All API! How JTL makes your eCommerce even more connected

Good sales strategies in eCommerce are breaking down boundaries. For example, pandemic-related store closures have given omnichannel concepts such as Click & Collect a boost in popularity in recent years. For retailers that are exclusively digital, it is becoming more important to promote marketplace sales alongside their own online store and to network multiple sales channels – a trend that presents both opportunities and challenges. In this article, we summarize the most important technical requirements for successful omnichannel strategies. We also reveal how we want to use programming interfaces, or APIs for short, to make your retail “borderless” in the future.

Extend JTL-Wawi without limits

APIs and REST APIs also play a major role at JTL. For example, JTL-POS ERPConnected or the JTL-Wawi app (beta version) use REST APIs. Another prime example of the use of programming interfaces at JTL is our marketplace interface JTL-eazyAuction. It is used to synchronize data between marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Kaufland.de (Open Beta) and our ERP system JTL-Wawi. In the long term, we plan to open up JTL-eazyAuction even more and make it more flexible so that you can connect your ERP system to any marketplace. Since you control all marketplace sales centrally in JTL-Wawi, you follow a uniform and therefore more efficient workflow. Further details can be found in our developer diary or in the roadmap.

But that’s not all. We also want to further open up our ERP system JTL-Wawi in the long term via a REST API. This will enable technology partners and customers with the appropriate know-how to integrate external tools. The first step will be to make item management functions available to external developers. As we are constantly updating and expanding these, users who use JTL-Wawi in combination with self-programmed solutions will be spared the regular effort of adapting updates. This makes it even easier to switch to the next higher JTL-Wawi version.

What makes good omnichannel software?

In addition to the use of programming interfaces, what other technical requirements must software systems fulfill for networked commerce to succeed? Through our regular exchanges with customers and the community, we have been able to identify three key requirements:

• Shared database: Omnichannel systems are only efficient if data relating to items, inventory, prices, etc. is stored in one place. That’s why we have designed our ERP system JTL-Wawi as a “control center” for your retail business. From there, you can centrally manage online stores, marketplace sales or stationary checkouts and always maintain an overview.
• Performance: Fast and flawless systems are a basic requirement for well-networked retail. Ideally, the data exchange of all processes – from purchasing, orders and invoicing to delivery – should be updated in almost real time. Since all JTL solutions come from a single source, they interlock seamlessly and enable optimal data exchange and performance.
• Automation: In complex omnichannel retail, it is impossible to keep an eye on all processes. Every process that runs automatically is an efficiency gain. With JTL-Workflows or JTL-DataTransfer, we offer you affordable and quickly deployable solutions.

Many companies rely on self-programmed solutions to meet the technical requirements of their omnichannel commerce. However, this not only entails high costs, but also often makes it difficult to change the systems as required. This is why we offer modular solutions with tariffs that can be flexibly adapted to the sales order volume and company size – a “construction kit” for your individual retail business.

Omnichannel makes retailers more flexible and independent

In addition to the many technical requirements of networked retail, the strategic considerations behind it are at least as important. The annual Google Omnichannel Excellence Study (GOES) not only ranks the best omnichannel concepts, but also identifies five success factors:

• A flexible purchasing process that adapts to changing customer requirements
• Consistent and cross-channel marketing with clear brand messages
• Informative touchpoints that provide customers with guidance for their purchase decision. To recognize these, retailers need to be familiar with the customer journey of their target group.
• A personalized shopping experience that incorporates customer needs and preferences
• Practical solutions for the challenges of every sales channel

Technology of openness brings more diversity to eCommerce

From numerous discussions with customers, we know that the larger companies in our customer base in particular have special requirements for their software due to the growing importance of omnichannel retail. Due to the constantly changing market, they need flexible solutions in order to remain competitive. We also want to do justice to the diversity of our customers in technical terms – by opening up our solutions even further to you and our more than 500 JTL partners. In this way, our technology is also optimized and further developed from the outside. With JTL-Wawi as the “control center” of your trade, there are no limits to your possibilities.