in: Company News
Are you thinking of integrating ERP and shipping in your e-commerce company? You may be surprised at the many benefits of such an integration. Some of the many benefits include saving time, reducing costs, and improving service.
Many e-commerce companies utilize a mosaic of systems, apps, and connectors to run their businesses. It’s not uncommon to find an ERP for accounting and operations, a separate inventory management system for the warehouse, a website platform and shopping cart held together with duct tape and a prayer … well, you get the picture.
This hodgepodge often occurs when companies start small and grow over time. Because the site grew organically from a smaller e-commerce operation, each app or module was added to solve a specific problem during the growth phase. For example, the company may have started in the founder’s home with a website and backstock in a spare bedroom or the basement. The owners fulfilled orders with UPS or USPS pickup from their home. As the company grew, however, they obtained a business office with warehouse space. Now they needed an inventory tracking system since they could no longer rely upon scratch counts. Their accounting program, a simple package from the local office supply store, didn’t offer all of the advantages they needed, so they switched to a cloud ERP program. Over time, you can easily see how this results in a conglomeration of programs that don’t work well together but may be difficult to untangle and start anew.
The Benefits of ERP and Shipping Integration
Take a look at just one area of e-commerce integration: ERP and shipping. There are many benefits you can obtain from integrating only these two areas of your company’s software.
Benefits include:
- Tighter inventory control: ERP and shipping integration means that data from your e-commerce platform updates as soon as someone completes their purchase. Inventory data updates the moment the shopping cart empties and the sale is complete. This enables you to maintain tight inventory control and make decisions based on real-time data.
- Reduced costs: Tight inventory control means you’re spending less on unsold inventory. You know precisely what has sold, when, and to whom. You can reorder only when stock levels reach a pre-set low. Conversely, you can also find out which items aren’t moving and make an effort to sell aging stock. The better the inventory data, the better your inventory management decisions.
- Self-service support: When ERP and shipping are integrated, and data updates in your system, customers can perform self-service tasks such as checking to see if items are in stock, verifying delivery dates, and more. You’ll need fewer customer service staff to answer questions.
- Fewer errors: With multiple systems cobbled together it is like someone, somewhere, is running manual reports or entering data to update the system. Manual data entry leads to errors entering into the system. With automation, you eliminate manual data entry and reduce the number of mistakes. You’ll also avoid having to enter data multiple times.
E-commerce has to be one of the most competitive industries around. If you aren’t keeping your systems up to speed, it’s a safe bet that your competitors are gaining ground. The time your team is spending typing data into the system because your system is slow, unreliable, or antiquated is time wasted. Get them working on more productive tasks and let faster, more efficient software handle routine tasks.
Simplified E-Commerce Integration Is Possible
ShipStation is just one great example of ERP and shipping integration. Mindover Software is committed to providing businesses with automated solutions for greater business efficiency.
If you’re sold on the idea that ERP and shipping integration is a great idea, then let’s talk. You may be surprised at how easy it is these days to integrate e-commerce sites with systems like ERP and shipping.
If you haven’t looked into integration in a few years, now is the time. Please contact Mindover Software today at 512-990-3994.
