Exploring real-world ERP integration examples
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are essential for modern businesses, helping streamline processes and centralise data across departments. However, the real power of ERP emerges when it’s seamlessly integrated with other systems like CRM, eCommerce platforms, EDI, WMS systems, and more.
In this blog, we explore real-world ERP integration examples that show how companies across industries are deploying integrated systems to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and improve decision-making.
What is ERP integration?
ERP integration is the process of connecting an ERP system with other software applications to ensure seamless data flow across business functions. Instead of operating in silos, integrated systems share information in real-time, which enables better coordination, automation, and insights.
Common ERP integration types include:
- ERP + CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Creatio CRM)
- ERP + eCommerce (e.g., Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce)
- ERP + Supply Chain Management (SCM)
- ERP + Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
- ERP + Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
- ERP + Warehouse Management System (WMS)
Related Article: What is ERP integration? – Examples, Middleware and Benefits.
How is ERP integration achieved?
ERP integration is achieved through a structured process that involves connecting an organisation’s various software systems and data sources into a centralised ERP platform.
Integration can be accomplished using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), middleware, or pre-built connectors that allow the ERP system to communicate with other applications such as CRM, eCommerce platforms, or supply chain tools.
Once the technical approach is defined, data migration becomes a critical phase where existing data from legacy systems is cleaned, standardised, and imported into the ERP system. This ensures consistency and accuracy across the enterprise.
Custom configurations may also be needed to tailor the ERP modules to fit unique business processes. Testing and validation follow to ensure that integrated systems function properly and that data flows seamlessly between platforms.
ERP integration in retail
In the retail sector, where businesses must manage vast inventories, multiple sales channels, customer data, and supplier relationships, operating with fragmented or disconnected systems can lead to errors, delays, and missed opportunities. ERP integration eliminates data silos by creating a single source of truth, allowing real-time access to accurate information for better decision-making.
With integrated ERP systems, retailers can automate routine tasks such as inventory updates, order processing, and financial reporting, reducing manual work and minimising the risk of human error. This leads to cost savings, faster operations, and improved accuracy.
In addition, integrated ERP systems support better customer service by providing staff with immediate access to customer history, product availability, and order status, enhancing the overall shopping experience.
The following real-world case studies reveal how retailers have benefited from using BPA Platform for their ERP integration projects.
SYSPRO Integration: Shopify, Descartes, 3PL, HMRC
- Company: Sealskinz
- Industry: Manufacturer and retailer of waterproof endurance accessories
- Challenge: Automate the transfer of data between various systems, separate different orders from Europe for VAT purposes
- Solution: Automated order downloads, order processing from website to 3PL, transfer of data between Descartes and HMRC
- Results: Streamlined order processing, reduced resource, memory and SQL processing
“Humans aren’t really involved anymore. All someone does is load an order onto the system to send stock down to the 3PL, and the rest is channelled from the website. No one touches anything. An order comes down from the website into SYSPRO, passes through the system, and then goes through BPA Platform to their system. When the order is dispatched, all of the data is returned and automatically posted into SYSPRO by BPA Platform and the SYSPRO connector. We’ve probably automated in the region of 80-90% of the system, from order entry through to the customer getting it. We actually achieved more than what we originally thought we could.”
Tim Petts, IT Manager, Sealskinz
SAP Business One Integration: EPOS, SAP Concur
- Company: Graff Diamonds
- Industry: World renowned diamond retailer
- Challenge: Integrate over 50 SAP Business One, EPOS and SAP Concur entities
- Solution: Automated data checking, reports and alerts, and monitoring of sales and currency exchange rates
- Results: Gained significant ROI by saving time and the ability to reallocate resources. Established a complete overview of business processes
“The flexibility of BPA Platform is remarkable. The things that you can do with it are out of this world. It never ceases to amaze me. It’s an incredibly efficient and powerful tool. I always equate BPA Platform to being a staff member that never sleeps. It’s like an incredibly efficient person, or team of people, checking data, that never stops. The main benefit is time – the hours saved generating and manipulating reports. The sheer hourly numbers of staff time that’s been saved is incredible.”
