No ready-madeintegration? Then theproject starts withdata flows, not code

In short

In one inquiry, a store was to be connected to a fulfillment partner that had no ready-made Shopify integration. A tax tool and POS systems in several shops were on the list too. The quick route would have been to offer a custom build right away. Instead, we first clarified which data has to flow in which direction and what documentation the partner can provide. Only then can you say what needs building and what it costs.

The starting point

A missing ready-made app doesn’t automatically mean “we’ll code an integration”. Sometimes the partner has an interface they just don’t advertise. Sometimes a file-based data exchange is enough. And sometimes development really is needed. You only know which case it is once you ask.

What a fulfillment partner should provide

• A description of the interface: How are orders handed over, and in what format?
• Inventory: Can the partner report stock levels back, and how often?
• Shipment tracking: How does the tracking number get back into the store?
• Access and security: How does the store authenticate with the partner?
• A test environment, so you don’t have to experiment with real orders.

What really blocks the launch

Not everything has to be ready on day one. The tax tool and POS systems could be planned and connected independently. Shipping, on the other hand, is a hard requirement: without a working handover to the warehouse, the store can’t deliver a single order. That’s why we recorded exactly this dependency as a condition for launch.

Your takeaways

• No app doesn’t automatically mean a custom build. Ask your partner for their documentation first.
• Separate the building blocks. Tax, POS and fulfillment are different integrations with different timelines.
• Know your launch conditions. Whatever stops you from selling has to be in place before launch. The rest can follow.
• A short discovery phase is often cheaper than a quick fixed price. A fixed price on an unclear basis usually ends in change orders.

No ready-made integration for your provider? We clarify the data flows first and then tell you what really needs to be built.