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ERP API Integration Explained: REST, Webhooks, Auth and Idempotency
A plain-English explanation of ERP API integration: REST APIs, webhooks, authentication methods, idempotency, pagination, rate limits and error handling.
Industry · Distribution & Logistics
Logistics ERP that ties every shipment to its profit
Logistics companies sell services, not products. Each shipment or job has revenue from the customer and costs from carriers, agents, customs brokers and warehouses — often arriving weeks apart and in different currencies.
- M01Jobs / Projects
- M02Sales
- M03Purchasing
- M04Accounting
- M05Documents
- M06Customer Portal
Context
ERP in logistics
The ERP must capture all of it against the job so you know which customers, lanes and services make money.
01Operational challenges
What usually breaks before the ERP project starts
01
Costs arriving late
Carrier invoices arrive after the customer has been billed, eroding margin unnoticed.
02
Rating complexity
Customer rates by lane, weight, volume and surcharge maintained manually.
03
Multi-currency jobs
Revenue and costs in different currencies with exchange differences.
04
Customer visibility
Customers want tracking and documents without calling.
02Core flows
How the ERP should handle each part of the business
- Sales flow
- Quotes from rate cards; bookings create jobs; customer invoicing from job charges.
- Procurement
- Carrier and agent costs accrued against jobs; supplier invoices matched to accruals.
- Inventory
- Typically limited, unless warehousing is offered — see 3PL.
- Warehouse
- Where offered, storage and handling services billed by activity.
- Accounting
- Job profitability with accruals; multi-currency; revenue recognition on completion.
- CRM
- Customer accounts, tenders and rate negotiations tracked.
03Industry workflows
Workflows specific to logistics
01
Job lifecycle
Booking, pickup, transit, delivery and proof of delivery tracked per job.
02
Cost accruals
Expected costs accrued at booking and matched to invoices later.
03
Rate management
Rate cards with lanes, breaks and surcharges applied automatically.
04
Document management
Bills of lading, invoices and customs documents attached to jobs.
04 — Reporting
Reports that should come out of the system, not a spreadsheet
- Profit per job, customer and lane
- Unbilled jobs
- Unmatched carrier invoices
- On-time delivery
- Revenue by service type
- Accrual accuracy
05 — Compliance
Compliance considerations
Customs documentation, dangerous goods rules, and transport regulations. Documents linked to jobs simplify audits and claims.
Regulatory requirements vary by jurisdiction. We configure the system to support your obligations; confirm specific rules with your auditor or compliance advisor.
06 — Integrations
Systems the ERP needs to talk to
Transport management systems, carrier APIs, customs systems, GPS tracking and customer portals are typical.
07AI opportunities
Where AI is genuinely useful here
Practical uses that sit on top of clean ERP data. None of them replace getting the core transactions right first.
01
Carrier invoice matching
Read carrier invoices and match lines to job accruals.
02
Document extraction
Extract shipment details from bills of lading and booking emails.
03
Customer status updates
Draft proactive delay notifications from tracking events.
08ERP modules
Modules a typical deployment includes
- M01Jobs / Projects
- M02Sales
- M03Purchasing
- M04Accounting
- M05Documents
- M06Customer Portal
- M07CRM
- M08Reporting
09Roadmap
Implementation roadmap
- 01
Job model
Define job structure, charges and cost codes.
- 02
Billing and accruals
Customer invoicing and cost accruals.
- 03
Integration
TMS, carrier and tracking connections.
- 04
Portal
Customer tracking and documents online.
10Common mistakes
Mistakes we see repeatedly
01
No cost accruals
Billing before costs are known hides losses.
02
Rates in spreadsheets
Manual rating leads to under-billing.
03
Ignoring FX
Exchange differences must be captured per job.
04
Duplicating the TMS
Integrate with operational tools rather than rebuild them.
Explore further
Related services, solutions and platforms
Insights
Related reading
ERP Integrations2 min read
ERP Integration Guide: Patterns, Data Ownership and Reliability
How to integrate an ERP with eCommerce, CRM, payments and other systems: data ownership, integration patterns, middleware, error handling, monitoring and common failure modes.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can we see profit per shipment?
Yes, with revenue and cost lines captured against each job.
Do we need a TMS as well?
Often yes for operations; the ERP handles finance, billing and profitability, integrated with the TMS.
Can customers track shipments?
Through a portal or integration with tracking providers.
Similar industries
Industries with related workflows
WholesaleCustomer-specific pricing, high-volume order entry, credit control, rebates and fast fulfilment.DistributionMulti-warehouse distribution ERP: demand planning, replenishment, fulfilment and supplier management.TransportationFleet-based transport ERP: vehicles, drivers, trips, fuel, maintenance and freight billing.
Next step
Do you know your profit per shipment?
We will show how job costing works across your operations.