Shopify and Microsoft Dynamics Nav Integration: Things You Should Know

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms that allows you to set up an online store to sell your products. With Shopify, you can easily organize your merchandise, customize your storefront, accept credit card payments, track and respond to orders. In addition, Shopify can cover not only online selling, but also your sales on social media, or in-store.

Shopify integration with ERP

Challenges of Selling on Shopify

Many businesses with online commerce on Shopify, use also Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Most of these companies are facing great challenges when it comes to managing their online Shopify store and synchronizing data between their in-house Microsoft Navision ERP on-premises and Shopify.

The major challenge is synchronizing data back and forth between both platforms, on a near real-time basis. Having the synchronization in place will help avoid major logistics and supply chain issues such as:

– Adding and removing SKUs to Shopify platform,
– Updating SKUs pricing
– Enabling and disabling SKUs to sell on Shopify,
– Updating the status of orders that came in through Shopify,
– Synchronizing orders between Navision and Shopify,
– Over ordering of discontinued or out-of-stock items,
– Synchronizing shipment information
– Synchronizing payment information
– And the list goes on…

All these challenges will only create a bottleneck for the enterprise, where inefficiencies will prevail and companies will have to hire more people to manage their online store on Shopify, in addition to the maintenance of their NAV ERP.

As a result, companies won’t be able to improve their online business and run efficiently, if they still manually extracting information from Shopify, and transferring it into Microsoft Dynamics NAV, also manually by keying it in.

This process of manually keying information in both platforms (Shopify and Navision) is a time-consuming open door for human errors, and in a sense, it is an avoidable expense for an enterprise.

Do you want to know more about what Microsoft Dynamics is? Read this article “What is Microsoft Dynamics?”

Magic xpi: the API Driven Integration Platform

Magic xpi, is one of the leading integration and orchestration technologies in the IT market. In fact, it is one of the oldest in this space. Magic xpi helps companies in their digital transformation journey, and empowers them to integrate heterogeneous systems, databases, and business processes using certified connectors by the manufacturer. It is a reliable SOA, API-driven integration platform for all connectivity needs. I have described Magic xpi in a more detailed post: Systems integration platform to improve business performance
Magic xpi integration platform

Integrating Microsoft Dynamics NAV with Shopify will help overcome all the above challenges, by automating the flow of information between different business systems, and eliminating expensive “manual” order management and fulfillment processes.

Magic xpi Integration platform can do the integration job and save companies time and money, allowing human resources to focus on important business tasks. Magic xpi can automatically synchronize Shopify and Microsoft Dynamics NAV, in a non-stop mode, 365 days a year.

Shopify Automation Benefits

Here are the benefits of implementing and deploying an integration platform like Magic xpi to automate Shopify by integrating with Microsoft Dynamics NAV:

Saving of Time and Effort: Avoid repetitive manual data entry and associated errors and inefficiencies

Improvement of productivity: Use the company’s human resources in more important business tasks, rather than redundant data entry. Your company will reduce the risks of human errors.

Improve fulfillment time: Considerably cut down the order fulfillment delay; a Shopify order will be integrated seamlessly into NAV and processed on-time.

Click here to download our free White Paper on Magic xpi Integration Platform

Microsoft Dynamics NAV & Shopify Integration Endpoints

The following are a few basic endpoints, most commonly used to integrate Shopify and MS Dynamics Navision. Certainly, there are more end-points ready for integration, however, most businesses start their Shopify integration projects with the following endpoints:

Clients: Synchronize information about the online customer from Shopify to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Contacts: Synchronize Contact information, billing & shipping address, etc. synchronized from Shopify to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

SKUs:  Synchronize SKUs and items information (i.e. Stock level, pricing, active, discontinued…) from Microsoft Dynamics to Shopify. online store.

Orders: Synchronize Shopify sales orders placed by the online customer, to Microsoft Dynamics NAV Sales Orders.

Payments: Synchronize payment Information and Payment Method from Shopify to Microsoft Dynamics NAV in Sales.

