There are many benefits to having the right backend systems in place that will facilitate profitable sustainable growth for your business.
However, when looking at Integrated eCommerce Systems to leverage it’s imperative that you note how well your different systems play together. Not every backend system is compatible with every core platform, and of course the integrations you need largely depends your size and business needs (do you have a technology roadmap?).
Investing time and money in set-up and integration is a huge opportunity cost if you’re a small business and not careful about which systems you’re attempting to integrate. To streamline the integration process and reap the many benefits, consider the following:
The 5 Technical Barriers of Integrated eCommerce Systems
1. Does your core platform have the right API?
You need a platform in place that can pull data in the way you want it. Core platforms and supporting systems should have a well documented Web Service API layer for you or your team to reference.
For Example: Shopify Plus alleviates a lot of the technical overhead for merchants and through their API streamlines the development of Integrations. However, this also means that any Integration Solution Beyond their core offering will be complex to set-up, if at all possible.
Magento or Workarea have more flexibility with the data and integrations you feed them, but you’ll need an expert development team in place to manage the platform continuously.
That being said, any “off the shelf” platform will have a wider variety of Integrations available.
2. How many stores do you have?
When you begin to review an integration solution, know that complexities arise for multi-stores and multi-language stores. Multi-store functionality in Magento for example allows businesses to managing multiple websites and stores under one installation, however this data flowing between stores is another added layer of complexity you need to consider.
3. What Programming Language Do they Speak?
Both your Integrated Solutions and your Core Platform must speak the same programming language, for obvious reasons. If your solution and your platform can’t communicate or interact, then it should be avoided all together. Seek the expert advice of the company you’re interested in integrating with as well as your own agency or development team when making the decision to integrate. Proper integrations require teams with functional and technical knowledge, who can help your company navigate an implementation.
Furthermore, businesses should avoid investing in any legacy systems. The older the programming language, the rarer the developers, the more complex and expensive it will be for you to implement and support that system.
4. What Information Will Flow Between the Integration and the Platform?
Data and touchpoints should be part of your technical requirements. For an integration to be effective you need alignment across your entire business, not siloed data workflows. Siloed data is the productivity killer in any business, but especially so when it comes to eCommerce Integrations. If data silos exist, then your business will never get a whole picture of operations, limited the success of particular functions, teams, and other integrations you have.
For example: It is essential that a CRM Integration be able to communicate and transfer customer data to your business’s Marketing Automation System, to know which marketing programs are successful. Siloed data hinders the omnichannel experience, and thereby the growth of your business.
To avoid data challenges when implementing an Integrated Solution, consider the following in the planning phase:
- What customizations are required?
- Where will information be stored?
- What data needs to be synced between systems?
- Will synchronization be scheduled, or happen in real-time?
- Will you require a one-way or two-way data integration?
5. Is your data ready?
Integrations help retailers and merchants remove redundant data entry processes, however a critical component of planning and preparing to connect your core platform or other systems with an Integrated Solution is having your data ready.
To streamline the Integration process, it’s important that your business’s data is complete and ready to go. Get as detailed as possible, and ensure the data is in the required format.
Rely on Integration Experts
Integrations are critical for accelerating growth, but it’s imperative that your business works with both the software providers and Systems Integrators, or your eCommerce Agency, to choose the best technology mix for your needs and future goals to overcome these technical barriers to integrating.
Questions about integrating with your eCommerce platform? Contact us by clicking here.
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