CRM and ERP aren't communicating? How to integrate them without changing software: solutions, costs, and examples

Introduction

When the same customer has two different records

A sales representative updates a customer's information in the CRM. When the order arrives, the administration department opens the ERP system and enters the company name, address, VAT number, and products all over again. A few weeks later, the customer moves to a new location, but the change is recorded in only one application. The result: two systems, two versions of the same information, and someone who has to figure out which one is correct.

This problem can arise even when both applications work perfectly well: the CRM and ERP system perform different tasks, but data does not flow between them when it is needed.

In many cases, it is possible to integrate CRM and ERP software without replacing either system. The first step is to determine which data needs to be shared, where it is updated, and which interfaces the two applications provide.

A useful starting point is to identify the manual operation that creates the most work. Often, focusing on that single activity is enough to define the initial project scope and request comparable quotations.

How to tell if your CRM and ERP are not communicating

Problems usually become apparent when information moves between sales, administration, and logistics departments. These are the areas where manual work tends to accumulate.

Customer records are entered twice

A contact is created in the CRM, but must be created again in the ERP system before becoming a customer. Changes to addresses, tax information, and contact details may remain inconsistent between the two systems.

Quotes and orders require manual operations

When a customer accepts a quotation, someone has to copy product codes, quantities, and commercial terms into another application.

Information arrives too late

Sales representatives cannot see the latest order status or updated product availability. To answer a customer's question, they have to ask colleagues to check the information.

Reporting depends on Excel

To understand how many quotations have turned into orders or how much a customer is worth, data must be exported and manually reconciled.

To identify which activities are worth improving, read our guide on where to start with business process automation.

Which data should be synchronized between CRM and ERP?

Before deciding how to connect the applications, you need to establish which information should be exchanged. There is no need to duplicate everything across both systems.

The CRM manages customers, sales opportunities, and commercial activities. Depending on the product, the ERP system may handle orders, inventory, accounting, or production.

Customer records

Integration example: a customer created or updated in one system becomes available in the other.

Watch out for: duplicate records, unique identifiers, and tax information.

Products and price lists

Integration example: the CRM accesses product catalogs or prices managed by the ERP system.

Watch out for: customer-specific price lists, currencies, and price validity periods.

Quotations and orders

Integration example: an approved quotation generates an order request in the ERP system.

Watch out for: statuses, approval workflows, and validation checks before confirmation.

Order status

Integration example: the ERP system sends order progress, fulfillment, or delivery information back to the CRM.

Watch out for: update frequency and error handling.

Administrative information

Integration example: the CRM displays selected administrative information when appropriate and authorized.

Watch out for: permissions, confidentiality, and whether the information is genuinely needed.

Not all information needs to be updated in real time. Sales representatives may need to see an order status almost immediately, while a daily synchronization may be sufficient for a product catalog. It depends on when the information is actually used.

How to integrate CRM and ERP without changing software

The integration method depends on the applications being used and the type of data that needs to be transferred. Before choosing an approach, you should examine the available interfaces and the rules governing the business process.

There are four common approaches.

1. Existing connectors

When to consider them: both software products support an integration provided or approved by their respective vendors.

Existing connectors often reduce the need for custom development. However, you still need to check licensing requirements, supported fields, limitations, and customization options.

2. API integration

When to consider it: the applications provide documented APIs that allow data to be read or updated.

API integrations can follow precise business rules, but authentication, errors, and potential duplicate records must be managed carefully.

3. Workflows and integration platforms

When to consider them: information needs to move between applications, or specific operations must be triggered when an event occurs.

Microsoft Power Automate is one option in compatible environments, provided that the available connectors and technical requirements have been verified.

4. Custom integration development

When to consider it: the applications use different data formats, the business process requires specific rules, or one of the systems is outdated.

A dedicated software component can manage data transfers while keeping the existing applications in place.

Some ERP systems only support file imports and exports. This approach may also be considered, provided that suitable checks are implemented to monitor errors and execution results.

If every transfer still needs to be checked manually, most of the work you wanted to eliminate will remain.

Practical example: what changes before and after integration

Consider an SME that uses a CRM to manage sales opportunities and an ERP system to handle orders and invoicing.

The following example is an illustrative scenario, not an actual Esobit customer project.

Before: disconnected operations

A sales representative closes an opportunity in the CRM, sends the quotation by email, and notifies the order management department.

A colleague manually enters the customer details and quotation lines into the ERP system. To find out whether the order has been fulfilled, the sales representative has to make a phone call or send another email.

After: a defined workflow

Once the quotation is approved, the CRM sends the required information to the ERP system.

The ERP system validates the data, creates the order, and sends the order number and status back to the CRM. Any exceptions are reported to a designated person rather than going unnoticed.

An Esobit project involving connected systems

For A.EG Riscossioni S.p.A., Esobit documented a project involving the integration of Dynamics 365 Sales, Power Apps, Microsoft 365, and a VoIP telephone system.