Delivery: Synchronize Delivery information (i.e. tracking No, shipping company…) from Dynamics NAV to Shopify

EDI2XML & Magic xpi are Your Digital Transformation Partners

Magic xpi proved to be a leading, cost-effective solution to integrate easily and quickly Microsoft Dynamics with Shopify.
Shopify Integration

Magic xpi is a cost-effective, code-free, drag-and-drop with pre-built generic connector able to connect to Microsoft Dynamics. Integrating with Magic xpi, companies are capable of reducing their deployment lead time from months to a few days, which creates a great ROI.

We at EDI2XML have been a partner of a global enterprise software company Magic Software Enterprises Ltd. for over 20 years, and we are ready to take your integration challenges.

Looking for an Integration solution? Contact Us Today
Free Shopify Integration whitepaper

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Oracle JD Edwards Integration: the key to Digital Transformation

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

Oracle’s quality and reputation in the industry has made Oracle one of the most popular software vendor on the market. According to Statista, it is one of the largest companies in the world in terms of market value and one of the world’s leading providers of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

What is Oracle JD Edwards?

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne is an integrated applications suite of comprehensive enterprise resource planning software (ERP) that that is developed and sold by Oracle. EnterpriseOne is the first ERP solution to run all applications on Apple iPad. JD Edwards EnterpriseOne also delivers mobile applications.

JD Edwards World is a unique platform solution that allows better collaboration both within and outside your business network. The Oracle JD Edwards ERP system is a popular solution for managing mid-size and large enterprises.

To learn more about the JDE Edwards world and EDI integration, you can read this article “What you need to know about EDI integration in JD Edwards World”

Integration is the engine behind “Digital Transformation”

During the past few years, due to the important role of integration in information technology, there has been a modernization of information technology, especially in Big Data and Analytics, Cloud Computing, and mobile IT.

Businesses using Oracle JD Edwards are not exceptions. Companies often need to integrate other applications and systems such as EDI System, CRM, SCM, PLM, and eCommerce.

EDI2XML offers a complete integrated solution on both JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World, using certified connectors from Oracle themselves. Thanks to the Magic xpi Integration Platform and the partnership of Magic Software with Oracle for the connectors certification!

When Integration with JDE is essential?

There are several scenarios when a company would consider automation and integration, and it is beneficial:

a) Processes improvement

Companies are in a constant search for better ways to do business; integrating the company’s systems and process will benefit the company with the following:
  • Improvement of employees’ efficiency and their performance
  •  Reduction in human errors
  • Increase in the speed of data collection
  • Improvement of the quality of information within a company’s system
  • Obviously, at the end of the day, all of the above will have a positive impact on the company’s bottom line.

b) External trends

The development and the business need to accommodate “External trends” is another driving factor for integration:
  • Cloud-based systems and technology
  • Mobile applications
  • IoT (Internet of Things) projects

c) Answering to Clients’ or suppliers’ requirements and expectations

Often companies dealing with several important clients, cannot reject a request from a client to exchange information and integrate data electronically.

d) Companies merger, acquisition, and growth

It has been very common in today’s business reality, to see lots of mergers and acquisitions of companies. This kind of business operation will create an urgent need to consolidate data and perhaps centralize data from different sources.

The same need can arise due to the company’s growth and expansion, where data needs to be centralized, activities need to be orchestrated at the system level.

e) Heterogeneous systems

Another typical scenario where integration becomes crucial for a company is when it is overgrown with various systems and applications that are not interconnected. (i.e. CRM, ERP, e-Comm, PLM, WMS, etc.)

Magic xpi Integration Platform operates as middleware to allow data to be shared seamlessly between all systems of a company such as eCommerce, CRM, ERP, including backend financial and manufacturing systems in order to help companies in their digital transformation journey.

Your Digital Transformation Partner

Magic xpi Integration Platform is a code-free, enterprise-grade integration, business process automation, and data synchronization solutions.

Magic xpi for JDE extends the capabilities and usage of Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World ERP systems, integrating them with your company’s whole range of business processes.

Integration with Oracle JD Edwards

Magic xpi unites the disparate components of your business in different systems and applications, allowing you to better manage financial flows, employees, products, and information in your company.

