API integrations: systems that talk to each other
We connect ERP, CRM, accounting and external systems with custom APIs and data integrations. So data is captured once and arrives where it is needed.
Data chaos between systems
Most companies don’t work with one system but with many: an ERP for orders and stock, a CRM for customers, accounting software, plus specialist applications, an online shop and spreadsheets for everything in between. Each system is fine on its own. The problem arises at the handovers.
Customer data is maintained in the CRM and again in the ERP. Invoice data is exported, reformatted and imported. A status change in one system never reaches the other. That costs time, and it leads to errors, because in the end nobody knows for sure which data is current.
Typical signs are export files that are reshaped by hand every week, customer records that differ between two systems, and questions like “Has the invoice been booked yet?” that only a look into another system can answer.
API integrations solve this at the root. An API is an interface through which software talks to other software. Instead of transferring data by hand, the systems exchange it automatically, following rules you define.
What we connect
Connecting existing applications and improving how information moves between systems.
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ERP integration
Exchange orders, invoices and master data with your ERP instead of retyping them.
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CRM and sales
Keep customer and order data in sync between the CRM and your other systems.
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Accounting
Connect invoicing processes with accounting and your tax adviser, for example by exporting a DATEV booking batch, as our product Xcan does.
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Procurement systems
Connect procurement tools, ERP systems and existing business applications.
Example: ERP integration for invoicing
This is what a typical integration looks like. Goal: connect invoicing workflows with your existing ERP and accounting systems.
Core scope
- Review available system interfaces and data fields
- Map invoice information between agreed systems
- Implement and test an integration workflow
Optional extensions
- Additional ERP or accounting connectors
- Two-way status synchronisation
- Monitoring and retry handling
What matters in an integration
Data first, then code. Before a single line is written, we clarify which fields mean what in which system. Many integration problems are really data problems: different article numbers, diverging customer records, different tax codes.
One leading source per piece of information. For each piece of information we define which system holds the truth. That way no contradictory data appears when several systems know the same data.
Make errors visible. Interfaces fail, systems are briefly unreachable, data is incomplete. A good integration detects this, retries failed transfers and reports what a person needs to check, instead of silently losing data.
With existing systems, not against them. We review the available interfaces of your systems and build on them. Where a system has no suitable interface, we develop a custom API.
Export, import or API?
Not every connection needs a real-time interface. The right approach depends on how often data changes and how quickly it has to arrive in the other system:
- File export and import is often enough when data is handed over at fixed intervals, such as a booking batch for your tax adviser at month end. What matters then is above all that the file format is right and the handover doesn’t need manual preparation.
- An API integration is worth it when data flows continuously, several systems need the same state, or an event in one system should immediately trigger something in another, for example a new order that lands directly in the ERP.
- Two-way status synchronisation makes sense when both sides may change data, for example when an invoice is approved in the ERP and the approval should show in the source system.
In the first step we look at the data flows and recommend the simplest approach that works reliably. An elaborate interface is not automatically the better solution.
How an integration project works
We have delivered projects in fintech, legal tech and SaaS. We don’t name clients or project details publicly, because we work under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with our clients.
Frequently asked questions about API integrations
What is an API?
An interface through which software talks to other software. Through APIs, systems exchange data automatically instead of someone transferring it by hand.
Can you connect our ERP?
We first review your ERP’s available interfaces and data fields. Building on that, we map the data between the agreed systems and implement the integration workflow.
Is there a DATEV export?
For e-invoices, yes: our product Xcan exports bookings with SKR03 account mapping straight to DATEV. For custom processes we work out the right route to accounting within the project.
What happens if a system is briefly unreachable?
Monitoring and retry handling can be agreed as an extension, so failed transfers are detected and tried again.
What does an integration cost?
That depends on the number of systems, their interfaces and the data flows. After the initial call you receive an estimate of effort and cost.
Which systems should finally work together?
Tell us about it in an intro call. Afterwards you’ll know what the integration can look like and what effort to expect.