Malcolm MacLean, Global Head of IT, Graff Diamonds
Sage 200 Integration: Shopify Plus, Linnworks, Amazon, eBay
- Company: Graphics Direct
- Industry: Online retailer of graphic art equipment
- Challenge: Limit the resources required to process data
- Solution: Automated order management and synchronisation of stock levels
- Results: Saved time and resources, reduced salary needs by 75%, and enabled management to concentrate on other business matters
“We don’t have to think about the order processing at all. It comes in, from whichever channel it might be, and it’s processed through Sage 200 by BPA Platform. The pushing of all the data into our Sage 200 account system is hugely important. BPA Platform books it, banks it, invoices it – everything really. We don’t get involved at all. Although we have grown over the years and the IT bill is higher, it’s nothing like three or four salaries that we would require if we didn’t have BPA Platform in place.”
Chris Booth, Managing Director, Graphics Direct
Microsoft Dynamics AX Integration: eCommerce, B2B Portal and Courier Services
- Company: inov-8
- Industry: Footwear, clothing and equipment brand
- Challenge: Improve order management process and prepare for future projects
- Solution: Automated the transfer of sales orders, uploading of shipment data to courier systems, and the synching of data
- Results: Improved operational efficiency, as well as laid the foundations for future developments
“Our core focus is making our fulfilment processes as efficient as possible. We use BPA Platform to transfer sales orders, sync inventory and manage shipments across the different sales channels. You don’t really need a coding or developer skill set in order to utilise BPA Platform. I think once you’ve been trained on it to understand the different components and how it works, which we did initially, it’s relatively easy for a non-developer to pick it up and use it.”
Jonathan Emerson, Head of IT, inov-8
ERP integration in manufacturing
In a manufacturing environment where precision, timing, and coordination are essential, disjointed systems can lead to production delays, resource mismanagement, and increased operational costs.
To combat this, ERP integration enables companies to streamline and automate complex processes across production, inventory, procurement, finance, and supply chain management.
Integrating ERP systems with other applications and systems enables companies to better forecast demand, plan production schedules, and manage raw materials, reducing waste and ensuring timely product delivery.
It also enhances quality control by tracking production performance and identifying issues early in the process. This proactive approach leads to improved product quality, fewer defects, and increased customer satisfaction.
The following real-world case studies reveal how manufacturers have benefited from using BPA Platform for their ERP integration projects.
Epicor Integration: TrueCommerce EDI
- Company: Grant Westfield
- Industry: Manufacturer of waterproof wall panelling
- Challenge: Resolve issues with existing solution, improve stability, maintenance automatic processing of EDI and POD data
- Solution: Automated the importation of order data and uploading of delivery data to proof of delivery systems
- Results: Delivered greater control over order processing, real-time monitoring and management of POD data, and automatic printing of SSRS reports & labels
“The orders we receive via EDI generates an XML file. BPA Platform processes and validates that file and loads it into Epicor. We also use it to upload our delivery runs to a proof of delivery system. Installing BPA Platform has enabled us to move the business forward without having to worry about the upgrades and data continuity. It’s quite visual and it’s easy to go back into it, pick up the thread and understand the processes.”
Mark Yates, ERP Specialist, Grant Westfield
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Integration: Shopify Plus
- Company: Slendertone
- Industry: Manufacturer of medical grade products, including body toning technology
- Challenge: Improve customer care and operational management
- Solution: BPA Platform was deployed to automate the management of all its high volume web orders from Shopify Plus into Microsoft Dynamics NAV
- Results: Cut costs and improved operational productivity
“BPA Platform has now automated all of those processes, removing a great deal of stress from those teams and enabling us to cut costs. The thing we like about BPA Platform is its flexibility and ease of use. You don’t have to be too technical in order to use the tool. If you want to do business process automation I think BPA Platform is the best tool to use.”
