What Is Multi-Tenant ERP Integration?
The fundamental idea of multi-tenant integration is basically explained in the name of the term itself; many different users (tenants) operate on a single piece of software, owned and operated by a vendor (or ‘landlord’). For example, when working with an Epicor multi-tenant instance, a business will have their specific piece of software positioned on an Epicor cloud site. The server where the instance is located also hosts many other businesses and their information; but your specific data is completely private and well-secured, simply hosted in the same space. This cloud server provides the platform for the data sync between your ERP and CRM fields; quotes, orders, invoices, contacts etc. This single source of truth is a powerful tool for your company to leverage into cost reduction, business collaboration and growth.
If you’d like to learn more about the necessity of CRM and ERP integration, no matter where you’re hosting each piece of software, read our blog post on the topic here.
The Benefits of Multi-Tenant ERP Integration
Aside from the many benefits that come with connecting your enterprise software in the first place, multi-tenant ERP integration can provide additional savings in both time and money. Primarily, you won’t have to invest the often significant amount of money into the middleware and server space that comes with on-site hosting. Secondly, because multi-tenancy consists of that variety of ‘tenants’ sharing a single spot in the cloud, the vendor itself saves money, transferring those cost savings onto you. Instead of a large initial investment that your business might not be able to afford, you pay a per-seat subscription fee that will spread that financial hit out over time, and will be able to grow flexibly as your business does. Instead of having to go through the trouble of increasing server space when you take on more employees, you can just increase the number of seats on your cloud integration!
Moreover, because your integration platform is hosted in the cloud, there will be no additional work on your business’ end to store your data or ensure the avoidance of errors and corruption. Upgrades to multi-tenant integration platforms are immediately released and serviced by the vendor of the multi-tenant ERP integration. Your IT team will be free to focus on vital company projects, not endlessly fixing errors in a data sync or spending time upgrading your integration platform.
Is Multi-Tenant ERP Integration Possible for Your Business?
When it comes to multi-tenant ERP integration, the question of possibility will often come up even before questions of fit. Multi-tenant options for enterprise software haven’t been on the market for long, and have only recently become as visible as their much longer tenured on-site options, and as such it has previously been extremely difficult to integrate multi-tenant ERP, usually requiring a lot of customization, coding and headaches on the part of the integrator. Luckily, that’s not the case any longer.
As cloud hosting and multi-tenant choices have grown their presence on the enterprise application market, so too have the options for multi-tenant ERP integration. As we mentioned in this post on cloud enterprise technology, over 70% of businesses currently utilize a hybrid cloud ERP solution (i.e. some part of their enterprise software hosted in the cloud) and the trend towards an adoption of cloud hosting for some or all of their operational software continues upwards. Thus, the market for multi-tenant integration has trended upwards, and is completely possible with the help of IPaaS vendors like Scribe, the online platform on which we built our premium Epicor and CRM integration product, Unity.
If you’re already running multi-tenant enterprise software, then the decision to also integrate in the cloud should be pretty much a no brainer. However, if you’re still in the stages of considering an ERP vendor and know you’ll want to integrate your CRM with the ERP instance after go-live, consider cloud hosting for Epicor ERP. Multi-tenant ERP integration is becoming increasingly achievable for businesses even in the small to mid-market sector, and choosing to go this route could reap significant rewards for your business.
Wrap Up
Multi-tenant ERP integration can provide your business with unprecedented flexibility and control over your processes. The tools that multi-tenant ERP integration can provide are ideal for small to mid-market businesses, who may not necessarily have the resources available to store a whole host of data, platforms and software on-site. Whether you’re already running multi-tenant ERP software or still deciding on a hosting location for the software, know that integration with your CRM is possible—and highly advisable.
Here at Datix, we specialize in enterprise application integration—specifically when it comes to multi-tenant integration. Our product, Unity, is able to integrate Epicor (on-site or in the cloud) seamlessly with Salesforce, Dynamics or Sugar CRM; we are Epicor’s preferred partner for integrations of their multi-tenant product. Get in contact with one of our expert consultants now to schedule your own consultation!
