API-optimization
Every wholesaler knows the frustration: you have a fantastic assortment, but users drop off on your webshop or customer portal. They can't find what they're looking for, the filters work slowly, or the search results simply aren't relevant. Often the blame then points to the webshop developer, while the real bottleneck runs deeper: your ERP API.
The ERP API: Built for transactions, not for experience
Your ERP system is the operational core of your organization. It's perfect for inventory management, order processing, and billing. The API of an ERP is therefore also designed for those specific tasks: writing an order, retrieving an invoice, or verifying a customer number.
But as soon as you use that same API to make tens of thousands of products searchable for a customer, you hit a wall. ERP search functions often only work on exact match: if you type a misspelling, you get zero results. Paginating through large catalogs is slow and burdens the system, which directly worsens your webshop's performance.
The ERP API: Built for transactions, not for experience
Your ERP system is the operational core of your organization. It's perfect for inventory management, order processing, and billing. The API of an ERP is therefore also designed for those specific tasks: writing an order, retrieving an invoice, or verifying a customer number.
But as soon as you use that same API to make tens of thousands of products searchable for a customer, you hit a wall. ERP search functions often only work on exact match: if you type a misspelling, you get zero results. Paginating through large catalogs is slow and burdens the system, which directly worsens your webshop's performance.
The solution: An API layer for external consumption
PLGGR | HUB breaks through this limitation by offering its own API layer that is specifically built for external consumption, without the compromises of an ERP backend. What does this mean in practice for your customers?
- Search like Google: The HUB contains a search engine that supports 'typo tolerance' and full-text search. A customer searching for 'screw M6 stainless' gets relevant results, even if the description in the ERP is slightly different.
- Speed with large catalogs: By using cursor-based pagination and an optimized index, webshops remain lightning fast, even with hundreds of thousands of items.
- Faceted filtering: Customers can use filters based on actual product attributes (brand, specification, availability), dynamically and in real-time.
- Insight into your ecosystem: You see exactly which connections are active and where any delays occur, allowing you to proactively steer your digital customer experience.
Want to discover how the PLGGR | HUB can transform your API architecture? Get in touch via our contact form and we will gladly show you what is possible.
