with the information stored in the ERP.

Steps to connect an e-shop to an ERP

There are four main steps. First, connecting an e-shop to an ERP means documenting the requirements. This is crucial to avoid transferring useless information, which adds no value and still costs extra development time or server resources. It is important to define exactly which information is needed so the integration works effectively.

Next, the ERP technician (the person or firm that supports your commercial software) is responsible for providing the required information in a format the online shop can import. The most suitable approach is often an API, which allows continuous, automated updates. Where an API isn’t possible, an XML file sent to a remote location, or even an Excel file, can be used instead. Of course, the reverse route also has to be set up somehow: sending orders from the shop to the commercial software.

Then the information has to be imported into the e-shop and an update interval set. For example, updates could run every three hours, so the e-shop always has the latest data without unnecessary delays. This is the job of the company that built the e-shop. At WebMate, for example, we do this ourselves using AJAX, so updates and data transfers run asynchronously and without delays.

Finally, although it is the last step, optimising the integration is particularly important, because delays can appear at certain update points. For example, instead of updating every product, it can be more efficient to update only the products that have changed. This speeds up processing and avoids overloading the systems.

Bear in mind that no two integrations are the same, which is why we can’t go into more technical detail here: both the e-shop’s CMS and the specific commercial software play a part.

ERP solutions for your online shop

There are a great many solutions for commercial software, large and small, to suit the needs of different businesses. The best known worldwide is SAP, but it mainly suits large businesses because of its complex structure and high installation and maintenance costs.

Among small and medium-sized businesses in Greece, SoftOne and the commercial software from EpsilonNet are more widespread, offering flexibility and adapting to the needs of each business.

SingularLogic is also well known for its ERP solutions, and each system has its own strengths and weaknesses. The right choice depends on the type and needs of each business.

Tailoring the ERP to your business’s needs

Every business is different, so tailoring an ERP system to its specific needs and goals is essential to its success. In that context, choosing the right commercial software is a critical decision that can affect an organisation’s efficiency and growth.

How large or small a business is, along with its own processes, largely determines what implementing and integrating the ERP will require. A tailored approach fits current systems and workflows better, giving flexibility and making better use of resources. With the right ERP customisation, businesses can substantially improve their workflow, cutting costs and raising efficiency, which ultimately leads to sustainable growth.

What can be synced

How to connect your e-shop to an ERP in 8 steps

What other popular features can an e-shop ERP integration offer?

Connecting an online shop to its commercial system can extend to several other areas and make the business more efficient. Below we look at other features that can help a business build more effective processes.

Sending automatic updates to customers

Sending automatic updates to customers improves the customer experience and satisfaction. With this kind of integration, customer updates can be automated straight away for every stage of the order. This cuts delays in keeping customers informed and builds trust.

Managing and tracking orders

Connecting the online shop to the commercial software lets you track each order effectively at every stage. Businesses can offer more checkpoints, keeping both the end customer and the customer support team informed. When customers hear promptly about the status of their order, transparency improves and so does their satisfaction.

At the same time, customer support can take a more active role, answering questions and solving problems straight away. Improvements like these lead to excellent service and help build long-term customer relationships.

Reporting and better decision-making 

The value of connecting an e-shop to an ERP lies in bringing all of the business’s data together in one place. This makes data management more effective and lets you produce more accurate, up-to-date reports that support decision-making.

With business data gathered in a single system, managers have access to critical information in real time. That makes it easier to create reports that reflect the current state of the business and give a solid basis for sound decisions.

Integrating systems also limits the errors that come from manual data entry and makes the information more reliable. Connecting an e-shop to an ERP therefore raises operational efficiency and sharpens the company’s strategic direction.