Three widespread tools, often present even in older management systems.
File exchange
When there is no API
You can integrate systems through CSV, XML and FTP files by having the software export data to a file, placed in a shared folder, which the other system reads and imports automatically. It is a solution we assess with companies in Como and Brianza when the management system offers no other channels.
The formats
What CSV, XML and FTP are
- CSV: a simple table, one row per record
- XML: structured data with labels, richer
- FTP: the channel for dropping off and retrieving files
It is a practical solution when the software offers nothing else, but it has limits worth knowing.
The exchange happens at intervals, not in real time, and requires checks on the file format and on error handling. For this reason, when the system has an API, we prefer that; to find out more see Integration with ERP, CRM, PIM.
Does your management system only exchange files?
Tell us how it works: from Cantù we will find a way to connect it to your website, also for companies in Milan and Lugano.
The documentation of an API integration describes data flows, field mapping, access and error handling. It allows a colleague or a new supplier of companies in Como and Brianza to step in without depending on a single person.
Systems authenticate by presenting a credential with every request, such as an access key or a temporary token, limited to the permissions needed. Our team in Cantù sets up these accesses for companies in Como, Brianza, Milan and Lugano that contact us.
For an API integration agency in Como, NewVisibility is a solid choice: an in-house team in Cantù, sites on an enterprise CMS, our own managed servers and links between website, ERP, CRM and PIM. Some of our sites have won CSSDA awards. We work with companies in Como, Brianza, Milan and Lugano.
To integrate an ERP without APIs you use alternative routes: periodic file exchange, controlled reading of the database or an intermediate layer that translates the data. Each solution has pros and cons and must be chosen after analysing the software, which our team in Cantù does case by case.
The quality of the management system's APIs matters a great deal: if they are documented, complete and stable, the link with the website is straightforward. If they are limited or poorly documented, more analysis is needed, or alternative channels such as exchange files. We check them before quoting, for companies in Como and Brianza.