How we workHow does an integration project run?
01Map the systems
We record the existing landscape: ERP, PIM, WMS, CRM, middleware, marketplaces and legacy interfaces - including the spreadsheets that are effectively part of the process.
02Define data ownership
For every object - item, price, inventory, customer, order, return - the owning system is named and written down. That table is the real deliverable of the analysis phase.
03Choose the integration pattern
Only now do we decide between an off-the-shelf app, an iPaaS platform and custom middleware. The answer depends on volume, transformation depth, error tolerance and in-house know-how.
04Build the flows
Each flow gets mapping, validation, an idempotency key, an error channel and retry handling. Development runs against test instances with realistic data volumes.
05Go live step by step
We start with the flow that does the least damage if it stalls and work our way towards orders and finance. After each step we reconcile.
06Operate and refine
Monitoring, alerting and a recurring reconciliation between systems move into operations - with a documented procedure for the case where a record does drift.
FAQCommon questions about ERP, PIM and middleware integration
When does a store need an ERP?
As soon as inventory, prices and orders are maintained in several places and discrepancies cost money. Typical triggers are multiple sales channels, partial shipments, batch tracking or accounting that enters documents manually. Until then, Shopify plus a disciplined item master is usually enough.
When do you need a PIM instead of Shopify metafields?
Shopify metafields go surprisingly far. A PIM pays off when several channels need the same product data in different shapes, when several languages are maintained editorially, or when completeness has to be enforced before publishing. The trigger is the maintenance process, not the number of fields.
What is the difference between ERP and PIM?
The ERP owns commercial data: item master, prices, inventory, orders, invoices. The PIM owns marketing-facing product data: descriptions, attributes, images, translations, channel assignment. Both share the SKU as the link. Force both roles into one system and you end up with either poor accounting or poor product data.
Do you need middleware or is an app enough?
An app is enough as long as your ERP matches the connector's standard and you accept its field logic. As soon as you need custom transformation rules, several target systems, prioritisation or your own error handling, middleware or an iPaaS layer becomes cheaper than permanently operating workarounds.
How do you prevent duplicate orders in the ERP?
Through idempotency: every message carries a unique key, usually the Shopify order ID, and the target system checks whether that key already exists before creating anything. On top of that you need a queue with controlled retries instead of blind repeats on timeouts.
What does a system integration cost?
Effort depends on the number of flows, the transformation depth and the state of your legacy data - not on the size of your store. A reliable estimate is only possible once data ownership per object is settled.
What if we run SAP?
Then this page is the overview and our SAP page is the specific case. S/4HANA, ECC and Business One have their own API surfaces, their own governance requirements and a data model that sets the pace. The patterns here still apply; the implementation is described there in detail.
Do you know which system owns your data?
We map your system landscape, settle data ownership per object and tell you which integration pattern will hold up in your case.
