Shopify is expanding its global programme launched a year ago to enable local European Enterprise Resource Planning partners to join and build direct integrations to Shopify. Shopify is partnering with local ERP solutions, including Actindo, Afterbuy, JTL, Pickware, plentymarkets and Xentral in Germany. Itsperfect in the Netherlands as well as EV4 and Holded in Spain, with more to come in the future.
Organisations need the assurance of having one connected back-office across the business that surfaces the right insights to drive decision-making across their business. Millions of merchants worldwide use Shopify to manage both volume and complexity. Going forward, Shopify’s ERP Programme will act as an organisation’s engine. It will give merchants a centralised system which connects their commerce platform to key business workflows like financials and inventory to help them optimise operations and processes.
Reducing business complexity
Deann Evans, Director of EMEA expansion & partnerships at Shopify said, “Compared to other parts of the world, merchants across Europe have different commerce needs and requirements to serve their customers in the most effective way.
“Thanks to the launch of the local ERP programme, merchants now have the power to reduce the complexity of their business. They can work with trusted partners which understand their regional needs. After all, the future of commerce is not Direct to Consumer, but Connect to Consumer.
“Businesses must think of retail being more than just a transaction. It’s about understanding what consumers want and building a connection with them. With solutions now being specifically tailored to local market nuances, merchants can achieve this even more.”
Through the local ERP programme, merchants now gain access to a variety of certified public apps directly integrated with Shopify. ERP partners interested in joining the Shopify ERP programme can simply build a Shopify App that meets Shopify’s app development requirements and connect their ERP to Shopify. This gives merchants confidence that their apps perform well and offer the best user experience.
87% of Shopify merchants say they rely on apps to run their businesses. The Shopify App Store is where merchants go to find the apps their business needs to get started and perform at scale. It provides a range of localised back-office apps so that merchants can truly help to optimise their business. The company says this saves time through workflow efficiency and automation.
Merchants benefits
- Seamless connections between workflows leads to data-informed decision-making: Apps within the local ERP Program connect merchant stores directly to their ERP accounts. By integrating their ERP systems with their commerce operations, merchants can gain accurate, up-to-date data on their inventory, products, orders, and customer information. This is vital when making business-critical decisions and to provide their customers with positive commerce experiences.
- The ability to control their data: Merchants are required to install apps that are recognised by the local ERP Programme. This ensures proprietary data will seamlessly and securely flow directly between their Shopify admin and their ERP. This is achieved without the need to connect with a third party and ensures merchant data is always accurate and up-to-date.
- Saving time and money: By integrating directly with ERP partners, merchants can avoid the time-consuming and expensive process of managing customised implementations. With fewer applications needed to run their businesses, merchants can introduce greater automation to make their operations more efficient.
Enterprise Times: What this means for business.
Dealing with disruption is a daily business for companies – especially retailers – with the macroeconomic headwinds they are facing. It is now more important than ever to proactively, rather than reactively, take action. To remain agile and prepare for the next big thing in commerce, business leaders need real-time insights from connected data to adapt faster, work smarter, and perform better.
Most retail businesses turn to their ERP systems to enable continuous innovation and drive success. However, it works best when the ERP seamlessly integrates with all other business-critical software. This should include the commerce platform, CRM or sales applications. Only then can digital transformation truly happen.
Shopify is taking its Think Global, Act Local seriously by expanding its ERP programme to merchants across Europe. The company believes this will enable them to better manage both complexity and scale thanks to connecting their local ERP systems to their stores on Shopify.
It simply makes sense. It’s better to expand the Shopify eco-system to include ERPs, which often become the heart of commerce operations. It’s better to embed those integrations into the Shopify platform and then tempt brands and retailers with ERP integrations into other platforms.
Does this direction curtail any ambitions that Shopify may have had to develop its own ERP? Only time will tell. It’s certainly that Shopify will have access to the necessary data to explore the feasibility of this option.
