Essential Acumatica ERP to Ecommerce Data Syncs (And Why They Drive Growth)
3 min read ● Silk Team
When connecting Acumatica to your eCommerce platform, what’s truly valuable is more than just connectivity—there’s also the benefit of accurate and automatic data synchronization.
Most businesses assume that when integrating their Acumatica ERP to eCommerce platform, the end result of this process is simply that orders will be flowing from their eCommerce site into their ERP. But in fact, a successful Acumatica ERP to eCommerce integration requires several data syncs to be working in unison in real time.
If any of those syncs fail, the impact can spread throughout the entire operation of your business, affecting everything from inventory to fulfillment to finance to customer service.
Below are the most commonly used data syncs used in an Acumatica ERP to eCommerce integration, and why each is so important.
1. Inventory Sync (eCommerce → ERP)
What syncs:
- On-hand inventory levels
- Available-to-promise (ATP) inventory
- Warehouse-level stock
The inventory sync is probably the most critical integration point for many businesses.
If your eCommerce platform (Shopify, BigCommerce, etc.) does not have up-to-date, real-time inventory levels of Acumatica, your business risks:
- Over-selling products
- Canceling orders
- Damaging customer trust
Why it matters: Having real-time inventory visibility protects revenue, customer satisfaction and eliminates the need for manual stock corrections.
2. Order Sync (eCommerce → ERP)
What syncs:
- Customer contact information
- Line items
- Taxes and shipping
- Payment status
Once an order has been made by a customer through an eCommerce website, that same order needs to automatically enter the Acumatica ERP for:
- Fulfillment
- Posting invoice
- Posting financial transaction
Delayed or failed order syncs cause delays in shipping and create potential reconciliation problems.
Why it matters: Automatic order entry into the ERP streamlines manual effort, enables faster fulfillment and provides accurate financial transactions.
3. Product Catalog Sync (ERP → eCommerce)
What syncs:
- SKUs
- Pricing
- Attributes of the product
- Category of product
- Active/Inactive status of product
Most companies manage product data within their ERP system. However, by syncing that data to eCommerce, it allows for consistent listings of products.
Why it matters: Maintaining consistent branding, avoiding out-dated pricing and supporting scalable product expansion.
4. Pricing and Customer Specific Pricing Sync
For B2B businesses in particular, pricing is never a “one size fits all”.
What syncs:
- Tiered pricing
- Contract pricing
- Discounts
- Promotions
Unless pricing is accurately synced between eCommerce platforms and ERP systems, customers may see different total amounts due to price discrepancies or receive incorrect invoices.
Why it matters: Protects profit margins and avoids billing disputes.
5. Customer Data Sync
What syncs:
- Customer account information
- Bill to and Ship to address
- Credit terms
- Tax ID number
Customer data must be consistent across both the ERP and eCommerce systems.
If eCommerce stores create duplicate or incomplete records for customers, finance and operations teams will be required to clean-up customer data.
Why it matters: Clean customer data improves reporting, credit management and personalization of marketing efforts.
6. Shipping and Tracking Sync (ERP → eCommerce)
Once a shipment has been fulfilled in the Acumatica ERP, the carrier details, tracking numbers and shipment status must then be sent back to the eCommerce platform.
What syncs:
- Carrier details
- Tracking numbers
- Shipment status
Why it matters: Customers want to know where their shipments are. The automated update of tracking information helps improve transparency and reduce the amount of support calls related to tracking.
7. Return and Refund Sync
Returns are usually forgotten about when making plans for an integration.
What syncs:
- Authorization for return
- Adjustments to inventory
- Status of refund
- Financial credit
If returns are not correctly synced between the eCommerce platform and ERP, the inventory counts and financial records of your company will soon become inaccurate.
Why it matters: Accurate reverse logistics help maintain profitability and accounting integrity.
8. Financial and Tax Data Sync
Taxes, payment and revenue recognition must be aligned between eCommerce and ERP.
What syncs:
- Calculations for taxes
- Confirmations of payment
- Adjustments to refunds
- Journal Entries to General Ledger
Why it matters: Ensures compliance and makes reconciliation easier at month-end close.
Why Do These Syncs Enable Scalability?
A good integration does not just “connect” systems, but also clearly defines who owns the data and automates the exchange of data in real time.
When the above eight data syncs work properly, your business will enjoy:
- Less manual labor
- Faster order processing
- More accurate inventory visibility
- Better financial reporting
- Enhanced customer experiences
However, if the logic behind the syncs is poor, delayed or inconsistent, the operational friction associated with increased order volumes will grow.
Conclusion
An Acumatica ERP to eCommerce integration is only as strong as the data synchronization framework that underlies it.
Focus on:
- Real-time or event-driven data synchronization
- Clearly defining the source-of-truth
- Monitoring errors and sending alerts
- Using scalable architecture for APIs
When your eight core data syncs operate in harmony, your ERP will stop being just a backend system and begin to serve as the operational engine driving eCommerce growth.