Ecommerce integration options for businesses

Oct. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- When into ecommerce, a business is invariably up against a number of scenarios in relation to the integration strategies it has to adapt. Ecommerce is all about integration, and it is important for a business to decide on some points of this aspect. Contrary to some conceptions, an ecommerce business need not integrate all its functions (systems) fully with one another or with the backend. In fact, there are some ebusinesses that run without integration at all. This is dependent on the kind of business that is being done online. In considering integration, a business could think of these important factors: What to integrate? When to integrate? How much to integrate?With what to integrate?
What to integrate?
This is the fundamental question a business would ask itself. Which of its functions does it choose to integrate? The answer to this question lies in the importance these functions have for the business. What to integrate depends on the prospects the ecommerce business has. For instance, the business may not be sure about how it stands in relation to the industry. It may be uncertain about some elements of the business, like how much more time it is going to do business in this particular line. The business could take a decision on what to integrate based on this.
When to integrate?
The next important decision an ecommerce business would need to take after it has finalised on what to integrate, is when the integration has to be done. This again depends on the importance the functions that have to be integrated have for the business. Some functions have to be integrated at the start, while some others have to be integrated at a later time, either midway through the business or at a later stage.  It is always a sensible idea to look ahead and complete the task of integration at the beginning, because doing this later would usually be arduous and expensive. This requires some foresight on the part of the business.
How much to integrate?
Once the business has decided on the first of these two options, it needs to next think of how much, or what part of its systems its needs to integrate. Some businesses think it is a good idea to integrate only those systems that cannot run smoothly without integration, and others integrate even less important systems, in the assumption that these could become more important over time.
With what to integrate?
This is a rather simple, but important question for an ecommerce business. It needs to weigh the option of whether to integrate systems with one another or with the backend. This is a purely strategic decision, as it depends on the system or function that needs integration. Some functions need to be integrated with one another, like for instance in a standalone retail store, while typically, chain stores need integration with the backend.

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