ERP Integrations

Yes. ERP integration is the foundation of how Ordana works. Without a direct connection to the ERP, an AI ordering system can process a customer’s order but cannot enter it into the system where it needs to land — which simply creates a different manual step rather than eliminating the process entirely.

Ordana integrates with the distributor’s ERP to do two things: read the data needed to process orders accurately — product catalog, customer accounts, pricing, inventory availability — and write completed orders back into the ERP exactly as a human order desk team member would. The order in the ERP is indistinguishable from one entered manually.

Integration is configured during implementation and typically connects through the ERP’s API layer. For distributors with heavily customized ERP environments or legacy systems, integration may require additional configuration, but the goal in every case is a live, bidirectional connection that keeps Ordana and the ERP in sync.

Ordana integrates with the ERP systems most commonly used by wholesale distributors. Current integrations include NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics NAV (also known as Business Central), SAP, Infor, and Epicor. These cover the majority of mid-market and enterprise distributors in beverage, food service, and specialty distribution.

For distributors running other ERP systems or custom-built platforms, integration is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The key requirement is that the ERP can expose product, customer, pricing, and order data through an API or similar integration layer. Most modern ERP systems can meet this requirement, even when they are not on the standard integration list.

If you are evaluating Ordana and your ERP is not on the standard list, the most useful next step is a technical conversation about your ERP’s API capabilities. In most cases, integration is achievable within the normal implementation timeline.

Yes. NetSuite is one of the ERP systems Ordana integrates with directly. NetSuite is widely used by mid-market wholesale distributors, particularly those who have grown beyond entry-level accounting software and need an integrated platform for financials, inventory, and order management.

The Ordana-NetSuite integration works through NetSuite’s SuiteAPI layer, which allows Ordana to read customer account data, product catalog information, pricing levels, and inventory availability in real time, and to write completed orders into NetSuite as sales orders. The order appears in NetSuite exactly as it would if entered manually through the order entry interface.

For distributors running NetSuite with significant customization — custom fields, workflows, or third-party modules — the integration is configured to accommodate those customizations rather than bypassing them. The goal is that Ordana works within your existing NetSuite setup, not around it.

Yes. Microsoft Dynamics NAV, now also referred to as Business Central in its cloud version, is one of the primary ERP integrations Ordana supports for wholesale distributors. Dynamics NAV is widely used in distribution businesses that grew into Microsoft’s ecosystem through earlier versions of the platform.

Integration with Dynamics NAV connects through the platform’s web services or OData API layer, depending on the version and configuration of the specific deployment. Ordana reads item master data, customer records, pricing agreements, and available inventory, and writes sales orders back into Dynamics NAV in a format consistent with the distributor’s existing order entry workflow.

For distributors running both on-premise and cloud (Business Central) versions, integration configuration differs slightly between the two, but both are supported. Implementation teams work through the version-specific API requirements during the technical onboarding phase.

Yes. SAP is supported as an integration target for distributors running SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA. SAP is more common among larger distributors and those within enterprise parent organizations where SAP was standardized across business units.

SAP integration connects through SAP’s standard API frameworks — BAPI, RFC, or the REST APIs available in S/4HANA — depending on which version and modules the distributor is running. Ordana reads materials master data, customer master records, pricing conditions, and plant/warehouse availability, and creates sales orders in SAP that follow the distributor’s standard order-to-cash workflow.

SAP implementations tend to be highly customized, so the integration phase for SAP typically involves more configuration work than lighter ERP systems. This is accounted for in the implementation timeline and does not represent a blocker — it is simply a function of how complex the SAP environment is.

Yes. Epicor is a common ERP platform for distributors in manufacturing, specialty distribution, and food service, and is one of Ordana’s supported integration targets. Epicor’s integration layer — available through REST APIs in Epicor ERP and Kinetic — provides the access needed for Ordana to read and write order data.

The integration reads item and customer data from Epicor, applies the correct pricing and account rules, and writes completed orders as sales orders within Epicor’s order management workflow. As with other ERP integrations, the goal is that orders processed by Ordana are identical in Epicor to orders entered manually.

ERP integration timelines vary based on the ERP system, the complexity of the distributor’s configuration, and the number of data elements that need to be mapped. For well-supported ERP systems with standard API access, integration can be completed in one to three weeks as part of a broader implementation process.

More complex scenarios — highly customized ERPs, legacy systems without standard API access, multi-company or multi-warehouse configurations — may take longer, but are typically still measured in weeks rather than months. The integration phase runs in parallel with other implementation work like product catalog training and channel configuration, so it rarely sits on the critical path by itself.

The most common factor that extends integration timelines is access: getting the right technical resources from the ERP side, obtaining API credentials, and working through any security or network configuration requirements. Planning for this early in the implementation process avoids the most common delays.

Yes, and this is one of the most important requirements for wholesale order automation to work correctly. Wholesale distributors typically have complex, customer-specific pricing structures — different price levels for different account tiers, promotional pricing for specific products or time periods, contracted rates for key accounts, and minimum order requirements that vary by customer.

Ordana reads pricing data directly from the ERP during order processing. When a customer places an order, the prices applied to each line item are the same prices that would be applied if the order were entered manually — pulled from the same pricing tables, with the same account-level rules, applying the same promotional conditions.

This means there is no separate pricing layer to maintain and no risk of a customer being quoted or charged the wrong price because Ordana is using a different source than the ERP. Pricing consistency is enforced by using the ERP as the single source of truth for all pricing decisions.