ERP Integration for Specialized Trade That Sells Expertise
In specialized trade, you sell expertise, not just merchandise. We connect your shop bidirectionally with the inventory system so that product configurators, technical data sheets and customer-specific assortments deliver the same advisory quality as your field sales team.
GoBD
compliant document handover
50+
integration projects
99.8%
interface uptime
97%
contract renewals
Fixed price after system analysis · net plus VAT
- Binding fixed price after a free system analysis instead of an open estimate
- Articles, attributes, prices, stock, orders and documents synchronized bidirectionally
- Product configurator with ERP rules and automatic BOM handover
- Monitoring of the interfaces well beyond go-live
Standard inventory-system connection from 4,900 € net, SAP Business One from 9,900 € and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central from 6,900 €. DATEV document connection for the accounting export from 1,490 €. Extensions, configurator logic and custom fields on a time basis — project day 990 € net (hourly rate 119 €). All prices net plus VAT; ongoing connector and middleware licenses are itemized separately. The project day is a package price for a reserved working day and therefore deliberately not a multiple of the hourly rate — the rationale is on the pricing overview.
Specialized trade fundamentally differs from consumer goods retail. Your customers do not buy impulsively. They research, compare technical data, need configuration support and expect the shop to reflect the same expertise they know from personal conversations with your sales team. ERP integration is the key: it ensures the shop displays not only prices and availability but also correctly maps technical relationships, compatibilities and configuration rules that are stored deep within the ERP system.
For specialised trade we combine several building blocks depending on the system landscape: inventory system integration connects assortment and stock, JTL-Wawi shop integration covers the JTL case, and for larger ERP systems SAP integration or Dynamics 365 shop integration apply. Document handover is handled by DATEV integration, payment flows by payment integration. If you also sell via platforms, details are under marketplace integration; adjacent industry pages are wholesale and fashion and textiles.
What Stays in Sync Between ERP and Trade Shop
Why Specialized Trade Has Unique Integration Requirements
In specialized trade, products require explanation. A plumbing wholesaler does not simply sell a faucet. They sell a fixture system that must match a specific concealed body, requires a particular connection type and is available in three finishes. An electrical wholesaler does not just deliver cable. They deliver the right cable with the right cross-section, insulation class and certificate for the specific application. This complexity lives in the ERP, and it must flow into the shop.
Standard integration solutions limit themselves to exchanging product data, prices and stock. For specialized trade, that is not enough. Compatibility rules must also be synchronized: which accessories fit which main product? Which configuration combinations are technically permissible? What minimum order quantities apply for goods sold by the meter? Which standards and certificates does the article have, and in which markets is it approved? All this information resides in the ERP and must be usable in the shop.
Product Configurators with ERP Validation
A product configurator in specialized trade is not a simple dropdown menu for color and size. It is a rule-based system that checks technical dependencies and only permits valid configurations. When a customer configures a pneumatic cylinder, the configurator must ensure that bore diameter, stroke length, cushioning and connection thread are compatible. When configuring a control cabinet door, dimensions, locking system and protection class must be compatible.
We integrate product configurators that source their rules directly from the ERP. Manufacturing parameters, combination rules and price surcharges are synchronized from the inventory system and presented in the shop as interactive configuration interfaces. When the customer completes a valid configuration, a BOM is generated automatically that can flow directly into the ERP as a production order. No manual intermediate step, no transcription error.
Rules from the ERP, Experience in the Shop
Technical Dependencies Checked Live
The configurator knows the combination rules from the inventory system and blocks invalid choices before they reach the cart. No configuration is created that would fail in production.
- Manufacturing parameters and price surcharges synchronized from the ERP
- Only technically permissible combinations are selectable
- BOM generation upon configuration completion
- Direct handover into the production order, without manual entry
Integration Areas for Specialized Trade
Rule-Based Configurators
Product configuration with technical validation against ERP manufacturing parameters. Only valid combinations are selectable. Real-time price calculation, BOM generation upon configuration completion.
Technical Data Sheets and Certificates
Automatic linking of articles with technical documents from the DMS or PIM. PDF data sheets, drawings, certificates and safety data sheets available directly with the product.
Compatibility Management
Automatic accessory recommendations based on compatibility rules from the ERP. Cross-selling that is technically correct: only accessories that actually fit the main product.
Customer-Specific Pricing
Individual price lists, framework agreement conditions and project-specific special prices from the ERP. The trade buyer sees their negotiated conditions, not the list price.
Project-Based Ordering
Assignment of orders to projects or construction sites. Consolidated deliveries, call-off orders and project-specific documentation directly from shop to ERP.
Standards and Approvals
Filterable standards and certificates (CE, TÜV, VDE, ATEX) in the product catalog. Synchronized from ERP or PIM so the buyer can filter by required approval.
Technical Data as a Sales Argument
In specialized trade, buyers and technicians make purchases, not end consumers. They expect precise technical information, not marketing phrases. A plumbing designer needs to know the flow rate a fixture delivers at a given pressure. An electrician needs the exact installation diagram and the approval for their installation environment. A plant engineer must know the pressure rating and temperature range of a sealing element.
We synchronize structured technical attribute sets from your ERP or PIM system into the shop. Each attribute is transferred with its unit, value range and filter category. Faceted search enables narrowing by technical criteria: nominal size DN15-DN50, material stainless steel, connection type flange. Technical data sheets, drawings and certificates are synchronized as linked documents and available for download. This turns the shop into a technical reference work that your customers use regularly, even when they are not ordering immediately.
What the Specialized Trade Shop Passes Through Technically
Attribute Sets
Technical attributes with unit, value range and filter category from ERP or PIM. Faceted search by nominal size, material and connection type.
