NetSuite is one of the world’s greatest Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions currently on the market. Its comprehensive range of features, functions, and integrability allows you to automate key business functions, thus enabling your business to make the most out of its resources.
In this guide, we’ll take you through a step-by-step process on how to integrate Shopify with NetSuite and leverage the comprehensive functionalities of the latter to manage your Shopify store’s resources for better growth and profitability.
NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP software suite that provides businesses with a single platform for resource management, ranging from financial resources and obligations to procurement, supply chain, and inventory management, human resources, e-commerce management, and customer relationship management.
NetSuite is a comprehensive software-as-a-service solution that helps businesses streamline their operations efficiency by providing them with real-time insight into their operational and financial data. This way, business owners and managers can make data-driven decisions that can positively affect the efficiency of a business, leading to higher profits and growth.
When it comes to Shopify, the integration between Shopify and NetSuite refers to the process of connecting both platforms, thus enabling your e-commerce business to synchronize its data between the two systems.
This includes orders, inventory, customer data, shipping information, and everything else from the supply chain to the final delivery. This integration, while achieved through third-party integration apps, allows you to automate your e-commerce business, improve data accuracy, and enhance the overall experience of your customers.
Integrating Shopify with NetSuite isn’t the easiest of tasks, primarily because the automation of data flow between the two isn’t directly connected without a proper connector. On top of that, both platforms process and store data differently and in different formats.
However, the sole purpose of this integration is to connect the two systems together in a way that meets the requirements of your e-commerce business, which is why it’s important to choose the correct integration middleware; a service or an app that acts as a mediator between Shopify and NetSuite and allows two systems to communicate and share data effectively. Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide on how to integrate Shopify with NetSuite:
As in every business endeavor, planning is half the job done, and correct planning is the first step toward integrating your Shopify store with NetSuite. Start by mapping out both the automated and manual processes and pay special attention to the latter.
The factors you want to consider are how much time your team spends on those processes and whether those processes are repetitive or error-prone. Compare the effectiveness and cost of those processes, or rather their return on investment (ROI), with the ROI you’d achieve if those processes were automated through NetSuite.
The next step is to identify the most important data based on priority, and it’s of crucial importance that the data is accurate and timely. Next, you need to choose whether the data flows from its origin or bi-directionally and whether you need real-time updates or periodic updates at preset intervals.
It’s also important to define a Shopify Netsuite integration strategy as early as possible, as it will help you standardize all the processes and tools necessary to help automate your business processes.
If things don’t go according to plan, it’s often the challenges associated with errors made on the process side and not the technical side. Allocating more time and resources to address those as soon as they arise will help you later in the integration process.
Most integration errors stem from process issues, which is why it’s really important to map out processes and crucial data and prioritize resolution. If you come across an error, or one pops out on its own, it’s important to move data validation upstream as much as possible. If the root cause of the error is in your Shopify store, that problem will flow all the way to within your NetSuite ERP system. By moving upstream, you can identify the root cause at its earliest stage.
Shopify and NetSuite will need to integrate through an app or third-party software. Oracle, the company that has developed NetSuite, also developed an integration tool for Shopify, but there are plenty of other tools on the market, so do your research on which tool best suits the needs of your business. ScaleNorth often utilizes Integration Platform as a Services (IPaaS) providers Celigo or Boomi for building and maintaining robust integrations between Shopify and NetSuite.
Once all the processes have been set up and all the errors addressed, make sure to check all the necessary settings and setup you planned, as well as whether all the data is being stored in the correct place.
Ensure that the data flow on both sides is compatible with the side receiving the data, and look for instances where that might not occur. This will help you mitigate or completely eliminate the risk of having important data scattered over two platforms that inherently deal with data differently.
Integration between Shopify and NetSuite brings numerous benefits:
Integrating Spotify with NetSuite is a complex process, and while you should know the ins and outs of your systems, why not leave the integration to the professionals while you focus on managing and growing your business? If you need help reaching out to an adequate integration partner, don’t hesitate to contact ScaleNorth, a premier NetSuite Solutions Provider.
Integrating Netsuite with Shopify can help streamline business processes and ensure real-time synchronization. This integration solution automates tasks like fulfillment and improves customer experience by providing cloud-based connectivity between Netsuite ERP and your Shopify store.
A reliable connector ensures smooth data flow between your Netsuite ERP and Shopify platform, enabling your business to automate processes and synchronize information to provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers.
Integrating your Netsuite with Shopify allows you to leverage the powerful tools of each platform, streamlining operations and improving efficiency. Choosing the right partner for the integration can help you maximize the benefits and scale your business effectively.
A successful integration solution leverages Shopify’s flexibility and Netsuite’s capabilities to automate tasks, ensure real-time synchronization, and streamline business processes. It should enhance your customer experience and optimize your ecommerce operations.
