Enterprise resource management is an essential part of running any business, that’s for sure. While many might think ERP systems aren’t needed until way later down the road when the business starts to grow more aggressively, these tools are proven to provide a great return on investment. According to a recent study of companies integrating ERP systems, ERP implementation led to business process improvement for 95% of businesses. Moreover, the average time for the return of investment in a group of companies that implemented ERP was just over 2.5 years
With these numbers in mind, and given the importance of enterprise resource planning and accounting systems for growing businesses, you might well be wondering how to add ERP/accounting systems for eCommerce stores. Luckily, we’re here to answer all of your questions regarding this topic. Here is everything you need to know about ERP and accounting systems integrations!
Why is enterprise resource planning key for eCommerce stores?
We understand many businesses were built without the help of modern ERP and accounting systems for eCommerce stores. But enterprise resource planning and accounting tracking are two elements that will help companies carry out their operations more efficiently and scale faster than they ever would. An ERP and accounting integration will create a centralized, automated, and integrated hub for data regarding inventory, pricing, order fulfillment, billing, and shipment/tracking. Now, let’s see three of the key benefits of integrating ERP and accounting systems for eCommerce businesses!
1. Inventory and customer maintenance
The ERP system handles tracking and can perform real-time inventory checks to ensure your catalog is updated according to what’s actually in the warehouse. As for customer maintenance, an ERP and accounting eCommerce integration will keep track of all billing, delivery methods, and order fulfillment operations and store the data within the integrated system. This allows companies the freedom to corroborate all inventory is where it’s supposed to be and that all sales orders were fulfilled appropriately. The best part about this benefit? It’s all done through automation!
2. No more manual data entry.
As we’ve just mentioned, the best thing about an ERP and accounting systems eCommerce integration is the fact that all your day-to-day inventory and sales orders will be automatized. There’s no more need to manually log the most recent product that has arrived at the warehouse into every single product page. With a proper ERP integration, all you need to do is update the product information on the backend system and the ERP software will ensure the main site is updated, and you can even program it to send out emails announcing the restock or the new product arrival.
Want to read more about eCommerce automation? Click here for our article about automation as a tool to navigate uncertainty!
3. Real-time data analysis.
Who doesn’t love data analysis? This tool can help you understand problems your business might be facing and to explore data collected from your eCommerce store in useful ways. Data analysis is the first step towards improving your operations, as it allows you to learn some really vital information about your store and how customers interact with it. From SEO analytics to your most viewed products, ERP integrations allow you to keep track of all relevant metrics from your site and control inventory, shipments, and sales orders through information.
4. Reduced staffing costs.
One of the main benefits of adding ERP and accounting systems to your eCommerce store is the clear reduction of staffing costs. Since there’s no more need for countless manual entries thanks to the automation of all data, the need for additional employees to cover manual transactions no longer applies to your business. This way you can save money otherwise spent on hefty employee costs and put it towards a better end goal, such as ensuring your eCommerce store is a mobile-first website.
What processes can be set up with an ERP/accounting system?
1. Effective product & pricing sync.
2. Regular automated inventory checks.
3. Shipment tracking information.
4. Order fulfillment and allocation.
5. Implementation of correct payment getaways.
6. Real-time inventory and pricing information updates.
7. Important tax deadline reminders.
8. Notifications for ERP use on the go.
9. Automatization of ERP and accounting data reports.
10. Option to save billing information.
Approaches to integrating ERP/Accounting systems for eCommerce stores
1. Real-time ERP and accounting systems integration.
This type of ERP integration is an excellent choice for start-ups and businesses looking to solidify their processes and perfect all systems for long-term success. It’s the most expensive, but it results in a fantastic system where the software regularly crawls a website for any new orders and pulls them into the back-end system in real-time.
This type of ERP and accounting systems integration facilitates the creation of sales orders and the automatic updating of inventory information. Moreover, it not only works for client orders, but also for new inventory stock added from the warehouse. A complex system also updates all relevant product information and its corresponding description and pricing. Overall, this is the best option for start-ups ready to scale up and larger, established businesses looking to support their operations. Just keep in mind that complex real-time ERP and accounting systems will most likely require an integration middleware during the set-up process, either through custom development or an iPaaS solution.
2. Simple batch updates ERP/accounting systems for eCommerce stores.
If you’re not quite ready to scale yet, a simple batch update ERP and accounting system can be a good budget option for an eCommerce store. This would implicate a set-up with a one-way integration that would automatically or manually allow for the periodic batch updates of ERP and accounting systems. Our recommendation is, of course, to automate the batch updates so any orders placed online into the back-end system will be processed as a sales order and its inventory allocated more efficiently.
As for new products, this would imply that any product arriving in the warehouse needs to be entered into the back-end system and will only then be batch-pushed up to the online store after a certain amount of time. This isn’t a real-time ERP integration, so inventory stocking will naturally take a little longer. This shouldn’t be a huge deal, though, as you can make the batch updates be sent out frequently to avoid any delays. At the end of the day, this option is best for smaller businesses looking for a budget ERP and accounting system integration.
3. ERP integrations for B2B order portals.
The last way to add ERP/accounting systems for eCommerce stores only applies to B2B businesses, but it’s still worth mentioning. This involves the creation of an online order portal with digital payments to optimize user experience, designed to streamline the order entry process and avoid bloating your main site. This will require each customer to have a unique login and create an account prior to ordering any products from your business. This B2B ERP integration provides companies with augmented control over what they sell through the chosen ERP and accounting software incorporated into the online portal.
Need help performing an ERP/accounting systems eCommerce integration?
There are several benefits to integrating ERP and accounting systems into a Spree Commerce store, and we understand this can be a complex process. While many of these softwares come with integration guidelines and simplified online procedures, there’s still a need for extreme caution when manipulating an existent eCommerce store. especially when it comes to accounting data. That’s why, at Resolve Digital, we offer custom software development services to aid companies like yours every step of the way.
We have a team of expert IT professionals with years of experience performing ERP/accounting systems integrations for Spree Commerce stores and are ready to help take your site to the next level. Our team handles the entire process and you only need to tell us what you need. This can save you time, money, and resources otherwise spent on trial and error procedures. Contact us today to learn more about our services!