Streamline your business processes by keeping business logic within the existing IBM i /
AS 400 system and enable the data to flow in real time to management
Improve the functionality and user experience of your eCommerce site without needing to upgrade or migrate data off your existing IBM i / AS 400 system
Automate business processes and avoid human error, reducing the cost of the transaction and allowing your team to focus on other tasks
Not at all, there are several approaches that can be used to expose data from the IBM i and connect it to an eCommerce system. Consider the data needs and business logic to determine the appropriate approach. You can have your data flow in real-time or interface it in a batch mode. You can use tools native to IBM i or leverage 3rd party tools. The approach depends on project needs and what tools and systems are already in use.
Magento is a great fit for midsize B2B companies who are on the IBM i / AS400. Because the platform is built on an open source technology, it allows for an open, feature-rich solution that can easily and inexpensively extend the site as your company grows. Some key features include:
Magento, at its foundation, provides a world class eCommerce shopping experience. Included in the B2B module are several features that enable B2B companies to provide customers with a user experience they have come to expect. A few of these features are:
No, we always architect the integration around the premise that IBM i is the system of record for all data and Magento is a consumer of that data. This ensures that the data is kept pristine within the ERP and that Magento is simply a consumer of that data. When inserting data into the IBM i /AS 400, we will leverage any existing processes or APIs for order creation. This keeps everything streamlined with current processes. As needed, we create a new API process for inserting data / orders into the IBM i database.
There are several great options available to help streamline this process. We’ve worked with various tools including:
Your IBM i data will remain the system of record for all data. Our approach is based on this premise, as well as Magento then being considered the consumer of that data. By following this logic, it will ensure that your data is kept pristine within the ERP.
The real answer is it depends on the integration point. Real-time integration is always the preferred approach and for certain integration points it is basically a requirement - Inventory Availability and B2B Pricing. For other integration points, like Catalog Data and B2B Customer Data a batch integration approach can be used.
Yes, we have extensive experience with both JD Edwards World, JD Edwards E1 and IBM i. If you are running JD Edwards on your IBM i we can help you integrate with Magento.
Absolutely. As commerce continues to shift in to the digital sphere, a competent and effective online presence and user experience will increase customer satisfaction and retention likely leading to an increase of sales and revenue.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam scelerisque, lectus in sagittis pretium, risus massa venenatis lectus, a dapibus massa nibh non est.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam scelerisque, lectus in sagittis pretium, risus massa venenatis lectus, a dapibus massa nibh non est.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam scelerisque, lectus in sagittis pretium, risus massa venenatis lectus, a dapibus massa nibh non est.
Ask yourself what you need your site to do and what is its main goal? Maybe you're looking to increase online sales revenue, decrease sales costs, improve customer buying experience, maybe all three. By figuring out your ultimate goal and bottom line need you will help direct your path of next steps.
Once you know the end goal, start with the people closest to the ground and get your Sales team involved. Sales knows the pain points from a customer perspective, listen to their advice and incorporate it in to designs. Be sure to also educate your Sales team about the new site so they can use and market the site to their customers.
Assign a project manager who can effectively speak with all company departments and who can keep things running smoothly. Be sure to choose someone who can motivate, manage, and mentor as the project will have a lot of moving pieces and will require the collaboration of numerous departments.
Sometimes the eCommerce system and the ERP can store the same data, in order to avoid duplication and redundancies, choose either the
IBM i/AS400 or Magento to house specific data. Consider the business logic required to process an eCom order and decide which system would do a better job handling that process. Whatever your answer is, that's the system that should "own" the data.
When integrating Magento and your IBM i / AS400 system be sure to choose an integration tool that works best for you and your existing framework. Try and use tools that are already being used within your organization in order to stay consistent. By leveraging an existing integration process you'll also be able to keep costs down and create simplified, easy to follow processes.
Integrations have a lot of arm and will affect almost every department. Keep things simple, straightforward, and organized in order to avoid getting overwhelmed or getting sidetracked. By planning, organizing and documenting your integration you set yourself up for a much smoother implementation from the beginning programming all the way through the after-live support.
Once you know the end goal, start with the people closest to the ground and get your Sales team involved. Educate your Sales team so they can begin to use and market the site to assist in their customer’s needs
Assign a project manager who can effectively speak with all company departments and who can keep things running smoothly.
Map out what data will be kept and where it will be stored. Explain the strategy behind your decisions to keep you focused on the straight and narrow.
"We now have more control over the website and its content, specifically promotions, than we have ever had before. For our customers there are big improvements, and it's easier for them to find products on our website. Because we are mobile-friendly now it gives customers more options for when they can access that content." - Shawn J., Web Master
Subscribe to stay on top of the latest eCommerce and ERP industry tips and trends delivered straight to your inbox.
For the past two decades, we've made it our business to help you work smarter. From commerce challenges to ERP customizations, we support the power of your big ideas by helping you work more strategically, more intuitively, and more efficiently.
