Deacom ERP – API Integrations
Helping customers fulfill their business needs with automated connections between Deacom ERP and other services
Deacom API philosophy
The Deacom approach to APIs will vary greatly from that of traditional ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and other enterprise systems. While other ERP vendors require bolt-on integrations with third party systems, Deacom ERP includes these capabilities out of the box in one system, using a single database. As a result of this design, our integration scope is much smaller than other vendors, and limited to communicating with systems that are firmly outside of our ‘ERP Fence’ (such as credit card authorizations, tax calculation, production automation, etc.) or very specific to your special needs.
Customers may have integrations with third party systems that fall outside of the ERP Fence. Our definition of this fence is quite large, as we offer features such as E-Commerce, Customer Relationship Management, Point of Sale, Direct Store Delivery, Material Requirements Planning, Warehouse Management Systems, and other capabilities that are not offered by most traditional ERP vendors. When asked to integrate with a specific system, our first question that we ask ourselves is whether or not we should consider building an offering in this area that works natively with the rest of the ERP. In cases where we decide that it does not make sense to build a particular functionality, we perform an integration for a fixed cost fee.
Deacom API integrations – complexity made simpler
Complexity Made Simpler. It sounds like a contradiction, but the development of Deacom follows this philosophy with a 26+ year proven track record of 200+ successful customers running their business with Deacom ERP.
The transformation of your complex and industry-specific business processes into a simpler solution combined with the sustainability of the platform, predictability of implementation results, efforts and investments, builds the foundation of our customers and company’s success.
With Deacom’s API capabilities, the complexity of integration is reduced and delivers the following benefits:
- Take instant advantage of many pre-built integrations (Logistics, Tax, Payments, Currencies, Scales, etc.)
- Have one centralized set of business logic available for business transactions and API-integration
- Connect services
- Save time through automation of data import/export
- Have one partner – our API Integrations team - for all integrations
APIs – What are they and how do we work with them?
API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface, which is a software intermediary / technology that allows two applications to talk to each other.
Using our Avalara integration as an example: Each time Deacom ERP needs to calculate state tax, the two systems use an API that sends locale, product category, and amount information via the internet to the Avalara server. The Avalara server uses the given data and calculates the Tax Rate, Tax, and Total. The Avalara server again uses that API connection to send the calculated values back to the Deacom server, which completes the transaction and saves it to the Deacom database.
APIs can be based on various technologies, system architectures, and communication protocols. Deacom uses the industry’s best practices and API methodologies to integrate Deacom ERP with systems outside what we refer to as our ‘ERP Fence’.
Supported API types
Deacom supports three types of API integrations:
Built-in API integrations
These integrations with third party systems are built into the Deacom software itself and enabled by configuring system options. Deacom currently has the following Built-In Integrations:
| Integration | Product or System |
|---|---|
| Shipping Rates / Labels - Used to generate shipping rates, book shipments for pick-up, and print labels and shipping forms such as hazardous goods (OP900). | FedEx, UPS, EasyPost |
| Sales Tax - Used to calculate taxes based on locale and categories of goods. | Avatax, TaxJar |
| Foreign Currency Rates - Pulls foreign exchange rates nightly for use on sales orders, purchase orders, and account numbers set to represent value in a foreign currency. | European Central Bank, Bank of Canada |
| Scale Integrations - Used to weigh out material when allocating to production or shipping, or to weigh material that has been produced as part of inputting production. This can use any scale that can connect to a PC and communicate a consistent format over a COM port. | Windows Compatible Scales with COM port connection |
Customer-specific API integrations
Integrations with third party systems that fall outside of the Deacom ERP Fence and where we have decided not to build it into the system, we can perform an integration for a fee and can assist maintaining the integration long term. Examples of these types of integrations include, but are not limited to: 3PLs, Production Automation Systems, and QC Testing Equipment.
User-configurable API integrations
Deacom contains many tools out of the box that can be used to set up a variety of integrations via a knowledgeable user or with the help of the ECI team.
Data Import Tool
This handles the importing of data from a file or another database. The tool is used during the initial implementation to bring in master and historical data but can also be used for live customers to bring in data from other systems on a continual basis. Data Import Profiles can be built to run once or to run on an interval. Common use cases include bringing prospect lists into the CRM or bringing regulated pricing lists in from a governing body (such as the USDA).
Scripting
Deacom’s scripting language ties into events that happen on a user defined form layout. Scripting has the ability to use available internet based Webservices like Google Maps or Current Weather Data from OpenWeather to integrate this information with Deacom ERP. The system makes POST (send data to a server to create/update a resource) and GET (request data from a specified resource) calls for RESTful (REpresentational State Transfer – an architectural style for providing standards between computer systems on the web) web service endpoints. Deacom’s scripting language can also be used to generate files in a variety of formats.
Triggers
Deacom’s database trigger system is built to fire events when an insert or update happens at the database level. This system can generate files and send them via FTP, SFTP, or FTPS. This system can also make POSTs to RESTful web service endpoints.
EDI Imports / Exports
Deacom’s EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) can import and export data to exchange sales/purchase orders, order changes, warehouse transfers, invoices, inventory status, etc.
Automatic Exports
Any management report in the system can be set up as an automatic export in a consistent format. An example of this we often see is when financial information must be sent off to a parent entity.
ECI’s Deacom API integration team
The Deacom API Integration Team is your single point of contact for all integrations. It is uniquely qualified to connect your third-party software or other solution to Deacom ERP, simply because we understand how the platform already works for our customers. We also have deep experience in different process integrations, resulting in the most streamlined outcome.
The API-integration team will:
Explore the Needs
The Team will talk with you to discuss your needs and goals with the integration and how they will be completed.
Define the Solution
They will work together with your third-party or existing integration to define how to connect them to Deacom.
Build and Serve
The API Integration Team will build the integration or work within existing Deacom functionality to fulfill those needs and make sure it works in day-to-day situations.
Built-In API architecture
The Deacom Built-In APIs take full advantage of all functions of the Deacom ERP system. All business rules are defined in the Central Business Rules layer. The API is part of that layer and utilizes all functionality provided for a given transaction.
Let’s assume a credit card transaction needs to be performed when checking out of E-Commerce. As an example, the API managing a credit card charge is taking all checks into consideration a standard payment transaction would use. This way there is one payment process regardless of how payment has been made or recognized. Adding new or changing existing functionalities will be done on the Central Business Rules Level and will be immediately available to the built-in APIs.