The order is in the ERP, shipping enters it again, and accounting waits for an export. Manual handovers like these cost time every day, and they are one of the most common sources of errors in a business. An interface can change that.

Before it gets that far, three questions usually come up. This article answers them. What an interface is in principle and which kinds exist is explained in the article What is an interface?.

Our ERP has no interface. Is it possible at all?

We hear this often, and it is frequently only partly true. Many older or specialised programs offer no official, documented interface. That does not mean no data can get out.

We check which routes the system actually offers:

  • Export and import: Many programs can output and read in lists or files. If these are transferred in a controlled and regular way, the result is a reliable connection.
  • Read access: Sometimes the data can be read directly without changing the system. This is often the gentlest route.
  • File transfer: One program places a file in an agreed location, another one collects it. Simple, but surprisingly robust in daily use.

A test run with real orders shows which route fits. Only once it is clear that the route holds up in daily work is the connection expanded. There is no guarantee that every system can be connected. Where possible, though, there is a way, and if there is not, we say so early.

If the interface fails, does everything stop?

A fair concern. A connection that nobody monitors is often noticed only when a customer calls to ask where their delivery is. That is why every interface comes with an agreed way of handling disruptions. We plan it in from the start.

It includes four things:

  • Making status visible: Successful, pending and failed handovers are recorded in a traceable way. Anyone can see what has arrived and what has not.
  • Responding in a targeted way: It is agreed in advance who is notified about which message and what is clarified by hand.
  • Catching up in a controlled way: For each interface we define and test how handovers are retried and how duplicate messages are recognised. No order is created twice.
  • Being able to keep working: If a system is unavailable, your team knows how to carry on in the meantime. The handovers are caught up as soon as the connection is back.

A failure cannot always be prevented. What matters is that it is noticed quickly and no data is lost.

The vendor offers integrations too. Why use you?

Some vendors offer suitable integrations, and if one of them covers your process, it is often the best choice. That is why we check the available options first.

In practice, though, the ready-made integration often does only part of the job. It transfers orders, say, but not tracking numbers back, or it does not know your business’s special rules. Then we develop the connection where a solution is missing and make sure both fit together.

How an online shop and an ERP can be connected is shown in the article Connecting your online shop and ERP.

What is the best place to start?

With the handover that causes the most manual work today. Often it is a single point where the same details are retyped every day. We record the systems and data flows, connect that one point and test it with real orders. Only then does the next connection follow, one after another.