40 minutes
a day
80 lines at 30 seconds each, from one program to another.
Technology: APIs, webhooks and connectors
Different programs sharing their data, with nobody retyping it.
Every program has a way for data to get in and out: an API, an automatic notice, a file, a database. The connector uses them to take the right data to the right program, and flags it when something stops.
At a glance
- Used for
- Moving orders, stock and customer records from one program to another
- Starts from
- What each program already allows, without changing it
- If it stops
- Data waits in a queue and restarts on its own
- Where it runs
- On your own servers, with no integration platform subscription
How it works
From the shop to the ERP, and back.
The problem
The programs work. A person does the handoff between them.
The ERP knows the stock, the ecommerce site does not. Orders arrive on the website and are retyped into the ERP. Logistics waits for a file someone has to export.
Each manual handoff costs a few minutes, and now and then a mistake. Added up, it is hours every week.
In detail
Five ways to make two programs talk.
The choice depends on what each program allows. A project often uses more than one.
- 01
API
One program asks another for data, or sends it, in an orderly way. The cleanest route, when it exists.
- 02
Webhooks
The program sends a notice as soon as something happens: a new order, a payment, a return. No waiting.
- 03
Files
A CSV export every evening in a shared folder. Simple, and often enough.
- 04
Database
Where it is allowed, data is read directly, without touching the program.
- 05
Email
Documents that arrive as attachments, read and sorted automatically.
A connector does more than move data
It translates codes between programs, decides which program leads on each piece of data, queues what does not get through and retries it. And it writes everything to a log: when an order does not arrive, you know why.
When it pays off
It pays off when the same data lives in several programs.
It makes sense if
- You use two or more programs that should share data
- Someone retypes orders, stock or customer records every day
- Figures do not match from one department to another
You do not need it if
- The program has an official connector that covers your rules
- The data changes once a month: an export is enough
- You use one program for everything
An example with numbers
80 lines a day retyped by hand.
Reference figures, to redo with your own.
160 hours
a year
Over 240 working days: a person’s time for a whole month.
Once
the data is entered
Then it reaches the other programs on its own, with the right codes.
We already do it. For an online shop we built a warehouse system that updated stock on WooCommerce on its own, and in another project a connection built on Shopify webhooks. See the warehouse case
The limits
What to decide before connecting.
Codes need lining up
If the same item has three codes in three programs, you need a table linking them. Built once, then kept up to date.
Decide who leads
Price, stock, address: for each piece of data only one program has the last word.
Programs change
An update can change a format. The connector is adapted, and the log shows straight away what broke.
Not everything needs to be instant
Stock yes, the price list maybe once a day. Updating everything every minute is wasted work.
Frequently asked
Questions on this topic.
What if the program has no API?
We use what it has: an export, a file in a folder, the database, a mailbox. We always start from how data leaves today.
What happens if a program goes down?
Data stays in a queue and restarts when the program is back. If something stays stuck too long, a person gets an alert.
Do we need an integration platform subscription?
No. We build the connector and it runs on your servers. You pay for the development, not a fee.
How often is data updated?
It depends on the data. Stock every few minutes, or instantly with a webhook. Price lists once a day. Customer records when they change.
Can we start with one connection?
Yes. We start from the handoff that takes the most time, and add the others later.
Start with the problem
Tell us which programs you use.
And where data moves by hand. We will tell you which connection to build first.
- The first check is free and commits you to nothing
- Every message gets read, there is no call centre
- Fixed price and payment by milestone
- Italian and English, VAT invoices
- No phone call unless you want one
- If nothing should be built, we will say so
Prefer to write directly? [email protected]
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