Mansoor Ahmad, IT Consultant, Slendertone
SAP Business One Integration: WooCommerce, DHL
- Company: EverEdge
- Industry: Manufacturer of steel garden edging products
- Challenge: Improve order management and logistics
- Solution: BPA Platform automated the download of sales orders from WooCommerce to SAP Business One and integrated with DHL
- Results: Saved time, improved order and delivery management
“The current website integration just works and the timing of the upload has been improved. This is very helpful as we are definitely getting more orders coming in via the new website. Setting up the integration between SAP Business One and DHL was very straightforward. Making sure that works and is as efficient as possible is paramount. I’m surprised at how much more you can do with BPA Platform. We’ll be using it for a few more projects.”
Tim Smith, Group Financial Accountant, EverEdge
SYSPRO Integration: Salesforce
- Company: bioLytical Laboratories
- Industry: Manufacturer of rapid in vitro diagnostic tests
- Challenge: Deploy a single integration solution to address variety of business functions
- Solution: Integrated sales transactions between Salesforce and SYSPRO
- Results: BPA Platform firmly established in technology stack and become the default integration solution for all current and future SYSPRO projects
“BPA Platform is a key component in bioLytical’s strategic solution for software integration with SYSPRO. BPA Platform delivers a fully functioning integration platform at a realistic price point, providing us with a scalable solution that our business requires. My team is very satisfied with our experience of BPA Platform’s capabilities, and I would recommend it to any SYSPRO administrator that is looking for a dedicated integration and automation solution.”
Steve Dillen, IT Director, bioLytical Laboratories Inc.
ERP integration in wholesale distribution
Distributors manage vast inventories, handle large volumes of transactions, and coordinate with multiple suppliers and customers. Therefore, ERP integration in wholesale distribution is essential for ensuring efficient, accurate, and responsive operations across the supply chain.
Without a centralised system, data can become fragmented, leading to issues like stock discrepancies, delayed shipments, and poor customer service.
Integrating ERP systems with other applications means that wholesale distributors gain better control over inventory levels, allowing them to track stock movement accurately, reduce overstocking or stockouts, and improve order fulfilment rates. This results in faster delivery times and greater customer satisfaction.
Pulling data in from various business sources also enhances forecasting capabilities, helping distributors anticipate demand trends and make informed purchasing decisions. Financial management benefits significantly as well, with integrated ERP systems providing accurate and timely financial reports that support strategic planning and cost control.
The following real-world case studies reveal how distributors have benefited from using BPA Platform for their ERP integration projects.
SAP Business One Integration: Warehouse Management System
- Company: Fashion Edge
- Industry: Wholesale distributor of high-end fashion and footwear
- Challenge: Improve efficiency, automate flow of data, sync orders and accounting data
- Solution: Automated the transfer of SKU data, the import of supplier information, and the creation of goods receipts, POS and invoices
- Results: Saved business hours and resources, improved business efficiency and visibility into business data
“We use a spreadsheet for the SKU creation, inputting the data in the correct format and fixing the format, and then we use BPA Platform to modularise the data input and import it into SAP Business One. We are also using BPA Platform to monitor the pricing. It just enables us to just to speed up, work more efficiently and save a lot of business hours. We are now using those hours to focus on areas which are more difficult to standardise or automate.”
Wenjun Chen, Commercial Director, Fashion Edge
Access Dimensions Integration: QuoteWerks, UPS, GoldMine and CreditSafe
- Company: Bison Machinery Ltd.
- Industry: Supplier of manufacturing machinery
- Challenge: Remove manual data inputting, improve sales and delivery process
- Solution: Automated sales order and dispatch management, and automated the collection of customer financial data
- Results: Improved the entire quote, order and delivery cycle and gained ROI immediately
“Now that we have integrated QuoteWerks with Access Dimensions, BPA Platform automates that process – sending QuoteWerks proposals to Dimensions as an order. It basically eliminates a lot of manual input and also prevents any items on the quote being missed from the order. BPA Platform is a great tool to have. We justified the purchase of the software based on these three tasks that have been achieved. It just seemed a good fit, with the knowledge that we can do further work in the future.”
Guy Bushnell, Director, Bison Machinery
Sage 300 Integration: Salesforce
- Company: Grosvenor Technology
- Industry: Supplier of access control and workforce management solutions
- Challenge: Improve business processes and efficiency
- Solution: Automated transfer of orders and the extraction of invoiced figures
- Results: Increased efficiency, implemented long overdue business plans including online trading to customers
“It’s finally put us in the position where we should have been almost two years ago. Once upon a time it was taking up to four hours for an order to get from one system to another, whilst sometimes it wouldn’t at all and it was holding everything up. Now that we’ve got that information transferring reliably we’re actually focusing on making our Salesforce environment better for us.”
