After they’ve used their mouse or fingertip to select the ‘buy now’ option, most online customers aren’t that interested in how their orders get to them. They only care how soon they’ll arrive or why, on occasions, they are delayed. But behind the scenes, several different IT platforms can be involved in the fulfilment process, and the specific integration between them is key to its success.
Shopping carts, multi-channel e-commerce and carrier management solutions are essential applications in online trading. A system like ProSKU which sits between them needs to capture internet orders and talk to carrier management solutions (CMS) for despatch information. This integration is vital to allow the e-retailer to deliver great service and customer satisfaction.
ProSKU is a system designed to help e-retailers manage their physical stock, and improve efficiency in the way they store, pick and despatch. It needs to receive orders direct from the web or multi-channel solution to pick and process orders, then talk to the relevant CMS to generate labels and collect tracking information to return to the ordering system when a despatch is confirmed.
But the abundance of web marketplaces, online selling platforms and carrier systems means there is significant variation in the way that APIs – the basic communication mechanism between web-based systems – can talk to each other. To avoid the need to customise each specific customer integration ProSKU has developed a new web module for integration.
Known as APIX, the module gives the option to create unique API integration or to deploy standard, commonly used formats. It will request information from systems to which ProSKU is integrated, and monitor transactions and data changes in ProSKU needed to update stock, order completion or customer tracking information on web or e-commerce applications.
The module can be adapted to different services, APIs and customer requirements, and benefits ProSKU and its customers alike. The module will facilitate the easy creation of marketplace integrations when onboarding new customers. And with low ongoing costs it offers highly cost-effective market integration with ProSKU for e-retailers and fulfilment houses.
