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Software & Systems · CRM/ERP integration

CRM and ERP integration

Customers, orders and master data in CRM and ERP in one shared picture, without double entry. With clear rules on who leads which data, and a queue for anything that does not fit.

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01 How you recognise it

Does this sound like your situation?

Three starting points we see regularly. One of them is enough.

  • 01

    Customer data gets entered twice

    The same customer number exists in three variants, and nobody knows which one is right.

  • 02

    Sales does not know the payment status

    And accounting does not know the contact person. Clarifications between departments are a daily routine.

  • 03

    Won orders get typed in again

    Line items, prices and deadlines are carried over by hand from the offer into the ERP, with errors.

02 What you get

Three results you will notice in daily work.

  • One leading system per object

    Defined which system leads customers, contacts, orders, prices and invoices. Two leading systems do not exist.

  • A documented field mapping with rules

    Direction, trigger and priority in conflicts are described, not improvised.

  • Error handling and monitoring

    Missing mandatory fields, duplicate numbers and unreachable systems land in a queue with a notification, never in the void.

03 What it looks like

A field mapping with a conflict rule.

Schematic example with fictitious data

Before any synchronisation comes the question of which system wins in a contradiction.

Object / fieldLeading systemDirectionTriggerConflict rule
Company · name, addressERPERP → CRMChange in the ERPERP overwrites; the CRM change is logged
Company · industry, segmentCRMCRM → ERPChange in the CRMCRM overwrites
Contact · email, phoneCRMCRM → ERPChange in the CRMCRM overwrites; empty values never overwrite
Customer · payment terms, credit limitERPERP → CRM (read only)Nightly synchronisationNot editable in the CRM
Order · statusERPERP → CRMStatus change in the ERPERP overwrites

Empty values never overwrite filled ones. Without that rule the first incomplete synchronisation deletes maintained data.

How do we start?

Ioannis and Tugce Fotiou discussing a process together at the desk
This is how every collaboration starts: with a concrete process on the table, not with a specification document.

When it fits

The same data is maintained in two systems, and nobody knows for certain which one leads.

What a first step delivers

A field mapping with leading system, direction, trigger and conflict rule for each object.

What we need from you

Access to both systems, sample records and a decision on which system wins in a conflict.

We only need these accesses and documents once we start working together. For a first conversation, a short description of your situation is enough.

04 Why

Two systems, one data status.

Why should CRM and ERP be integrated?

Because sales and delivery concern the same customers, products and orders: without integration you get double entry, diverging data, questions between departments and errors in offers and invoices.

Most companies know the symptoms: sales does not know the payment status, accounting does not know the contact person, and the customer number exists in three variants. An integration does not solve that through technology alone but through clear rules that the technology then enforces.

05 Data objects

Who leads which data?

The most important question of any integration. A typical split, adapted to your systems in the project.

  • ERP leads master data

    Customers and accounts

    Customer number, address and terms are created in the ERP and mirrored into the CRM. Or the CRM creates and the ERP confirms. The direction has to be unambiguous.

  • CRM leads

    Contacts

    Contacts, roles and communication live in the CRM; the ERP receives what it needs for delivery and invoicing.

  • Handover at the close

    Offers and orders

    A won deal becomes an order, with line items, prices and dates, without re-entry.

  • ERP leads

    Products and prices

    Articles, price lists and availability come from the ERP and are available to sales in the CRM, up to date.

  • ERP leads

    Invoices and payment status

    Sales sees open items and payment behaviour in the CRM, which matters for conversations and expansions.

  • Depends on the system

    Service and tickets

    Complaints, service orders and contract data are kept where they are worked on, and made visible to the other systems.

06 How we work

How FIOXX builds an integration.

  1. 01

    Data objects and leadership

    For every object we define which system leads. Two leading systems for the same data is the most common cause of chaos.

  2. 02

    Field mapping

    Which field corresponds to which? Where do formats, mandatory entries and value lists differ? The mapping is documented, not improvised.

  3. 03

    Direction and trigger

    When does data flow: on change, at the close, nightly in a batch? In which direction? With which priority in conflicts?

  4. 04

    Error handling

    What happens with missing mandatory fields, duplicate customer numbers or unreachable systems? Errors land in a queue with a notification, never in the void.

  5. 05

    Monitoring

    Throughput, error rate and latency are visible. An integration that fails silently is more dangerous than none.

  6. 06

    Operation and change

    Systems change: updates, new fields, new processes. The integration is versioned and documented so changes stay controlled.

07 Options

Connector, platform or our own service?

  • 01

    Native connectors

    If CRM and ERP already know each other, the standard connector is often the best choice, as long as it represents the process and not only the demo.

  • 02

    An integration platform

    For several systems with manageable logic: quick to set up, easy to observe, but limited on data volume and special cases.

  • 03

    Our own integration service

    When logic, volume or security exceed the standard: a lean, documented service that belongs to you and does exactly what the process needs.

08 Next

Integration as the basis for automation.

Once CRM and ERP are connected, processes become possible that used to fail at the system boundary: automatic order creation after the close, payment status in the sales conversation, document automation across both systems. The integration is rarely the goal, but almost always the prerequisite.

Process automation Revenue operations

09 FAQ

Common questions about CRM and ERP integration

Which system should lead: CRM or ERP?

That is decided per data object, not globally. Typically: the ERP leads customer master data, products, prices and invoices; the CRM leads contacts, activities and opportunities. At the transition from won deal to order the leadership changes. Clarifying those rules is the most important part of the project.

Our data differs between the two systems. What comes first?

Cleaning, before synchronising. An integration on inconsistent data only distributes the inconsistency faster. We start with a comparison, define rules for duplicates and formats and only synchronise once there is a clean starting point.

Does this work with older ERP systems too?

Usually yes. Many older systems offer interfaces, database access or file exports. We choose the most robust path and encapsulate it in a service so the CRM sees a clean interface, regardless of how the ERP works internally.

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Next step

How often does customer data get entered twice at your company?

We analyse your system landscape, clarify which system leads which data and show how CRM and ERP work together without double entry.

Request a first conversation info@fioxx.com