Most manufacturers and brands already run an ERP or accounting system — often Tally, BUSY, SAP or another package. When they introduce new business applications for ordering, channel management or after-sales, a natural question follows: can these systems share data?
The honest answer is: it depends. It depends on your system, its version, how your data is maintained and what you want to achieve. This checklist helps you prepare for an integration discussion so that the answer becomes clear quickly.
1. Identify your systems
Start with an accurate inventory:
- Which ERP or accounting system do you use, and which version or edition?
- Is it hosted on your premises, by a partner or in the cloud?
- Who administers it — an internal team or an external partner?
- Do any other systems hold relevant data, such as a warehouse system or spreadsheets?
Version details matter. Two businesses using the "same" ERP may have very different integration options.
2. Define what needs to move
List the data domains you expect to exchange. Common candidates include:
- Product and item masters
- SKU and variant information
- Customer and partner masters
- Price lists
- Orders and order status
- Inventory or availability data
- Dispatch-related references
- Reporting data
For each domain, note the direction (into the ERP, out of it, or both) and the frequency (real time, hourly, daily or on demand). These are possible areas to evaluate, not a guarantee that every flow will be appropriate.
3. Decide the source of truth
For every data domain, agree which system owns it. Often the ERP remains the source for products, prices and invoices, while a business application may originate orders. Clear ownership prevents conflicting updates and confusing reports.
4. Understand the possible methods
Two broad approaches are common:
- API integration — programmatic data exchange where the system provides suitable interfaces. Suitability depends on the APIs available, authentication, permissions and security policies.
- File-based exchange — structured files in an agreed format, exchanged on a defined schedule. Useful where APIs are unavailable or unsuitable.
Neither is universally better. The right choice depends on your system and requirements. Read more on our integration planning page.
5. Map and validate the data
Fields rarely match one-to-one between systems. Plan for:
- A field-by-field mapping, agreed with your team.
- Conventions for codes, units, variants and price lists.
- Rules for missing, duplicate or invalid data.
Cleaning master data before integration is often the single most valuable preparation step.
6. Plan testing and reconciliation
Before going live, test with representative data and reconcile the results:
- Do record counts and totals match on both sides?
- Are exceptions visible, and who handles them?
- How will the integration be monitored after go-live?
7. Consider security and responsibilities
Agree how access is authenticated, who can see what data, and who is responsible for maintaining the integration when either system is upgraded.
8. Involve the right people
Bring together the process owner, the person who knows your ERP configuration and, where relevant, IT or security. Their input decides which approach is realistic.
How Oventra approaches integration
OVENTRA360 treats SAP, Tally, BUSY and other systems as integration discussion areas. No prebuilt connectors or guaranteed compatibility are claimed. Compatibility, data scope, technical method, security and implementation effort are assessed during discovery — which is exactly what this checklist prepares you for.
See our ERP integration page for details of the discovery process, or discuss your system with the Oventra team.