What are ERP systems?
Many business owners and professionals have heard the term “ERP” before, but they might be unsure as to what exactly enterprise resource planning software can do for them, and their teams. The concept of “ERP” can be confusing, because ERP is not a standalone application. Instead, ERP software and systems are a category of tools used to assist with business management, and each ERP system consists of a group of integrated applications.
ERPs can be used to gather, store, analyze, and organize data from various parts of your business like shipping, product planning, order processing, sales, and marketing. ERP software that has been tailored to meet the specific needs of your business has the power to make a major positive impact on your bottom line, making these systems a critical tool for companies, both big and small, across industries. In particular, many companies in the B2B manufacturing and distribution industries find ERP systems to be invaluable when working to streamline their business processes.
Benefits that ERP systems bring to the table
ERP integrations are an investment that saves time and money for businesses by automating your company’s processes between an external system, like your website, and an ERP system. They have the power to eliminate common issues that face businesses like the double-entry of data, verification of customer accounts, maintaining up to date inventory between systems, and ensure that there is a singular authority for your company’s data. Having this wealth of data at your fingertips allows for more accurate decision making for your business.
Another key benefit of ERP systems? They allow for the simplified sharing of business data between departments, even in real time by integrating the ERP’s database with a database management system, and can optimize customer relationship management for more efficient communication. Plus, with all departments of your business using the same cohesive ERP system, managing data access and security permissions can be streamlined too.
With all of these benefits, today ERPs are considered an essential tool for businesses of all sizes, though in the past they were primarily used by larger companies. To cater to a wider range of businesses, the ERP industry now offers numerous business functions so more and more small businesses have started using these systems.
Website ERP systems we frequently work with here at Lform
There is no shortage of ERP systems available today, and our team has integrated many of the most popular systems, including NetSuite and Sage. Both of these tools allow businesses to gain real-time insights into company performance and find new ways to optimize internal processes, which in turn gives these companies full visibility and control over their business. In addition to the major players, we’ve integrated custom ERP systems developed by companies internally.
These integrations have been for a variety of use-cases such as ecommerce systems (syncing products, inventory, and orders between an ecommerce site and an ERP system), lead systems (syncing prospects from a website to an ERP system), and account systems (syncing customer accounts from a website to an ERP system). Additionally, all of the integrations we perform here at Lform are handled with security in mind, and we have implemented token based authentication systems, OAuth based authentication systems, and secure connections via VPN tunnels to keep the information contained within these systems well-protected and secure.
Impactful change for Lform clients through website ERP integrations
Interested in learning more about a few website ERP integrations we’ve done in the past for clients in a variety of industries? Take a look at our case study featuring CAST Lighting, a premier manufacturer of landscape and perimeter lighting fixtures and components. When this company was in need of a digital experience that showcased their state-of-the-art products and pioneering technology, we were able to revitalize its website and initiate inbound marketing, which used Shopify and Laravel to build an engaging digital experience to highlight their innovative products.
For another example, take a look at our case study highlighting AAA Innovations, a leading supplier of promotional products to the advertising specialty industry. Our team transformed their web presence by building a customized website that would give users the functionality of a traditional e-commerce site that provides access to content based on the status of the user (existing or non-existing user), limiting those without an account in terms of what they can do or see on the website. To accomplish this, we completed ERP system integrations with NetSuite to manage products, ordering, and customers on-site, as well as Pacejet, a 3rd party shipping fulfillment service, to supply accurate real-time freight estimates. Both of these integrations made a world of difference for AAA Innovations in terms of user experience, conversions, and profitability.
Custom ERP system solutions to fit your unique needs
While most ERP integrations require at least a small amount of customization to meet each company’s unique needs, we don’t just work with the more common ERP integrations. Our team has the unique skill set needed to work with you to implement a variety of customizations required to make an ERP system meet your exact needs, and perform the tasks you need it to do.
To create a solution that’s right for your business, customizations can be made to accommodate the requirements of the integration. This includes coming up with novel solutions for complex data problems that can work within the limitations of a pre-existing ERP system. Something else to consider is that from time to time, ERP vendors make changes to their systems that can cause problems with pre-existing integrations. To combat this, our team is able to help you make the changes needed to adjust integrations accordingly and accommodate these changes, keeping everything on track and running smoothly.
Streamlining the syncing of data between ERP systems
If you’ll need to have multiple ERP systems at once, or are gathering data from a variety of sources, syncing all of this data can be implemented in a variety of ways, including queue systems that push data in near real-time, scheduler-based systems that trigger syncing at set intervals, batch-based systems that queue multiple jobs for processing based on triggers, or webhooks that trigger from actions in the ERP system. Like other aspects of website ERP integration, our team can help make this process painless for you and your team, and will help you ensure that you have all of the data you need, right where (and when) you need it.
Finding the website ERP integration that best suits your business
By integrating your website with an ERP system, you’ll open up new doors for your business. Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Whether your needs would be best met by a popular ERP system, through a custom solution created just for you, or something in between, our team has the skills and experience needed to integrate your ideal system into your site.
If you’re ready to begin the process of choosing the website ERP integration that works for you, we’re ready to help. Schedule a needs assessment with our team today, and we’ll help get you on the road to streamlining your company’s processes and saving time and money through an ERP system.