Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about shop integration
From the first project idea to ongoing operations: here you will find answers to the most important questions about ERP connectivity, API development, middleware and working with us.
In short and in plain language
On this page you find questions and answers. They are about linking your online shop with your stock software.
The questions come in groups. There are general questions and questions on the technology. There are also questions on specific programs and on working with us.
For example, you can read which programs can be linked. And what happens if a program is down for a while.
Is your question not there? Then ask us directly. This is free.
General questions about system integration
- What does shop integration mean exactly? Shop integration refers to the technical connection of an online shop with a company's other business systems, particularly ERP (inventory management), accounting (DATEV), PIM…
- Which systems can be connected to the online shop? We integrate a wide range of systems. On the ERP side, SAP Business One and S/4HANA, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sage, SelectLine and orgaMAX. In accounting, DATEV…
- Which shop platforms are supported? Our integration architecture is deliberately platform-independent. We have experience with Shopware 5 and 6 (Community Edition / open source) as well as other common open-source…
- Can existing manual processes be automated step by step? Yes, and we explicitly recommend this phased approach. Rather than switching over all data flows in one big move, we start with the most business-critical interfaces, typically…
- How does a professional integration differ from a CSV-based solution? CSV imports and exports are fundamentally manual processes: someone has to export the file, check it, import it into the target system and verify the result. Errors in a single…
- Is integration worthwhile for smaller shops too? Yes. The deciding question is not company size but the manual effort spent maintaining data between systems. As soon as that becomes noticeable, or errors from double maintenance…
Technical questions
- How is data consistency between systems ensured? Data consistency is not a single mechanism but the interplay of several building blocks. Unique identifiers (master keys) link a product or customer across system boundaries, so…
- What happens when a system is temporarily unreachable? Outages of individual systems are normal in operations, whether from a maintenance window, an update or a network glitch. Our middleware architecture is built for exactly this…
- How performant is synchronization with large data volumes? Performance depends on the chosen integration pattern, the target system's interface and the data volume. Throughput depends on the limits of the systems involved; message queues…
- What security measures protect data transfer? Security is addressed on several layers. All data transfers are encrypted via TLS. API access is authenticated via OAuth 2.0 or API keys, protected against abuse by rate limiting…
- Can the integration be extended incrementally? Yes, extensibility is a core principle of our architecture. It is built modularly so that new data flows, additional systems and extended business logic can be added without…
- Do you support real-time synchronization? Yes. For time-critical data flows we implement real-time synchronization via webhooks and an event-based architecture: a change in the source system triggers the transfer…
ERP-specific questions
- Which SAP interfaces do you use for shop integration? That depends on your SAP variant. For SAP Business One, we primarily use the Service Layer (a REST API) for master data and transactions, supplemented with DI API calls where more…
- How is SAP pricing mapped in the shop? SAP pricing is demanding because it rests on a condition technique with access sequences: customer hierarchies, quantity scales, promotions and individual agreements interlock…
- Can Dynamics 365 Business Central be connected both cloud and on-premises? Yes, we support both operating models. We connect the cloud version of Dynamics 365 Business Central via the standardized REST and OData APIs with authentication through Azure AD…
- Are industry-specific ERP systems supported? Yes. Beyond SAP and Dynamics, we also integrate widespread inventory management systems like Sage, SelectLine and orgaMAX, as well as industry-specific solutions such as those…
- What happens during SAP or Dynamics updates? System updates can change interfaces, for example when a field is renamed or an API endpoint is retired. So that this does not turn into a silent outage, our operations contracts…
- Can multiple ERP systems be connected simultaneously? Yes, and this is a common scenario for corporate groups, post-merger situations or when different divisions have historically used different systems. Our middleware architecture…
Questions about project and collaboration
- How long does a typical integration project take? Duration depends on the scope and complexity of the data flows. For a single ERP-shop connection with the core data flows of products, prices, stock and orders we usually plan…
- What internal resources do we need to provide? The effort on your side stays manageable, but a few key roles matter. You need a project lead who serves as central contact, drives decisions and coordinates appointments. For…
- How is the project billed? We work with fixed-price packages for clearly defined integration scopes, so you have planning certainty and need not fear open-ended hourly budgets. The prerequisite is the…
- Do you offer maintenance and operations after go-live? Yes, and for many clients this is the more important part. An integration is not a finished project but a living connection between systems that both keep evolving. Our operations…
- Can we operate the integration internally? Yes, you are not locked in to us. After go-live we hand over complete documentation: architecture diagrams, API specifications, mapping matrices, the monitoring setup and…
- Do you only work with clients in Northern Germany? No. Our location is in Söhlde in the Hanover/Hildesheim region, but we work nationwide and internationally. Integration projects are particularly well suited to…
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