Sage eCommerce Integration – Why and How?

Are you one of the 6 million Sage software users and thinking about Sage eCommerce integration? Or perhaps you have an eCommerce business that you want to connect with Sage software solution, but you’re not quite sure if it’s possible.

Do you plan to leverage your business this year?

Perhaps you are still unsure what software and tools, apps, platforms, marketplaces combination is the right choice for your business. Or do you want to find out what Sage eCommerce integration options you have and what’s the easiest way to implement them?

We’re here to help you!

In the 21st century, running a business without an online presence is almost unimaginable. But it’s not the only thing necessary. Suppose you want to run a successful business. In that case, you will need to use some of the available tools to improve your online visibility, increase the number of customers, and use multiple sales and marketing channels. And once you start using them, you will face another issue, which is the synchronization of your business activities.

On the other hand, you might have an eCommerce business that developed, and now you need accounting software to track your sales, stocks, orders and ease you with invoicing, but you don’t know how to connect it to your website or online shop, or you want to integrate it with Sage.

And that’s where SyncSpider integrations step in.

Sage enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a software solution for managing day-to-day business processes, from HR, inventory, accounting, and customer relationship management.

And this kind of software is something that all businesses need, whether you’re a brick-and-mortar or online store.

Before we move on, let’s see the difference between on-premises and cloud-based ERPs.

As you might already know, ERP is an enterprise resource planning software that companies use to manage daily tasks, such as accounting, supply-chain operations, project management, risk management, and other business segments.

In other words, it represents a system that connects all segments of one business, production, finance, distribution, and human resources. It enables synchronized actions of different departments toward the company’s goals.

Now, there are two main types of ERP systems. One is installed locally on your company’s hardware (on-premises), and the other uses hosting from a third party and which companies access through a web portal (Cloud-based).

So, if you started your business some 20 years ago, you probably have in-premises ERP. That means you need developers to maintain it in-house. Every change, check, or update needs to be done internally.

You have complete ownership over the software once you buy the license.

On the other hand, cloud-based ERP enables you to access the software online, and you don’t have anything to do with maintenance or updates. The cloud-hosting company does everything.

Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, but one thing is for sure, if you want to scale your business in the 21st century, you need to automate more and synchronize all marketing and sales channels you use with your ERP. That might be challenging if you are using on-premises ERP.

Undoubtedly, the business environment is changing fast; the Internet speeded it up, and eCommerce trends pushed businesses to re-think and re-organize their way of doing business.

Perhaps you started your business a long time ago, using some of the Sage on-premises software, but you want to level up your company and enter the eCommerce world. The transition can seem a bit harsh since there will be a lot of changes you’ll need to implement, and switching business from offline to online sometimes can be a nightmare.

But, hey, evolution is never pleasant. Your business needs to adapt to new circumstances before the competitors run over you.

SyncSpider can help you go through the automation process quickly and painlessly.

SyncSpider iPaas solution can help your integration process run smoothly, cost and time-efficient, whether your Sage ERP is an on-premises or cloud-based solution, or you run an eCommerce business that needs to connect with Sage Accountant, for example.

If your company uses on-premises Sage ERP, and you think the only solution for making progress is replacing your legacy system with a new one, you’re mistaken. It is still possible to connect it to any app, tool, marketplace, or platform you want. And not only that you improve your existing system, but you also automate your business.

SyncSpider Windows database connector enables you to:

• Connect your local Sage system with any other eCommerce or business toll you need with SyncSpider, synchronize data between them, and automate data flows and processes
• Connect new and legacy local/on-premise POS/ERP systems to the cloud
• Upgrade your legacy systems without migrating
• Save on plugin and API maintenance fees
• Control precisely how and what data move between platforms
• Sync legacy systems to your online store or CRM
• Match brick and mortar store sales to your online stock
• Collect data from various online sources and store it locally
• Create scheduled or event-based triggers to keep your data in sync.

If you need a unique solution or want to learn more about it, you can always reach our automation experts and book a free consultation session.

Use case:

If you are using an on-premises Sage ERP system, and you want to automate your ordering process by integrating it with your website shop, which uses the PrestaShop eCommerce platform, you need to:

1. Connect your local Sage with SyncSpider by using our unique local database connector
2. In a few clicks, connect your PrestaShop with SyncSpider
3. Create workflows and automated data sync to be carried out in SyncSpider to achieve order processing or any automation you need

If your company uses cloud-based Sage ERP, the process of connecting it to some other cloud-based software or any other tool, app, marketplace, or platform is even easier with the SyncSpider solution.

Use case:

Presuming you use cloud-based Sage Accounting software, and at the same time, you sell your products on eBay. You want to synchronize sales, order, shipping, billing, and invoicing under one roof. And if possible, you would probably want to automate the process so that every time a sales conduct through the eCommerce marketplace, the system automatically issues an invoice from your Sage Accounting system. It eases running your business and increases customer satisfaction.

