Can my online store connect to my delivery, stock and accounting systems?
Key takeaways
- Most modern business tools can connect to an online store; how open each tool is decides how easy it is.
- Delivery, stock, accounting and customer messages are the connections that save store owners the most manual work.
- Decide which system is the master copy for products, stock and customers before connecting anything.
- Tools without a connection option can still work through scheduled file exchange or by handling the task in the store's admin panel.
- Connections need checking over time, because outside tools change.
Orders typed twice, stock counts that never match, customers who never get a "your order is on its way" message: most of these headaches come from systems that do not talk to each other. Connecting your online store to the tools you already use takes that copying and checking off your team's plate. Whether it is possible, and how smoothly it works, depends on the tools you have and how open they are to connecting.
What does "connecting" two systems actually mean?
It means the two systems pass information to each other automatically, so nobody has to copy it by hand. Think of it as a reliable messenger running between your store and your other software.
Most modern business software offers an API, a documented "door" that lets other systems send and receive information in an agreed format. When a tool has a good API, your store can, for example, hand a new order to your delivery company the moment it is placed. When a tool has no API, there are still workarounds, covered below.
Which systems do store owners usually connect?
Delivery, stock, accounting and customer messages are the most common. The table shows what typically moves between your store and each one.
| System | What moves between them | What it saves you |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery company | New orders, addresses, tracking status | Re-typing every shipment into the courier's portal |
| Stock or inventory system | Stock levels, product availability | Selling items you no longer have |
| Accounting or ERP | Orders, customers, invoices | Entering every sale twice |
| CRM (your customer list and sales follow-up) | Customer details, order history | Losing track of who bought what |
| SMS and WhatsApp | Order confirmations, delivery updates | Calling or messaging customers one by one |
| Email marketing | Newsletter subscribers, customer lists | Exporting and importing lists by hand |
Can my store send orders straight to my delivery company?
Often, yes, if the delivery company offers an API. The order goes across with the customer's address, and the tracking status can come back so you and the customer can see where it is.
If you run your own drivers instead, you may not need an outside connection at all. Our CMS already lets you manage delivery coverage areas, delivery fees and drivers from the same admin panel as your orders.
Can my website stock match my shop or warehouse?
Yes, if your stock system can share its numbers. The store checks or receives stock levels on a schedule, for example every few minutes, so products that sell out in the shop also show as unavailable online.
Can orders go into my accounting system or ERP automatically?
Usually. An ERP is the larger system some businesses use to run stock, purchasing and accounts in one place. Popular cloud accounting tools tend to connect easily. Older systems installed on an office computer sometimes have no API, which makes the connection slower to build and more delicate to keep running.
Can customers get SMS or WhatsApp updates about their orders?
Yes. Through an approved messaging provider, your store can send a message when an order is received, prepared and sent. WhatsApp business messages use pre-approved templates, so the wording is agreed in advance. These updates reduce "where is my order?" calls noticeably.
What if one of my tools has no API?
You still have options, each with trade-offs:
- File exchange: the tool exports a spreadsheet on a schedule and the store imports it, or the other way round.
- Simple manual step: staff export orders once a day instead of typing them one by one.
- Move the job into the CMS: sometimes the simplest answer is to manage that task, such as delivery areas or promo codes, directly in the store's admin panel.
What should you ask before connecting your systems?
- Does each of our tools allow connections, and does our current plan or licence include that?
- Which information goes one way, and which goes both ways?
- How often does it update: instantly, every few minutes, or once a day?
- Which system is the master copy for products, stock and customers?
- What happens if the other system is down? Are orders held and resent?
- Who gets told when something fails, and who fixes it?
Outside tools also change over time, so connections need checking as part of looking after your website after launch. If you would like to know what your store could connect to, send us the list of tools you use and we will tell you what is possible.
How Kensoftware approaches this
- We start by listing the tools you use and checking whether each one allows connections, before we promise anything.
- Every store we build runs on our own CMS, so where a job can live there, such as delivery areas, delivery fees, drivers, orders and promo codes, we often manage it in the admin panel instead of adding another outside tool.
- We agree with you which system owns each kind of information, so the store and your other tools never overwrite each other.
- Because we built and maintain the CMS, we can add the connection your business needs and keep it working when the other tool changes.
Frequently asked questions
Can my store send WhatsApp order updates?
Yes, through an approved WhatsApp business messaging provider. Messages use templates that are approved in advance, so the wording is agreed before launch.
Will connecting my accounting system slow down my store?
Not if it is set up properly. Information can be exchanged in the background, so customers are never waiting on your accounting system while they shop.
What if my delivery company has no way to connect?
Orders can be exported in a file your courier accepts, or you can manage your own drivers, delivery areas and fees directly in our CMS.