How to Sell with Amazon: Why an Integration with the ERP is a Best Practice
Are you ready to take your business to the next level and reach Amazon’s massive global market which accounted for 514 Bn US Dollars in sales revenue in 2022? The opportunity is massive, but what’s the most effective way to maximize your success on the platform?
Well, one tried-and-true best practice for selling with Amazon is: integrating it with your Accounting or Operations ERP system.
But, before we dive into that, let’s go over the basics of selling on Amazon.
To get started, you’ll need to choose between different plan options that Amazon provides based on your requirements.
What are the different options to sell on Amazon?
- Selling as an Individual: If you plan to sell fewer than 40 items per month, you can register for Amazon’s Individual Plan. With this plan, you can list your products on Amazon and pay a per-item fee when your item sells.
- Selling as a Professional: If you plan to sell more than 40 items per month, you can register for Amazon’s Professional Plan. This plan comes with a monthly subscription fee and provides access to more advanced selling features, such as bulk uploading of inventory and the ability to create promotions and advertising.
- Using Amazon Handmade: If you sell handmade products, you can register for Amazon Handmade. This platform allows artisans and craftsmen to sell their unique, handmade products on Amazon.
- Amazon Webstore: Businesses can also use Amazon Webstore to set up their own branded website using Amazon’s web-hosting service.
- Amazon Vendor Central: This option is available to businesses that are selected by Amazon to become vendors. With Amazon Vendor Central, businesses sell their products to Amazon wholesale, and Amazon becomes the seller of record. This can lead to higher volumes of sales, but with less control over pricing and branding.
This is not it!
After selecting your plan, you’ll need to register and provide some basic company information and banking details.
Next, you’ll add your products through the user-friendly Seller Central platform. This requires providing key product details such as SKU, product name, description, images, and keywords to create your product detail page.
Finally, you’ll need to determine your fulfillment strategy. This includes two options: merchant fulfillment or Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). With merchant fulfillment, you’ll store and ship the products directly to your customers, while with FBA, you’ll send your inventory to one of Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Amazon handles the packaging, labeling, shipping, customer service, and returns with FBA.
No matter which method a business chooses, there are numerous benefits to selling on Amazon, including access to a massive global market, trust in the Amazon brand, and various fulfillment options.
But, you want to take your Amazon selling to the next level, right?
To truly thrive on Amazon, it’s crucial to seamlessly integrate your Amazon seller account with your Accounting or Operations ERP system through an iPaaS provider like Commercient SYNC.
While this process may seem daunting, working with a reputable iPaaS provider like Commercient SYNC will ensure you unlock the full potential of Amazon and truly maximize your opportunities on the platform.
Integrating Amazon with your Accounting ERP system has many benefits and is a best practice
Here’s how…
- Streamlined Inventory Management
One of the biggest advantages of integrating Amazon with an ERP system is that it can help sellers manage their inventory better. Inventory management can be a major challenge for Amazon sellers, particularly if they are selling across multiple channels. Integrating Amazon with an ERP system can ensure that inventory levels are updated in real-time across all channels, reducing the likelihood of stockouts or overselling.
- Improved Order Fulfillment
ERP integration can also help Amazon sellers streamline their order fulfillment process. When an order is placed on Amazon, it is automatically routed to the ERP system, which can then initiate the fulfillment process. This can reduce the time and resources needed to process orders manually and can improve order accuracy.
- Comprehensive Sales Insights
In addition, integrating Amazon with an ERP system can provide valuable insights into sales and performance data. By aggregating data from multiple sales channels, an ERP system can provide a comprehensive view of sales trends and help sellers make data-driven decisions about their business.
- Increased Efficiency and Accuracy
ERP integration can also automate many back-office functions, such as accounting, invoicing, and payment processing. This can reduce the amount of time and resources needed to manage these tasks manually, allowing sellers to focus on other aspects of their business.
- Overall Cost Reduction and Business Growth
In totality, integrating Amazon with an ERP system can help Amazon sellers perform better by improving inventory management, streamlining order fulfillment, providing valuable sales insights, and automating back-office functions. By implementing ERP integration, Amazon sellers can increase their efficiency and accuracy, reduce costs, and ultimately grow their business.
You might still feel it’s too complex. So, let’s make it simpler by understanding the steps involved in integrating Amazon Seller and your ERP.
Step-by-step instructions on how to integrate Amazon seller with your Accounting or Operations ERP using iPaaS like Commercient SYNC:
Step 1: Choose an iPaaS Provider
The first step is to choose an iPaaS provider that can facilitate the integration between Amazon and your ERP system. Some popular iPaaS providers include Dell Boomi, MuleSoft, Commercient SYNC, Jitterbit, and Scribe.
Step 2: Connect Amazon and ERP System
Once you have selected an iPaaS provider, the next step is to connect your Amazon seller account with your ERP system. The iPaaS provider should provide you with a connector or pre-built integration app that you can use to connect the two systems.
Step 3: Map Data Fields
After connecting Amazon and your ERP system, you’ll need to map the data fields between the two systems. This includes mapping fields such as product information, orders, shipments, and inventory levels.
Step 4: Configure Workflows
Once the data fields are mapped, you’ll need to configure workflows to ensure that data is transferred between Amazon and your ERP system in the correct format and at the right time. For example, you may want to set up a workflow to automatically update inventory levels in your ERP system when an order is placed on Amazon.
Step 5: Test and Refine
After configuring the workflows, it’s important to test the integration and refine as needed. This can involve running test transactions to ensure that data is flowing correctly between the two systems, and making adjustments to the integration as needed.
Step 6: Monitor and Maintain
Once the integration is up and running, it’s important to monitor it regularly to ensure that it is working correctly and to make any necessary updates. This can include monitoring data flows, error logs, and system performance.
By following these steps and working with a reputable iPaaS provider like Commercient SYNC, you can unlock the full potential of Amazon and take your business to the next level. Reap the benefits of improved inventory management, streamlined order processing, and greater efficiency.
So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to integrate and start selling like a pro on Amazon! You can talk to one of our representatives and book a demo.