The easiest way to check what’s necessary is to book a session with our team, and they will give you time and price estimation for that particular case.

Now, you might have developed your online shop on, let’s say, Amazon, and you want to use a cloud-based Sage accounting solution. All you have to do is request and up-vote new integration modules to be developed here.

And, of course, you can ask for a free session with our automation experts. Our team is at your disposal.

Sage, a British international company, was founded in 1981 by David Goldman in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the United Kingdom.

It started simple, maybe just you, and like millions of others nowadays, as a startup. David Goldman was trying to find a solution for basic accounting processes for his business.

And there you go! The idea was so good that the company became the world’s third-largest supplier of ERP software (2017), and if you haven’t heard of it, then you have probably come from the brick-and-mortar sector.

Today, Sage offers solutions for small and medium-sized businesses from various industries, including construction, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, chemicals, food and beverage, professional services, and nonprofits, with special solutions for eCommerce.

It covers the basic needs of every business, handling accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), human resource management, inventory management assets, and more.

As expected, Sage today has a variety of products suitable for almost all industries.
Sage Group offers software and services grouped into these segments:

• Accounting

1. Sage for Accountants
2. Sage 50cloud Accounts
3. People and Payroll

• Payroll

1. Sage HR
2. Sage 50cloud Payroll
3. Sage 50 P11D
4. Sage People
5. Sage HR Advice Director
6. Sage HR Advice Manager
7. Sage 50 HR
8. Sage Employee Benefits

• Business management

1. Sage X3
2. Sage 200
3. Sage CRM
4. Sage Intelligence

According to G2, Capterra, and Software Advice, the reviews vary depending on the used product, from 3.4 to 4.8 stars.

So, for example, on Capterra, the overall review of Sage 50cloud has 3.8 stars review, and users value the comprehensiveness of this program the most, given that it encompasses payroll, inventory tracking, invoicing, etc. and the thing that Sage can grow with your business and personalized to a certain point.
Now, the downside is its complexity and rigidness.

On the other hand, Sage HR has an overall 4.4 star review, while Sage Business Cloud Accounting has a 4.1 star review.

The reviews are similar on G2, where the overall rating for Sage Business Cloud Accounting is 4.2 stars, and Sage 50cloud Accounting has a 3.8 star review.

When it comes to Sage Business Cloud Accounting, users emphasize that it’s effortless to use. You can use it even if you are not an accountant and not familiar with accounting terms and characterize it as a user-friendly platform.

As some of the downsides, users cite that their API options are limited for individuals. It mainly accommodates 3rd party app developers and lacks warning information when duplicate bank transactions are captured.

The reviews and rates for Sage software are similar on the Software Advice website. There Sage 50cloud has an overall score of 3.76 stars. The users emphasize that it is packed with features to allow companies to manage their accounting needs, which is a plus, of course, and that it’s very difficult to mess up things due to tight control over the system.

On the other hand, users don’t appreciate that it’s not the best user-friendly solution and is difficult to use.

If you still haven’t decided what software solution to use or are planning to change the existing Sage software, let’s see what options you have and their advantages and disadvantages compared to Sage solutions.

The most similar Sage product with QuickBooks is Sage 50cloud.

If you compare these two, the first thing you will notice is the difference in the UI, where QuickBooks wins, as more user-friendly.

On the other hand, Sage offers more customized solutions for various industries, such as manufacturing, wholesale distribution, construction, real estate, etc.

If we compare Sage to the Xero solution, we need to mention that if you use on-premises Sage 50 Accounting software, it will not be compatible with MacBook or Ipad, whereas Xero is. But of course, today, you have cloud-based Sage solutions, which are compatible with all devices.

You can spot a similar Saga disadvantage in UI when compared, just like with QuickBooks. Still, besides that, both solutions offer good basic core accounting features and are reasonably priced, and offer great value.

Despite that, the Sage Intacct Cloud solution is one of the most versatile and feature-rich Cloud finance management solutions available, primarily targeted towards medium-sized businesses, whereas Xero is targeted to smaller companies.

Yes, Sage was a great and safe solution for all those starting a business some 20 years ago. But since then, everything has changed. The business changed, the marketing and sales channels changed, and technology speeded up the customer journey.

That’s why even the most essential segments in one company had to transform and stay up to date, and that includes accounting software.

Automation and integration became necessary for those who want to scale their businesses; eCommerce slowly (or not so slowly) takes over the traditional way of trading. It all influenced the necessity for even rigid software like Sage to adapt and their users to find the most acceptable Sage eCommerce integrations solution.

Norbert Strappler

The founder and CEO of MONOBUNT Digitalagentur, SyncSpider, and DragDropr