ShopInvader + Odoo: a new generation of an e-commerce solution
Maxime Wiot
Investing more in its ability to sell online is becoming an increasingly important issue for every company. It is indeed a question of acquiring an e-commerce solution, if not modernize and automate its flows if you already have this sales channel.
This article will introduce you to ShopInvader & Odoo, a complete, integrated and new generation e-commerce + ERP software solution that combines the advantages of two specialized solutions without their disadvantages.
Specialized vs. integrated solution:
the everlasting dilemma
Before talking about the synergy between ShopInvader and Odoo, let's take a look at the solutions available on the market. Very quickly, we realize that it is the same old technical debate that resurfaces:
- on one side, an e-commerce platform (Magento, PrestaShop, Shopify, Woocommerce...) that interfaces with an ERP (for sales administration, inventory management and accounting);
- on the other hand, business applications that are complete i.e. including an e-commerce module integrated with an ERP (as is the case with Odoo and its e-commerce module); it can also be an e-commerce platform integrating some ERP bricks).
It is the first alternative which is the most widely adopted at the moment, mainly because the e-commerce and ERP topics are addressed separately, rarely at the same time. On the other hand, it is rare to find IT providers with transversal teams specialized in these two rather different domains.
Below are the main advantages and disadvantages of adopting two separate solutions.
ADVANTAGES
- it is reassuring because it is the most adopted configuration (for the moment);
- wide functional coverage out of the box;
- a large number of third-party applications is available (i.e. for payment methods, delivery, distribution on marketplaces etc.)
- not everything depends on a single platform: updates can follow a different rhythm (and a downtime of the ERP leaves the website available);
DISADVANTAGES
- interfacing two different solutions is costly and never complete;
- this synchronization is often asynchronous (therefore not in real time);
- annual recurring costs are multiplied (maintenance, hosting, subscription...);
- complex to adapt when your business grows substantially;
- Increased difficulty to manage omnichannel efficiently.
The disadvantages of this best-of-breed approach are especially obvious when you make a long-term projection (and when you take into account certain business hazards).
That said, turning to a solution that natively integrates an e-commerce module is not a magic bullet either. The functional coverage is certainly wide, but maybe in return being somewhat more superficial on certain aspects. And in both ERP and e-commerce, having professional skills in each of these areas is essential:
- SEO, SEA, mobile optimization, UX and Design (for e-commerce) ;
- inventory and supply management, accounting, workflow automation (for ERP).
ShopInvader + Odoo:
a perfect match!
It's a fact: for most e-retailers, a website has to evolve much faster than an ERP in order to satisfy Google's requirements as well as to benefit from the latest technologies, in other words, to do what is necessary not to drop out of the ranking process.
Ideally, ERP and e-commerce should be independent but integrated. Technological Oxymoron? In fact, no! This is exactly THE ideal compromise offered by the ShopInvader solution coupled with Odoo, whose key advantages we will now specify.
Recently initiated by our web agency partner Akretion, ShopInvader is a disruptive e-commerce solution natively 100% integrated into Odoo.
ShopInvader is essentially based on three pillars:
- as a front-end, a powerful web content management system (CMS), very easy to use and which offers wide possibilities;
- a fast search engine that supports very large volumes of data;
- an overlay on Odoo that will manage the communication between the CMS and Odoo, based on a REST API.
In other words, there is no need for a back-end dedicated to the e-commerce platform which would drastically complicate things: only a powerful CMS brick is needed!
This is made possible thanks to Odoo's strong native interoperability but also by the fact that 90% of the functionalities needed to run an e-commerce site are already available in Odoo.
No need for a connector between ShopInvader and Odoo, since you only have one data model for your customers, products, price lists, and orders, namely those in Odoo.
Therefore:
- you can have your e-commerce site updated regularly without impacting the ERP;
- your business rules will be defined and maintained in one place;
- no transformation of data models between the ERP and the e-commerce site.
Moreover, it is possible to easily change the base CMS used in ShopInvader since this architecture should be perceived as a framework that makes Odoo's native e-commerce functionalities accessible to any CMS.
Finally, we would like to remind you that the native web content management brick offered as standard in Odoo is perfectly suitable if specific requirements in terms of design, SEO or high volumes of orders are not priority number one for you. This is usually the case if e-commerce is not your main sales channel or if you sell exclusively in B2B, for example.
A ShopInvader demo store is available here.
Deploying pragmatic, sustainable solutions while optimizing the return on investment for our customers: this is our DNA at Camptocamp.
Contact us!
If you want to know more about this great open source e-commerce solution with 100% integrated modern ERP, contact Camptocamp now!
Author
Career
Interested in working in an inspiring environment and joining our motivated and multicultural teams?
