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The five factors to consider when choosing an e-commerce ERP are:

  • The time it will take to implement the ERP project.

  • The features and functionality of the ERP system have to offer.

  • The integrations that the ERP software can make with the rest of your IT environment.

  • The scalability and flexibility of the ERP solution as your business grows.

  • The cost and pricing model of the ERP application.

Choosing the right e-commerce platform, like Shopify or Magento, is just the first step in the selection process when planning your IT environment. Your e-commerce business can also benefit from ERP (enterprise resource planning) software that helps you streamline, automate, and optimize your business workflow.

Every organization, from small businesses to massive corporations, can see benefits from using ERP software. In particular, ERP systems are highly advantageous for companies that need to juggle a wide range of business processes: accounting and financial management, inventory management and supply chain, order management, human resources, project management, and more. Some ERP solutions may also come with industry-specific functionality, such as for healthcare or manufacturing. Just a few of the most popular and best ERP vendors include Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and SAP.

With so many choices out there, how can you find the best e-commerce ERP for your needs? In this article, we’ll offer five essential criteria for choosing an e-commerce ERP, so that you can make the decision that’s right for your e-commerce website.

Need a powerful, feature-rich e-commerce data platform that integrates your ERP data and more? Try Integrate.io for yourself with a 7-day pilot.

1. Implementation Time

When choosing an e-commerce ERP, it’s important to select an ERP implementation with a reasonable timeline. The sooner your e-commerce business can start enjoying the benefits of your ERP system, the better.

If you’re planning to handle the installation process yourself, for example, then opting for a simpler (yet still effective) ERP solution is likely a wiser choice. On the other hand, if your organization has experience using ERPs, or if you’re working with an implementation partner, then you can afford to use a more advanced, complex system when choosing an e-commerce ERP.

This is especially important because time (and budget) overruns are not uncommon during the ERP implementation stage. According to a report by Panorama Consulting, for example, 46% of organizations experienced delays during their ERP project. On average, companies planned for a timeline of 11 months but ended up taking 15 months instead.

2. Features

Choosing an e-commerce ERP with the right features and functionality is crucial. Some of the e-commerce ERP features you might want to look for include:

  • Support for the right functions and departments (accounting, HR, supply chain, sales, marketing, etc.)

  • Cloud-based or hybrid computing model

  • Task and process automation

  • Data analytics and reporting

  • Simplicity and ease of use

  • Mobile-friendliness and remote work options

3. Integrations

If you’re choosing an e-commerce ERP, chances are that it’s not the first component of your IT ecosystem. Beyond your choice of e-commerce solution, your ERP should also play nicely with other third-party applications and systems in your IT environment.

For example, many users would like to integrate their ERP system with their customer relationship management (CRM) software. A CRM is a platform that tracks the entire history of a company’s interactions with its customers and potential customers across a variety of channels, from phone calls and website visits to email newsletters and social media.

Besides CRM and e-commerce software, other desirable integrations when choosing an e-commerce ERP include accounting software, automation platforms, data warehouses, business intelligence and analytics tools, project management applications, and more. Make sure to verify that the e-commerce ERP you select has the necessary connectors and integrations that you need (for both right now and the future).

With more than 140 pre-built connectors and integrations, Integrate.io makes it easy for any e-commerce business to get started integrating its data. See for yourself with a 7-day pilot of the Integrate.io platform.

4. Scalability

When choosing an e-commerce ERP, it’s important to pick one that will be with you for the long haul. For one, this means a scalable ERP that can expand alongside your business as it grows. Your ERP software should be flexible enough to accommodate new datasets and new business demands.

For many companies, this will mean choosing a cloud-based ERP. Cloud ERPs are highly scalable because they can shift their consumption of compute and storage resources quickly and on-demand. Running your ERP system in the cloud also saves you from support and maintenance obligations, which are handled by the cloud provider.

5. Pricing

Last but not least, pricing is an important factor when choosing an e-commerce ERP. From small e-commerce startups to major players, there’s an e-commerce ERP solution out there to fit the needs and budget of nearly every business. While the cost of ERP systems can range wildly, a 2022 report found that the average budget per ERP user is roughly $9,000—and the number increases with the size of the organization.

The factors that can influence the cost of ERP software include:

  • The number of users

  • The deployment model (i.e., cloud-based or on-premises)

  • The level of features and customization

  • Implementation costs

  • Support and maintenance costs

  • Education and training costs

How Integrate.io Can Help With E-Commerce ERPs

From timeline to pricing, there are plenty of factors to consider when you’re choosing an e-commerce ERP. Regardless of which option you go with, your business needs a powerful e-commerce data integration solution that can help unite your ERP data with other information from across the organization. This data can then be stored in a centralized data warehouse, making it easier for users to access it and perform business intelligence, analytics, and forecasting.

So which e-commerce ERP integration platform is best for you? Integrate.io is an ETL (extract, transform, load) and data integration solution that has been built from the ground up for your e-commerce needs. With Integrate.io, e-commerce businesses can leverage the power of automation to build robust pipelines that unite their data sources and targets. Integrate.io makes the user experience a priority, with more than 140 pre-built connectors and a simple, no-code, drag-and-drop visual interface.

The benefits of Integrate.io don’t stop there. For example, Integrate.io comes with a very fast change data capture (CDC) feature, so that you can instantly see which records have been modified since your last integration job. Integrate.io also offers reverse ETL to export the data from your data warehouse into specialized third-party systems for easier access and analysis.

Whether you’re still choosing an e-commerce ERP or you’re looking for an ERP data integration platform, Integrate.io can help. Want to learn more about the benefits of Integrate.io for your e-commerce business? Schedule a call with our team of e-commerce data experts today to discuss your business needs and objectives, or to get started with a 7-day pilot of the Integrate.io platform.