Magic xpi has a code-free visual design studio, with more than 50 adapters, wizards, services, and methods, that enable to create and orchestrate business processes and integrate natively with JD Edwards, using its Oracle certified connectors.

Magic xpi features

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World connectors of Magic xpi, let you extend the value of your ERP by connecting data and business processes across CRM and other Business Systems.

Below are some of the main features of Magic xpi:
  • Out-of-the-box certified Oracle JDE adaptor
  • A wide library of pre-built components
  • Drag-and-drop functionality for easy configuration
  • Visual Data Mapper transforms information, regardless of the format
  • Step-by-step wizards simplify complex integration
  • Intuitive graphical user interface
  • Online monitoring capabilities

 Oracle JD Edwards Connector Capabilities

  • Discover all the “native” Oracle business objects automatically
  • Handles exceptions and errors, reliably and seamlessly
  • Integrates financial data in real-time, near real-time, and at optimal intervals
  • Integrates non-JDE applications with your General Ledger
  • Integrates with new and existing e-commerce websites
  • Integrates order tracking and logistics management over the Web
  • Integrates CRM and sales force management
  • Handles service calls and tracks orders over the Web
  • Runs natively on IBM I systems
  • Consolidates your charts of accounts with other systems and companies

Participating in Digital Transformation

If you don’t have the expertise in-house to lead a JD Edwards integration, then talk to us. We have been providing integration and expert consulting for Oracle including JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World.

 We understand complex integration challenges – this is what we built our business on!
Free consultation ecommerce JDE integration

RELATED POSTS:

The Definitive Checklist For Oracle JDE and EDI Integration Projects

What you need to know about EDI integration in JD Edwards World

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EDI Integration with JDE Made Easy with EDI2XML

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EDI integration project

This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

What is Magic xpi

Magic xpi is a business integration platform proprietary technology for Magic Software. This business integration suite is very powerful and comes loaded with tons of built-in components to build workflows and orchestrate an entire business flow:

  • Database gateways: to connect “natively” to the most common databases used within an enterprise (i.e. SQL server, Oracle, DB2, Pervasive, MySQL, ODBC…).
  • Connectors: to directly connect to JDE, SAP, Dynamics, SalesForce.
  • Triggers and Data mappers: whether to monitor a folder content or to parse and map from one file format to another
  • Connectivity and messaging: through FTP, SOAP, MSMQ, etc.

And the list goes on…

Read: How to Solve the Biggest EDI integration Problems With JDE

How EDI2XML works within Magic xpi

As you might already know by now, EDI2XML is our own technology to convert an X12 EDI transaction to XML. When doing the conversion from EDI to XML, EDI2XML is able to generate the FA 997 (Functional Acknowledgment) as a response to the incoming EDI transaction. In the meantime, EDI2XML installer comes with all the xml schemas (.xsd) of the EDI2XML format.

Since Magic xpi is missing a component to transform X12 EDI to XML, EDI2XML can fill this gap. By creating a custom component and inserting the command to trigger EDI2XML from within a Magic xpi business flow, EDI2XML will turn an incoming EDI file (i.e. 850) into XML format.

In a subsequent step, using a Data mapper component, the user can map the content of the EDI file in XML and map it to any other format (Flat file, database….).

Read: Top 3 Challenges to Overcome in Salesforce and EDI Integration Projects

Mapping EDI from EDI2XML to JDE

As mentioned previously, Magic xpi comes loaded with connectors to major systems such as SAP, JDE, Salesforce, etc. As an example, any table in JDE can be used as a source or destination in data mapping process, using a Data Mapper step within Magic xpi.

Once the incoming EDI X12 file is converted to XML, it is very simple to then map it to JDE:

  • Create a step with a Data mapper
  • Source: XML based on the EDI2XML .xsd (schema file)
  • Destination: the JDE table to feed from the XML format

Once the source and destination are defined, the user can use his mouse to drag and drop to map fields from the source to the destination (JD table).

