Having an ERP software is not synonymous with efficiency or productivity. Many companies may have a business management tool, but at the same time have other programs with which they do not communicate or share data. When there is no ERP integration, the processes can become more complex because the information is distributed in different cloud platforms and the data is not shared.

In this post we want you to understand the importance of having an ERP that integrates multiple functionalities . And above all, be clear that this is a factor that will bring competitiveness and efficiency to your company.

What is ERP integration?

An ERP software is already in itself a tool that integrates different functionalities. For example, sales management, stock purchases, or invoicing are tools commonly found in business planning and management programs.

However, there are other tools that are also very important in companies, such as POS software, CRM software or the eCommerce connector, which are often not included in all billing programs.

Importance of ERP management software integration

Why is it important that an ERP software like Microsoft Business Central , D365 Finance , D365 Supply Chain - also integrates other applications? Because normally the departments of the companies share data and work in a coordinated way. They cannot function as watertight compartments. For example, order data is important for billing, accounting, warehouse management, the POS system...

An ERP solution can be integrated with different applications. When you hire ERP software, it is important to first check that it will allow you to use different functionalities that may be relevant to your business.

ERP and CRM integration

An essential aspect is that your ERP is integrated with your CRM. Many users will write to your website, call you by phone or contact you through a chat. Those users will start by asking for a quote, or by asking a question; later they will buy a product or service; then they will need to go to customer service or enter your loyalty program to convert them into recurring customers. As you can see, the users who give you their data to request a quote one day will be the customers of tomorrow. Different managers and departments will have to deal with the data of that user, from the sales team to the accounting manager and warehouse management.

If your CRM were independent from your ERP, you would have to have two different records, one in your ERP and one in your CRM. Next, you would have to make sure that there is effective and fluid communication between those who manage the CRM and those who manage the ERP. The information would not be updated in real time, which would also lead to extra work for different area managers.

ERP and eCommerce integration

Another of the most important integrations is that of the ERP and your eCommerce platform. If you have, for example, a Prestashop online store, you need orders, products, prices and stock to be synchronized. Otherwise, the data that appears in your online store may become out of date, since you would have to manually update it daily.

Today this is not possible, because an online store can sell 24 hours a day. A sale can occur at any minute, and if the stocks are not up to date, it may be the case that they buy you a product that you do not have stocks of. And coincidentally on that product it said "delivery in 24 hours", but it turns out that since you don't have stock at that moment, you may have to send it in 48 hours or more.

ERP and eCommerce synchronization would help you solve this problem. Failed orders would no longer occur, with products that you cannot sell because you do not have them available. Or worse, products where you did not get to update the price in the backend of your online store.

ERP integration, sales, warehouse and production

When a sale occurs, you have to set the whole process in motion to deliver the product to the customer. For this, it is important to ensure that there is effective communication between the sales area and the warehouse system. Nowadays, where many products are sold on demand, it is important that your production area adjusts as much as possible to the demand.

There are products that will be produced on the same day that the purchase is made. Your production strategy depends on the sales that occur. This means that your production control program and warehouse program, as well as the sales area, should not work in isolation. The information must be accessible to each department and it has to be accessible in real time to be effective.