Peter Jones, IT Manager, Grosvenor Technology
SYSPRO Integration: TrueCommerce EDI, Microsoft Dynamics NAV
- Company: Bob Martin (UK) Ltd.
- Industry: Pet care and food supplier
- Challenge: Required a visual method of linking complicated API system links between customers and the business
- Solution: Automated the transfer of orders from TrueCommerce EDI into SYSPRO
- Results: Removed manual intervention, processed sales orders quicker, improved cash flow
“BPA Platform facilitates the integration between SYSPRO and TrueCommerce, depending on the site location, and converts files from the customer’s system. For example, when we receive an order from a major grocer through EDI, BPA Platform converts them into a file that SYSPRO can read, sends an order acknowledgement, dispatch note and credit adjustments where necessary.”
Andrew Cooke, CFO/COO Bob Martin and CFO Pets Choice Limited
These real-world case studies highlight how ERP integration transforms business operations across industries. Whether it’s automating order management, streamlining supply chains, or enhancing customer service, integrated ERP solutions deliver tangible value. Businesses aiming for operational excellence should consider ERP integration as a strategic priority.
Best practices for successful ERP integration
Successful ERP integration requires a strategic approach that encompasses careful planning, cross-functional collaboration, and ongoing management to ensure the system meets business objectives and delivers long-term value.
One of the most important best practices is to clearly define the goals of the ERP integration from the outset. Organisations must understand what they aim to achieve, whether it’s improved data accuracy, streamlined operations, better customer service, or enhanced reporting capabilities. This clarity helps in selecting the right integration method to align with business needs.
Understanding how existing systems function, what data they manage, and where inefficiencies lie provides a clear foundation for integration planning. It’s essential to map out how the ERP system will interact with legacy applications, databases, and third-party tools already in use.
Choosing an ERP integration solution with strong compatibility features, such as robust APIs or pre-built connectors, can significantly ease the integration process.
Related Article: A Guide to BPA Project Management – Planning Your Implementation.
Codeless Platforms’ BPA Platform
With 25 years’ of experience in ERP integration and business process automation, Codeless Platforms has established itself as a specialist in providing robust ERP integration services. Our flagship product, BPA Platform, offers a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to streamline their day-to-day operations and enhance customer relationships through seamless ERP integration.
Drawing from our extensive portfolio of over 7,500 successful implementations, as evidenced by a small selection of case studies above, we’ve demonstrated our ability to tackle complex integration challenges across various industries and specialisms. Our BPA Platform has proven invaluable in connecting ERP systems with accounting systems, CRM, eCommerce, WMS and marketing automation tools, as well as other critical business applications.
We pride ourselves on working closely with channel partners to deliver successful integrations and exceptional customer service. With over 450 partners globally, this collaborative approach ensures that each solution is tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients, maximising the value of their ERP investments.
BPA Platform offers cloud-based iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service), hybrid or on-premises deployment options, providing flexibility to suit different business environments. Our platform excels in data integration, offering robust tools for data cleansing, transformation and synchronisation across multiple systems.
Key features of our ERP integration services include:
- Bi-directional data synchronisation
- Automated workflow and approval processes
- Automated alerts and notifications
- Drag and drop functionality to build automated processes and integrations
- Data transformation functions to change data between input and output
- Access to hundreds of data connectors via an easy-to-use platform
- Scalable solutions to scale integrations and automations up or down depending on business needs
- Business process automation tools as standard
- Comprehensive security and compliance measures
Whether you are an ERP user or an ERP reseller, when using Codeless Platforms’ BPA Platform for ERP integration you will achieve significant cost savings and productivity gains throughout your business.
Ready to unlock the full potential of your ERP system? Contact us today to schedule a free ERP integration assessment and discover what’s possible for your business. Download the brochure below and call us on +44(0) 330 99 88 700.