EDI Integration with JDE

Looking to integrate your EDI or eCommerce processes with Oracle JDE enterprise one, look no further, since we have the best integration option where we turn your Oracle JDE system into a modern REST API, that receives https requests and acts accordingly. LEARN MORE>

This is why we love EDI2XML in EDI integration with JDE

EDI2XML has a rich library of EDI documents to translate and it is expandable. In addition, using EDI2XML within a flow in Magic xpi is a MUST in order to map EDI data to XML and from XML directly to JDE. Most importantly, there is no need for EDI knowledge to interpret the fields and segments, as it is all easily understandable by any person. On top of it all, all .xsd files are provided with the EDI2XML engine!

EDI integration into JDE is as simple as mapping from XML to JDE using drag and drop!

Free EDI consultation
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How to Solve the Biggest EDI integration Problems With JDE

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This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

EDI integration projects have always been time consuming, as it requires an expert team with EDI knowledge and many resources. No matter how small or large the company is, the previous statement falls true for them all. It is the nature of EDI and all the processes involved that makes an EDI integration project complex and problematic for the developers and executives. In this article, I would like to identify a few of the major problems of EDI integration with JDE (JD Edwards) and how to solve them, in order to have a smooth and successful EDI implementation.

About JDE

JD Edwards, also known as JDE, is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software that Oracle sells and supports. JDE is offered in two different lines (or editions): JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World. In most cases, JDE software solutions are implemented and deployed in corporate level enterprises. It is less present in small enterprises since most SMEs cannot afford its maintenance costs.

Why EDI integration with JDE is a problem

Read: EDI Integration with JDE Made Easy with EDI2XML

While JDE is a great corporate level ERP solution, offering lots of tools and connectors for data integration (flat file and other format), it does NOT offer out of-the-box an integrated EDI solution or connector that would make EDI integration seamless. It offers the necessary interfaces to define file formats for export and import, but it stops short on completing the loop into a full EDI solution.
For EDI project integration, JDE heavily relies on third-party “EDI translation software” to send or receive EDI files, and to turn the EDI files into a format (flat file for example) that can be easily interpreted and processed by JDE.

Having said that, you can now imagine how complex and time-consuming integration of EDI in JDE is for a company’s IT personnel and developers. The major problems can be summarized as follows:

  1. IT personnel need to have an extensive EDI expertise; for example, a high knowledge of EDI is needed to be able to define the data to be extracted from the incoming EDI file
  2. They need to learn how the “EDI Translation software” works as well as how and when to extract data and transform it into the proper format for JDE
  3. Of course, they need to know how to work with JDE and setup interfaces and connectors. This one is not of a major concern as IT personnel handling JDE are experienced with this platform

Looking to integrate your EDI or eCommerce processes with Oracle JDE enterprise one, look no further, since we have the best integration option where we turn your Oracle JDE system into a modern REST API, that receives https requests and acts accordingly. LEARN MORE>

How to solve the integration problems

In order to solve problems associated with EDI integration with JDE, it comes down to reducing the number of points identified in the previous section to 2 rather than 3, by capitalizing and building on JDE expertise. So how can this be done in order to have an EDI integration project run smoothly, on budget and on time?

Read: Top 3 Challenges to Overcome in Salesforce and EDI Integration Projects

The answer is simple. Companies running JDE can leverage:

  • EDI2XML : the technology to convert EDI to XML (and XML to EDI)
  • Magic xpi: the business integration platform from Magic Software, that is able to orchestrate the entire business process. It is an “Oracle Validated Integration” solution for both JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World.

Magic xpi comes with a lot of built-in features to support an EDI project implementation such as:

  • Communication components (FTP,sFTP)
  • Ability to execute scheduled tasks based on several triggers
  • Ability to execute tasks based on file scanning triggers

EDI2XML has complementary features to make an EDI integration project within JDE very simple and straightforward:

  • EDI2XML is able to generate FA 997 out-of-the box for incoming EDI documents
  • EDI2XML turns the EDI files received into readable XML format, so no need for extensive EDI expertise

Therefore, EDI integration projects with JDE don’t have to be so dreadful anymore. The marriage of EDI2XML, Magic xpi and our team’s EDI expertise can definitely benefit your company and make EDI projects easy and under budget.

To read more about using EDI with JD Edwards and the third-party applications, Click here

Free consultation ecommerce JDE integration
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