General questions about system integration
The following questions address fundamental aspects of shop integration: what exactly is being integrated? Why is professional connectivity important? And which systems can be connected? These questions form the foundation for every subsequent decision in the project.
- What does shop integration mean exactly? Shop integration refers to the technical connection of an online shop with other business systems, particularly ERP (inventory management), accounting (DATEV), PIM (product data management) and CRM (customer management). The goal is automatic, bidirectional data exchange: product data, prices and stock levels flow from the ERP to the shop, orders flow back, invoices are transferred to accounting. Without integration, this data must be transferred manually, which is time-consuming, error-prone and not scalable.
- Which systems can be connected to the online shop? We integrate a wide range of systems: ERP systems like SAP Business One, S/4HANA, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sage and SelectLine. Accounting software like DATEV Unternehmen Online and Lexware. Common PIM systems for product data management. CRM systems like Microsoft Dynamics CRM and industry-specific solutions. Warehouse management systems and shipping carriers. The basic principle: any system with an API or export interface can be connected.
- Which shop platforms are supported? Our integration architecture is platform-independent. We have experience with Shopware 5 and 6 as well as all common open-source and proprietary shop platforms. The middleware layer abstracts shop-specific APIs so the ERP connector and business logic work independently of the shop platform. This means: if you switch shop platforms in the future, only the shop adapter needs adaptation, not the entire integration.
- Can existing manual processes be automated step by step? Yes, we actually recommend a phased approach. Rather than automating all data flows simultaneously, we start with the most business-critical interfaces: typically product master data and order transfer to the ERP. In subsequent phases, price synchronization, stock reconciliation and DATEV integration are added. This approach reduces project risk, enables early user feedback and distributes the investment over a longer period.
- How does a professional integration differ from a CSV-based solution? CSV imports and exports are fundamentally manual processes: someone must create the file, check it and import it. Errors are only detected during import, often too late. A professional integration works automatically and bidirectionally in real time or at defined intervals. Errors are detected and handled immediately. Data quality is consistently higher because automatic validation rules apply. And scalability is given: whether 100 or 100,000 products are synchronized, the effort remains the same.
- Is integration worthwhile for smaller shops too? Yes, as soon as the manual effort for data maintenance between systems becomes noticeable, automation pays off. With over 100 orders per month or regular price changes across more than 500 products, a professional integration typically pays for itself within six to twelve months (project experience). We offer scalable solutions that grow with your business: start with the most important data flows and expand step by step.