Does your ecommerce store show different data than your ERP or warehouse system? When ecommerce systems are out of sync, orders, inventory, prices, refunds and product information stop matching across the tools that run your business.
In this article we look at why this happens and how to resolve it by implementing a custom middleware software solution.
Causes of Ecommerce Systems Going Out of Sync
Failed or Delayed Integrations
A delayed integration means time is lost before a data update reaches the receiving system. The receiving system is not updated on time and shows only older data, which leads to data mismatch. Our guide on real-time data synchronization explains why timing matters so much.
Standard Connectors Limitation
Standard or native connectors are designed to connect specific systems and carry out common tasks, such as transferring data from one system to another. In a multi-system environment, however, they become less effective because the data flow becomes more complex. Choosing the right integration platform is a good place to start.
Multiple Point-to-Point Integrations
Native connectors work well in business models with few systems. As more systems are added, it becomes difficult for them to update every system in the allotted time, which leads to outdated data in different systems. Moreover, each connection has its own configuration, data mapping and failure points. The failure of one leads to differences in data across the whole ecommerce environment.
Failure of APIs
Most ecommerce systems communicate using APIs. APIs can fail because of authentication problems, server problems, incorrect requests and more. The failure of an API disrupts the flow of data from one system to another.
Manual Data Entry
Whenever there is a communication delay in an ecommerce business, teams usually switch to manual data entry. This in turn leads to human error and further delays.
Multiple Sales Channels and Warehouses
Businesses that sell on multiple sales channels and ship from multiple locations may face ecommerce data synchronization problems. A sale on one channel may need to update inventory across several other systems. If those updates are delayed or fail, one system can show available inventory while another shows the product as out of stock. The same applies when orders are not routed to the right warehouse, or when basic warehouse processes are missing.
Impact of Ecommerce Systems Out of Sync
Inventory Mismatches
Data sync problems cause a mismatch of inventory data across systems. An ecommerce inventory mismatch leads to incorrect stock assumptions, which can further lead to overselling and accidental stockouts. See how smart inventory management stops overselling and stockouts.
Delay in Order Processing
Order processing is delayed when orders take longer than usual to move from one system to another. This may happen because orders do not sync in the scheduled time, take too long to update, or require manual entry. A reliable order management system depends on clean data flowing between systems.
Overselling and Stockouts
Overselling and stockouts are common problems when ecommerce systems fail to sync. Overselling happens when a business sells more than it has in inventory, resulting in order cancellations and negative customer feedback and reviews. Read more about why overselling happens even when your stock count looks right.
A stockout happens when you have items in inventory but cannot fulfil orders because an error in inventory data sync shows zero stock in the ERP. This leads to missed sales, lost revenue and lost customers.
Increased Manual Work
Manual work increases whenever the integrations that automatically update different systems fail to function properly. It becomes more common as data sync happens at more levels of the ecommerce system. This increases the chances of data entry errors, duplicate records, missed updates and inconsistent information between systems.
Incorrect Product and Pricing Information
Incorrect product and pricing information occurs when prices differ across the ecommerce store, marketplaces, ERP or other connected systems. Because of the data sync problem, different prices can be shown for a single product. This is especially common with wholesale and retail pricing on the same catalog.
Refund and Return Issues
Refund and return issues happen when refund and return data is not updated correctly across all ecommerce systems. As a result, a customer may receive a refund while the return status of the item is not updated in the inventory system. Related problems include refund timing mismatches, partial returns and exchanges and returns arriving at the wrong warehouse.
Poor Customer Experience
Poor customer experience can occur when ecommerce systems are out of sync, resulting in incorrect product, inventory, pricing, order, shipping or refund information reaching customers. These problems are more common when a business sells through multiple sales channels.
Solution: A Custom Middleware Software Solution
The problem of data sync is common in businesses that sell across multiple sales channels using multiple systems such as ERP and warehouse software. To resolve it, a custom middleware software solution syncs data between the different systems and ensures a reliable data flow across them.
Frequently Asked Questions
An ecommerce system becomes out of sync when different platforms fail to exchange updated information accurately, consistently or in real time. This leads to a data mismatch between different systems.
Yes. When ecommerce systems fail to synchronize inventory updates, businesses can sell more products than they actually have in stock. This leads to the problem of overselling.
Custom middleware acts as a communication layer between different business applications. It connects systems that may not have direct integrations or cannot exchange information according to specific business requirements.
Custom middleware prevents inventory and order mismatches by coordinating data exchange between all connected business systems and applying business-specific data synchronization rules.
