For retailers and e-commerce businesses, delivering a seamless omnichannel experience is no longer optional. Customers expect real-time stock availability, fast fulfilment and hassle-free returns whether they shop online, in-store or through a marketplace. Achieving this requires more than a good website – it demands an integrated backbone that connects every channel.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides that backbone. By integrating your ERP with web stores and marketplaces, you can synchronise orders, inventory and customer data across all touchpoints. This blog explores patterns for order capture, stock sync, returns and customer service when Business Central powers your omnichannel strategy.
Why integration matters for omnichannel success
Disconnected systems create friction. When your e-commerce platform, POS and ERP operate in silos, you risk overselling, delayed shipments and poor customer service. According to Forrester, 72% of retailers cite real-time inventory visibility as their top technology priority. Without integration, achieving this is almost impossible.
Integration delivers:
- Accurate stock levels across all channels, reducing overselling and backorders.
- Faster fulfilment through automated order processing.
- Consistent customer experience, with unified data for service and returns.
- Better insights into sales performance and inventory turnover.
Patterns for connecting Business Central to web stores and marketplaces
1. Order capture and processing
When an order is placed on your web store or marketplace, it should flow directly into Business Central without manual intervention. This ensures accurate stock allocation and triggers fulfilment workflows immediately. Using APIs or integration connectors, you can automate this process for platforms like Shopify, Magento or Amazon.
For example, an order captured online can create a sales order in Business Central, reserve inventory and generate a pick list for the warehouse. This reduces delays and eliminates errors from manual data entry.
2. Real-time stock synchronisation
Stock sync is critical for avoiding overselling. Business Central can publish inventory levels back to your web store or marketplace at regular intervals or in real time. This means customers see accurate availability, and marketplaces like Amazon receive up-to-date stock feeds.
Synchronisation should include not just quantity but also attributes like location and variant. For multi-location retailers, Business Central can manage stock across warehouses and stores, ensuring the right item is available where it’s needed.
3. Returns management
Returns are a fact of life in retail and e-commerce. An integrated ERP simplifies the process by linking return requests from your web store to Business Central. This allows you to process refunds, update inventory and track reasons for returns in one system.
Business Central supports workflows for inspection, restocking and credit notes, helping you manage returns efficiently and maintain accurate stock records.
4. Customer service and visibility
Integration gives your customer service team a single source of truth. When all orders, shipments and returns are visible in Business Central, agents can answer queries quickly and accurately. Combined with dimensions and reporting, you can analyse customer behaviour and identify trends that impact satisfaction.
Practical steps for retailers and e-commerce businesses
To make integration successful, follow these steps:
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Choose the right integration approach: Decide between native connectors, middleware or custom APIs based on your platforms and complexity.
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Map your workflows: Document how orders, stock updates and returns should flow between systems. This avoids gaps and duplication.
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Test for accuracy: Run parallel tests to ensure data sync works correctly before going live.
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Train your team: Ensure staff understand how integrated processes work, especially for returns and customer service.
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Monitor performance: Use KPIs like order processing time, stock accuracy and return cycle time to measure success.
The payoff: a true omnichannel experience
By connecting Business Central to your web stores and marketplaces, you can achieve:
- Real-time inventory visibility, reducing overselling and improving customer trust.
- Automated order processing, speeding up fulfilment and reducing errors.
- Efficient returns management improves customer satisfaction and operational control.
- Unified data for insights, enabling better decisions on pricing, promotions and stock planning.
As Gartner notes, “Retailers that integrate core systems with digital channels see up to 30% improvement in order accuracy and fulfilment speed.” For businesses aiming to thrive in an omnichannel world, integration is not just a technology upgrade – it’s a competitive necessity.
Ready to connect your channels?
If your web store and ERP are still operating in silos, now is the time to explore integration with Business Central. Start with order capture and stock sync, then expand to returns and customer service for a complete omnichannel experience.