ERP Integration Patterns and Challenges
ERP Integration Patterns and Challenges ERP integration connects ERP systems with CRM, ecommerce, HR, and finance apps. It helps keep data consistent and reduces manual work. There are several patterns, and the best choice depends on goals, team skills, and risk tolerance. Patterns at a glance: Point-to-point: direct connections between ERP and each system. Pros: quick start. Cons: becomes hard to maintain as more apps are added. Hub-and-spoke: a central hub routes and transforms data. Pros: easier to scale; governance improves. Cons: the hub needs solid design and resilience. Middleware/ESB: a bus with routing, transformation, and orchestration. Pros: good for complex rules; centralized control. Cons: can be heavy and costly. API-led connectivity: services exposed as reusable APIs. Pros: consistent interfaces; easier testing and versioning. Cons: requires upfront API design. Event-driven: changes publish events to queues or topics. Pros: real-time or near real-time; decoupled. Cons: needs stable event schemas and error handling. Data integration for analytics: ETL/ELT and data replication. Pros: strong reporting; decoupled data stores. Cons: data latency; syncing issues. Common challenges: ...