Epicor P21 Integration Planning Before Connecting Shopify Plus

3 min read ● Silk Team

In today’s fast-paced ecommerce world, seamless integration between your ERP system and online store can set your business apart from the competition. For retailers using Epicor Prophet 21 (P21), integrating with powerful platforms like Shopify Plus offers tremendous opportunities, from streamlining operations to enhancing the customer experience. However, before you begin connecting your Epicor P21 system to Shopify Plus, it’s important to plan the integration properly to ensure a smooth, efficient, and scalable setup.

Whether you’re experienced integrating Epicor P21 BigCommerce integration or are just starting to connect to multiple systems, this guide outlines the key steps to consider before you begin integrating Epicor P21 with Shopify Plus. Let’s look at how to plan effectively and avoid costly integration pitfalls.

Understand your business needs

Before we dive into the technical aspects, clearly define your business needs. Ask yourself questions like:

• What data points do you need to sync between Epicor P21 and Shopify Plus? (e.g., inventory levels, orders, customer data, pricing)
• What are your current order management or fulfillment challenges?
• Are there any special workflows in your Epicor P21 configuration that need to be preserved?
• Which sales channels will you support simultaneously?

Answers to these questions will help you define the scope of the integration and ensure you choose the right tools and approach.

Perform data auditing and mapping

Integration requires clean, consistent, and well-mapped data. Verify the integrity of your Epicor P21 data for duplicates, missing fields, or mismatched product codes. Syncing inaccurate data will only cause errors to propagate to Shopify Plus, causing frustration for both customers and staff.

Next, perform data mapping by matching each data object in Epicor P21 (products, orders, customers) to their Shopify Plus equivalents. This is essential because Epicor P21 and Shopify Plus have different data structures and APIs. Attention to detail ensures that fields like product quantities, price levels, and order statuses are transferred correctly between the platforms.

Evaluate integration tools and middleware solutions

While some companies try to use direct API connections, most find that using middleware significantly improves stability and scalability. Middleware platforms act as translators between Epicor P21 and Shopify Plus, handling data conversion, error handling, and workflow automation.

If you’ve used Epicor P21 BigCommerce integration, you’re likely familiar with tools like Celigo, Dell Boomi, or Scribe. These same ETL (extract, transform, load) or iPaaS (integration platform as a service) solutions can be adapted for Shopify Plus. Choose a platform that supports real-time synchronization or near-real-time updates to avoid overselling and order delays.

Plan for scalability and future readiness

Your integration should help your business grow, not hinder it. Shopify Plus is designed for enterprise use, and Epicor P21 is a robust ERP platform, so your integration should account for high order volumes, expanded product catalogs, and, if applicable, multiple warehouses. Address scalability early in the planning stages. Consider how the integration will handle seasonal peaks and how it will adapt to the addition of new sales channels or advanced features like B2B order templates or subscriptions.

Engage key stakeholders and prepare your team

Integration is more than just an IT project; it impacts sales, customer service, inventory management, and finance. Engage stakeholders from these departments early. Their knowledge of workflow nuances and reporting requirements will help you refine integration requirements. Additionally, explain to your team how the integrated systems will change their daily operations. Clearly defining expectations will help reduce resistance and encourage adoption.

Thorough testing and monitoring after launch

Before going live, simulate typical business scenarios in a test environment. Ensure that inventory updates are correctly reflected in Shopify Plus, orders are returned to Epicor P21 without errors, and exceptions are logged promptly. After launch, carefully monitor the integration’s performance. Use dashboards and alerts to track successful and failed sync attempts so you can resolve issues promptly.

Conclusion

Integrating Epicor P21 with Shopify Plus offers tremendous benefits: increased operational efficiency, real-time inventory visibility, and increased customer satisfaction. However, success depends on careful planning, from defining requirements and mapping data to choosing reliable middleware and collaborating with your teams.

If you’ve already integrated Epicor P21 BigCommerce integration, leverage this experience to make your connection to Shopify Plus even more effective. With a well-designed plan, your integrated ecosystem will become a solid foundation for your long-term eCommerce ambitions.

Take the time to plan your integrations ahead of time and you’ll reap the benefits of a unified, flexible, and scalable retail business.