What data is exchanged between the online store and the warehouse?

An integration isn't a broad merging of two systems. A specific set of data is exchanged back and forth, and it helps to know exactly what that data is: that way, you'll also know where to look if something isn't right.

From your online store to the warehouse

• The order number, so that everything remains traceable
• The ordered items, along with their item numbers and quantities
• The shipping address, including the house number and country
• The selected shipping method or service level
• Any comments from your customer or a gift option

From the warehouse back to you

• Order status: picked up, picked, packed, shipped
• The tracking number and the carrier
• Current inventory levels by item
• What was received in a new shipment
• What was returned and how it was evaluated

The part number is the key

Everything depends on the item number. If an item is named differently in your online store than it is in the warehouse, the link will break for that specific item. That’s why each item must have a single number that’s the same everywhere, and each variant must be assigned its own number.

The address is from you

The shipping label is generated using the address from your online store. A missing house number or an incorrect ZIP code will not be corrected at the warehouse. If you validate addresses in your online store during checkout, you’ll catch most delivery issues right there.

Shipping methods must match

The option your customer chooses must be tradable for a specific service offered by a carrier. If you call something “Standard” or “Express,” make sure to agree on exactly what those terms mean. Otherwise, there’s room for interpretation—and that room will eventually lead to a misdelivery.

Two-way inventory

The inventory levels should be the same on both sides so that your customer can’t order items that are out of stock. When setting up the system, discuss how and how often this synchronization takes place, because this is the issue that online stores run into most often in practice.

What's Not Happening

Payment information, customer accounts, and your marketing data remain in your own environment. The warehouse only needs the information necessary to ensure that a package is delivered correctly to the right person.

What Goes Wrong When Data Doesn't Match

Virtually every problem with a link can be traced back to one of three things: a part number that doesn’t match, a variant without its own number, or a shipping method that has different names on either side. Technical issues are rarely the cause; data that doesn’t match up almost always is.