Get in touch with your Bechtle account manager, send an e-mail to bechtle.direct-it@bechtle.com or call us on: +39 0471 548-548. We’re happy to help.
ERP integration of bechtle.com with customer systems.
Bechtle maintains long-standing partnerships with leading market places and business networks. Standardised APIs allow us to integrate our e-procurement system into your ERP system for a lightning fast exchange of quotes, orders, or invoices to further expedite your in-house processes. You can depend on our experience to professionalise and simplify IT procurement in your business. We are your reliable supplier, experienced IT partner and provider of solutions and services.
What are the benefits of integrating the ERP system for your business?
Faster access to up-to-date product information.
Automatic handover of product data to the customer’s ERP system via the PunchOut interface.
No manual data input.
The connected catalogues contain all required information.
Leverage existing workflows.
Orders can be authorised and completed as before.
Granular procurement control.
Manage who can buy what with user-level permissions.
Minimal risk of human error.
Fully automated data exchange cuts down on mistakes.
Integrating your ERP system or marketplace takes place in three stages:
The way the customer accesses Bechtle product data is determined.
2.
The XML format and interfaces for the orders is defined.
3.
The parameters for digital follow documents and, if required, electronic invoices are defined.
Bechtle first launched its e-commerce and e-procurement business in 1995, and in 1999 was among the first companies in Germany to be SAP-certified for integrating procurement applications using SAP’s new PunchOut interface, OCI (Open Catalog Interface). Since then, the majority of our customers use our e-procurement solutions in numerous standardised forms, many of which are integrated in one of the following ways:
Integration with ERP systems via the OCI interface (PunchOut).
The Open Catalog Interface (OCI) is a standard access point to transfer current catalogue data between ERP systems such as SAP EBP/SRM and supplier systems using common internet protocols. This OCI Standard was originally developed by SAP to facilitate procurement from third-party web catalogues directly within its ERP environment. An OCI solution allows users to browse rich online catalogues such as Bechtle’s B2B platform to research products and eventually place an order within the customer’s SAP or other ERP or market place system in compliance with the customer’s procurement policies. The process of a customer system accessing an online catalogue is often referred to as “PunchOut”.
Integration with marketplaces via PunchOut Level 1.
Users can “punch out” of their own procurement system and connect to their exclusive bechtle.com account via OCI or SAP Ariba’s proprietary cXML format. Communication between bechtle.com and the customer system is bidirectional, enabling granular control of customer-specific portfolios and purchasing conditions. Users can browse the connected catalogue within the Bechtle environment and add items to their shopping basket, which is then synced back to the customer’s procurement system where they place the order subject to their own procurement protocol. This may include accounting, approval or any other customer-specific steps.
Integration with marketplaces via PunchOut Level 2.
The second level of PunchOut integration allows users to browse items directly within their own environment without the need to switch to PunchOut Level 1 catalogues. This enables unified access to both static (i.e. downloaded) and external catalogues through a single procurement solution. However, users still have to punch out in order to add external catalogue items to the shopping basket.
Integration with marketplaces using static catalogues.
Hosted catalogues are regularly synced as structured files to the customer system, giving purchasers a static snapshot of the Bechtle catalogue at the time of synchronisation. Catalogue data includes product information such as names, descriptions and prices, which are accessible to purchasers and other customer stakeholders within their own procurement solution. Catalogue data can be transferred using one of several common formats such as BMEcat, JSON or SAP Ariba’s CIF.
Senior Digital Transformation Manager at Bechtle
No matter which solution or type of integration best meets your requirements, Bechtle’s e-procurement services facilitate the purchase of IT products, take a load off your employees’ shoulders, simplify planning and control, and save your business time and crucial resources that can be better used for other business processes. Data is transmitted securely via a connection to your ERP or marketplace.
Download.
For technical details regarding the integration of bechtle.com with your procurement system, please download our process roundup below.
* mandatory fields
Please read our Privacy Policy for information on how we process your data and protect your rights as da data subject.