It is the least glamorous integration method and often the most appropriate one for an independent distributor. There is no API licence, no certified connector, no vendor project, and the file itself can be opened and read by a person before it is loaded.
It also preserves the boundary that matters: the ERP is still the system that accepts or rejects the order, applies pricing, checks credit and commits inventory.
Related terms
- Order entry automationOrder entry automation is software that removes the manual keying step between a received customer order and the order record in an ERP, typically by extracting the document, matching its lines to catalog items, and producing a reviewed order.
- SISMSISM, the Scheduled Import Service Manager, is Epicor Prophet 21's native bulk order intake: it collects order files from an agreed location on a schedule, moves each from Submitted to Processing, and assigns a P21 order number.