Linked Documents
Data sheets, drawings, certificates and safety data sheets are stored directly with the article and refreshed when they change in the source system.
Compatibility Rules
Accessory recommendations follow the belonging rules from the ERP instead of other users' buying behavior. Only what technically belongs together fits.
Standards and Approvals
CE, TÜV, VDE and ATEX are adopted as filterable properties so buyers can narrow down by the required approval.
Customer Conditions
Individual price lists, framework agreement prices and project conditions appear after login instead of the general list price.
Project Reference
Orders, consolidated deliveries and call-off orders are assigned to a project or construction site and flow back into the ERP in a structured way.
Customer-Specific Assortments and Catalog Control
In specialized trade, not every customer sees the same assortment. A plumbing company needs different products than an industrial outfitter, a design office sees different prices than an installer, and a large-project customer has access to special lots that do not appear in the regular catalog. This assortment and price control is maintained in the ERP and must be automatically enforced in the shop.
Our integration adopts customer-specific catalog visibility from the ERP. After login, each customer sees exactly the assortment approved for their customer group and individual agreements. Blocked articles are invisible, articles with special conditions show the agreed price, and project assortments are accessible only to authorized contacts. All control lies centrally in the ERP; the shop reliably implements it.
The Advisory Aspect: Cross-Selling That Is Technically Sound
Cross-selling in specialized trade fundamentally differs from consumer goods. When an electrician adds a specific switch model to the cart, they do not want random product recommendations but exactly the matching frames, inserts and cover plates that belong to the chosen switch series. When a plumber selects a fixture, they expect the compatible connection sets, extensions and escutcheons.
These technically correct recommendations are based on compatibility matrices and belonging rules maintained in the ERP. We synchronize these relationships into the shop so that accessory recommendations are based on technical compatibility of the products, not on the buying behavior of other users. This reduces wrong purchases, increases cart value and positions the shop as a competent advisor, not just an ordering platform.
Accessories That Really Fit
Recommendations from the Compatibility Matrix
Instead of random suggestions, the shop shows exactly the frames, inserts and connection sets that belong to the chosen main product. The relationships come from the ERP, not from click behavior.
- Belonging rules per product series from the inventory system
- Cross-selling without wrong purchases and returns
- Higher cart value through complete sets
- The shop advises like the field sales team
The Typical ERP Landscape in Specialized Trade
In specialized trade, we frequently encounter industry-specific ERP systems tailored to the particularities of technical sales. Beyond the major platforms like SAP Business One and Microsoft Dynamics, many specialist traders use systems like GUS, Sander und Doll, plumbing-specific solutions or custom developments that have grown with the company over decades. The integration must cover this diversity.
We analyze the available interfaces of your ERP system and select the optimal integration path. Modern systems offer REST APIs, older installations communicate via SOAP or file export. For systems without documented interfaces, we develop database connectors that directly read and write the relevant tables if needed. DATEV connectivity for document flow is standard in every specialized trade project.
How Technical Data Flows from ERP to Shop
- 1
Identify the Source
We check whether your ERP communicates via REST API, SOAP or file export and add a database connector for the relevant tables where needed.
- 2
Structure and Validate
Articles, attributes, compatibilities and documents are mapped onto a unified data model and checked for quality before they reach the shop.
- 3
Synchronize
Prices and stock run frequently, master data and configuration rules at defined intervals. Every change in the ERP is transferred traceably.
- 4
Make Usable in the Shop
Faceted search, configurator, technical data sheets and customer-specific conditions appear exactly where buyers and technicians expect them.
From Trade Catalog to Digital Sales Channel
Assortment Analysis and Data Quality
Analysis of your product structure, technical attributes, compatibility rules and configuration parameters. Assessment of data quality in the ERP and identification of cleanup needs.
Integration Architecture and Data Model
Definition of data flows for articles, prices, stock, configurations, compatibilities and documents. Specification of synchronization intervals and priorities.
Shop Development with Configurator and Technical Data
Implementation of the product catalog with technical filters, configurator integration and document-supported product presentation. Iterative development with sales team feedback.
Pilot Phase and Sales Training
Introduction with pilot customers and accompanying training for the sales team. Your field sales become shop ambassadors because they see that the shop reflects their advisory expertise.
Long-Term Support for Trade Integration
An ERP-shop integration in specialized trade is not a completed project but a permanent connection that must keep pace with updates from both systems. Our maintenance packages include proactive monitoring of all synchronization processes, timely adaptation to API changes and quarterly reviews of data quality and performance. Through automated contract tests, we detect breaking changes early and can react before production updates. This long-term perspective ensures your integration works reliably not only today but also in two years, keeping pace with your growing requirements.
Technical trade adds further industry-specific requirements: BMEcat-compliant catalog exchange, ETIM and eclass compatible product classification, complex variant logic for technical products and synchronization of extensive technical attributes between PIM, ERP and shop. Our integration experience in trade encompasses exactly these scenarios and enables efficient implementation on a proven basis.
Our long-term support includes monitoring of synchronization processes, adaptation to ERP and shop updates, and quarterly data quality reviews. This ensures your integration remains reliable even with growing requirements and changing industry standards.
Let Us Bring Your Expertise into the Shop
From more than 50 integration projects (project experience) we know how configurators, technical data and customer-specific assortments flow cleanly from the ERP. Let us discuss your product structure and interfaces — fixed price after a free system analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions About Specialized Trade Integration
Matching articles: Data Mapping Between ERP and Store describes clean field assignment, Inventory Synchronization Across Multiple Warehouses deals with branch and central warehouse stock, and RMA Process shows how returns are managed between shop and ERP.