This case study focuses on connecting commercial and operational tools. It does not describe a specific CRM-to-ERP integration.

Read the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales project for A.EG Riscossioni.

How much does CRM and ERP integration cost?

The cost depends on what the two applications need to do. Activating an existing supported connector requires a different level of effort compared with developing a custom synchronization process, especially when duplicate customer records must be cleaned up or complex business rules need to be managed.

These are the main factors to clarify before evaluating a quotation:

• Software and versions. Which applications need to communicate? Are they cloud-based, installed on company premises, or deployed in a hybrid environment?
• Interface availability. Are there existing connectors or documented APIs? Are additional licenses or permissions required?
• Data volume and quality. How many customer records, order lines, and transformation rules need to be managed? Are there duplicate records?
• Direction and frequency. Does information flow in one direction or both? Do updates need to be immediate?
• Controls and continuity. How will errors, access permissions, notifications, testing, maintenance, and future changes be managed?
• Project scope. Will the project begin with a single high-value workflow, or will sales, inventory, and administration be integrated simultaneously?

A quotation should clearly distinguish between initial costs for analysis, configuration, potential development, and testing, and recurring costs for licenses, hosting, monitoring, or support.

This makes it possible to evaluate the overall investment, including expenses that continue after deployment.

How much does manually copying data between CRM and ERP cost?

To evaluate the potential investment, it is useful to measure the manual work currently being performed.

Identify how many people copy data between systems, how much time they spend doing so each day, and their approximate hourly employment cost.

This calculation only considers the time spent entering data.

It does not include the time required to correct duplicate customer records or investigate discrepancies between systems. These additional costs should also be assessed against actual business processes.

Once the time involved has been measured, it becomes easier to decide which workflow should be integrated first.

It usually makes sense to start with a frequent operation whose results can be measured.

Tell us which process you want to automate

Where to start: a five-step integration project

Once the first process to be connected has been selected, the integration project can be organized into five stages.

1. Map the current process. Who enters the data? In which application? What triggers the next step? Where do errors and delays occur?
2. Define data and responsibilities. Identify the fields to be transferred, the authoritative system, update rules, and how duplicate records should be handled.
3. Verify technical feasibility. Examine APIs, connectors, permissions, licensing, and vendor restrictions. Only then should the integration method be selected.
4. Develop and test an initial workflow. Start, for example, with customer records or order creation. Test incomplete data, updates, network errors, and repeated requests.
5. Monitor and improve. Track synchronizations, anomalies, and time saved. After deployment, extend the integration to other processes only when doing so delivers real value.

Checklist before integrating CRM and ERP

The following information can help you prepare for an initial discussion with an integration provider. Technical details can be explored further during the analysis phase.

If you do not know which APIs are available or how your ERP system can be accessed, simply identify this as something that needs to be checked.

The integration provider can explain which information is required to assess technical feasibility.

Common mistakes that can make an integration unreliable

An integration must also be designed to handle situations where data does not arrive, a request is repeated, or information differs between the two applications.

• Synchronizing everything without a clear need. This increases complexity, the potential attack surface, and maintenance requirements.
• Allowing bidirectional updates without defined rules. This can generate conflicts when the same information is modified at different times in both systems.
• Ignoring duplicates and identifiers. Relationships between customer records, products, and orders must be managed consistently.
• Overlooking errors and retries. If a request fails or is repeated, the integration should not lose information or create duplicate orders.
• Granting excessive permissions. Technical accounts, credentials, logs, and access controls should follow the principle of least privilege.
• Failing to plan ongoing maintenance. When an application is updated, someone must verify that the integration workflows continue to function correctly.

How Esobit can help you connect CRM and ERP

Before proposing an integration, Esobit examines the operations currently performed manually and determines which information needs to reach the other system.

Depending on the applications in use, we evaluate whether to configure an existing connector, implement an automated workflow, or develop a custom integration.

The project may include workflow analysis, verification of available interfaces, and definition of synchronization rules, followed by development, testing, and deployment.

Whenever technically feasible, your existing applications can remain in place.

Business software integration

Connect applications, data, and workflows to reduce manual operations. Discover Esobit's software integration services.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales

Organize customers, sales opportunities, and commercial activities while evaluating connections with existing business systems. Learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales.

Workflow automation

Manage operations and notifications between applications using tools suited to your business environment. Explore Microsoft Power Automate.

Custom software development

Design dedicated components and applications when standard features are not enough. Discover our custom software solutions.

Frequently asked questions

Useful resources for further reading

• Software Integration – Esobit's service for connecting business systems, data, and processes.
• Business Process Automation: Where to Start – how to identify and prioritize processes that can be improved.
• Custom Business Software: What It Is, What It Is For, and When It Makes Sense – when to integrate existing tools and when to develop new functionality.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales: The A.EG Riscossioni Project – a documented example of an ecosystem of integrated business tools.