How to Integrate an ERP to Shopware 6 eCommerce Platform? Come in for some tips!

But first, let me inform you what ERP is and describe its main purpose. ERP stands for enterprise resource planning system. It allows combining and processing data, obtained from such modules as sales, production, finance and others. ERP helps to get a complete picture of your business workflow across the board, for example, to update products timely and to offer customers only available items.

I suppose, ERP integration might be challenging for beginners. Obviously, it’s better to learn from other’s mistakes. So this article intends to give you a heads up about the main integration peculiarities and point out the questions you must ask when integrating an ERP to your Shopware eCommerce business.

Take into account the following aspects to ensure your ERP data is valid:

• Are order discounts displayed in real time?
• Is real-time inventory required, or can it be fulfilled on a scheduled synchronization basement?
• Is a number of order displayed on the web-screen in real time?
• Is the Shopware eCommerce shopping cart able to present potential surcharges, like administrative fee, shipping capabilities in the ERP system?

To ensure the architecture of your ERP system is future-proof, pay attention to the next issues:

• Do you receive a notification when errors occur?

When launching a software, it’s highly important to make sure this integration is being logged and monitored to decrease consequences of ‘not working’ integrations and guarantee its impact on your business is minimal.

• Do you apply an A-to-B method or create a future-proof ecosystem?

An A-to-B approach is the most right choice when you integrate up to two applications. Thus, you would need to integrate system A (ERP) to system B (eCommerce), and your integration will likely be built on custom code or using plugin.

However, here are some contraindications on using a custom code or plugin:

1. When you plan to reuse your ERP data to integrate another software. With custom code it could be problematically;
2. Custom code solutions demand more time than middleware iPaaS tooling;
3. For crucial integrations it might be needed custom monitoring protocols, and it’s costly. Note that fault handling and prevention are frequently minimal, what makes it hard to recover data without manual intervention;
4. Adding new or replacing an existed software in your IT environment need serious efforts;
5. When tending to integrate new technologies, like AI or machine learning, you’ll need additional data routes. Custom code can be unreliable in these cases.

Yep, ERP integration strategy must be thoughtfully planned. So you always should think ahead, bearing in mind your project and its perspectives.

At this stage let’s move on to the main steps to integrate an ERP to your Shopware eCommerce platform:

1. Set up a demo environment;
2. Plugin Basics;
3. Configuration;
4. Product Importer;
5. Import Command;
6. ScheduledTask.

Here are top 3 ERP extensions to reach your website effective performance Shopware recommends:

• Actindo. Link this ERP to your Shopware website and benefit from full process automation. It offers central data management, inventory synchronization and opportunity to connect your data to subsequent sales channels;
• Pickware ERP was created especially for Shopware, so there is no need for extra system with separate data storage — all data is combined in a single system;
• Xentral is a cloud ERP platform, which can be used from any corner of the world and via any device: either smartphone or laptop. This feature opens wide horizons for your Shopware website.

Workflow optimization plays a huge role in your overall business management. Leave all routine tasks to your ERP system and focus on other essential things.

For instance, if you are bored of your standard website interface, we know how to diversify it. Check the link to discover how to extend your
Shopware 6 right now.