Updated on by Hayley Brown
An enterprise organisation holds lots of data, whether it is a customer, employee, or product. All this data is stored across systems such as CRMs, eCommerce platforms, support channels, accounting applications and ERPs. This can result in data silos forming, and data can’t be accessed across departments. Building integration solutions between your ERP, and the other software used throughout your enterprise, can help with data collection and move it through your systems and across departments.
What is an ERP?
Firstly, if you are not sure what an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is, it is a business process management software. Applications are designed to integrate an organisation’s finances, supply chain, operations, commerce, reporting, manufacturing and human resource activities. Providing insights into business processes and functionality.
Popular ERP Connectors
Typical ERP Integrations
You can usually find ERP solutions used and implemented by enterprise organisations. This is due to the scalability of the applications. Connecting existing SaaS applications to ERPs through native integration is useful in not only automating many manual processes but enables the sharing of data across multiple platforms and provides a single view of the business. As well as driving greater efficiency and optimising the value chain.
CRM and ERP Integrations
When an ERP and CRM integration is created you are connecting your demand with your supply. A CRM holds all of your customer contact and interaction data, by connecting it to an enterprise resource planning application you’ll be able to see order management, fulfilment and shipping. Integrations can add details about the order to the customer CRM account, as in when the order was fulfilled and shipped. As well as include SMS messages to customers when an order has been dispatched with tracking capabilities.
Other ERP and CRM Integration examples:
- Speed up processes between sales and operations with automated data sharing and processing
- Improve collaboration between departments
Ecommerce and ERP Integrations
Teaming up your eCommerce and ERP helps to make front-end data available for everyone. Especially when it comes to the order fulfilment process, checking or updating inventory and then shipping the product. Once an order has been made this can trigger an integration to check the inventory levels, update, and fulfil the order. As well as notifying the customer of any issues, or delivery information.
Other ERP and Ecommerce Integration Examples:
- Check and update inventory after a new ecommerce order has been shipped
- When an order is placed, and shipped, add a tag to the customers account and send email notifying shipment.
Customer Support and ERP Integrations
Syncing customer support with ERP software can help track support conversations. The ERP will have the customer’s order information from the CRM integration, and be able to handle service, support, contracts, returns and repairs, and maintenance. To ensure a seamless customer service experience. As well as reduce churn, boost customer satisfaction, and respond to customer needs fast.
Other ERP and Support Integration Examples:
- When a customer contacts support about a specific product automatically runs an inventory check
- Automatically attach the support conversation when marked as ‘closed’ to ERP and CRM
Accounting and ERP Integrations
As well as integrating with your CRM, eCommerce and support it makes sense to build automated workflows with your accounting system. Invoices can be created and duplicated from your accounting system and automatically added to your ERP. Not only can it help automate invoices for your customers it can generate reports for your sales, profits and cash flow.
Other ERP and Accounting Integration Examples:
- Create a new ERP sales order and send it to accounting to generate a customer invoice
- When a new customer billing/payment has been made update the sales invoice in ERP
Project Management and ERP Integrations
A third-party integration between your ERP and project management application is useful to see all of your business tasks, processes and workflows in a single place. Employees can then see which projects are underway, or completed, who is responsible for them and what is coming up. For instance, which sales team member is following up on a lead, or which developer is working on a bug fix?
Other ERP and Project Management Integration Examples:
- When a new ERP business task has been added as a card in project management assigned to an employee
- Automatically move a project management card to completed when ERP business task has been completed
How are ERP integrations beneficial to an organisation?
There are numerous benefits to building automated workflows between your ERP and other applications used. Mainly eliminating data silos and ensuring data is shared and flows between applications to drive greater efficiency. These integration solutions can avoid costly human errors, and personalise and enhance the customer experience. As well as improving employee experience and productivity.
Embedded integration platforms can help drive your integration ecosystem. With low code tools, you’ll be able to build useful solutions and orchestrate your data between third-party applications.
