Should ERP and eCommerce be managed by the same partner?

For wholesalers and distributors, it is often better when one partner understands both the ERP and the eCommerce platform. This improves accountability, simplifies support and reduces the risk of disconnected systems.

Can I use one partner for Business Central and another for eCommerce?

Yes, but responsibilities must be clearly defined. Without clear ownership, integration issues can become difficult to resolve because each supplier may only understand part of the process.

Why is wholesale eCommerce different from normal retail eCommerce?

Wholesale eCommerce often needs customer-specific pricing, stock visibility, trade accounts, order history, invoices, delivery rules and ERP integration. These requirements make it more operationally complex than a standard retail website.

What happens if my eCommerce platform is not connected to my ERP?

Your team may need to maintain products, prices, stock and orders in multiple systems. This increases manual work and raises the risk of errors.

/Should Your ERP and eCommerce Be Managed by the Same Partner?

Wholesale eCommerce Guide

Should Your ERP and eCommerce Be Managed by the Same Partner?

For wholesalers and distributors, online ordering is not just a website project. It connects stock, pricing, customers, invoices, delivery rules and sales orders. That makes partner ownership more important than many businesses realise.

AccountabilityOne team owns the full journey

Less duplicationFewer disconnected systems and support tickets

ERP-firstBuilt around Business Central and NAV

For wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers•8 minute read

What this guide covers

check_circleWhen separate partners can become difficult
check_circleWhy integration ownership matters
check_circleWhat wholesalers should ask before choosing a partner
check_circleHow a single ERP and eCommerce partner simplifies support
check_circleWhen two partners might still make sense

When eCommerce stops being just a website

Many eCommerce projects begin with a simple goal: let customers place orders online and reduce calls to the sales office.

At first, it can seem natural to separate the work. One company supports Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or Dynamics NAV. Another company builds the website.

That can work when the website is mainly for marketing. But wholesale eCommerce usually needs much more. The site must understand customer pricing, live stock, credit accounts, delivery rules, VAT, invoices and order processing.

The moment your website depends on ERP data, it becomes a business systems project.

Where ownership breaks down

The problem is rarely the website alone

When something goes wrong in wholesale eCommerce, the issue often sits between the website, the integration and the ERP. That is where two-partner projects can become slow, because nobody is looking at the full journey from customer login to sales order creation.

Customer

Cannot see the agreed price

The customer expects their trade price, but the website shows a standard price.

Website partner

Checks the storefront

They can see the price displayed online, but need to know what Business Central is sending.

ERP partner

Checks the ERP data

The price may exist in the ERP, but the question becomes whether it is mapped and synchronised correctly.

Business impact

The sales team steps in

Staff manually check the account, confirm the price and process the order while suppliers investigate.

Why wholesale is different

Wholesale eCommerce needs ERP thinking

A retail website can often run with a simple product catalogue and checkout. A wholesale website usually needs to follow the rules that already exist inside the ERP.

Pricing

Customer-specific pricing, contract prices, trade discounts and price groups.

Stock

Live availability, multiple warehouses and units such as each, box, case or pallet.

Orders

Sales orders, order history, invoices and customer account records.

Delivery

Minimum order values, delivery days, postcode rules and collection options.

The hidden cost

Your team becomes the bridge between suppliers

Two suppliers may not look more expensive at the beginning. The real cost often appears later through internal coordination, repeated explanations and manual checking.

What your team ends up doing

check Explaining the same issue to two support teams
check Checking whether data has synchronised
check Joining calls between technical suppliers
check Manually correcting failed or delayed orders
check Testing the same change across two systems

What one connected partner should reduce

check Supplier handovers
check Unclear accountability
check Duplicate support tickets
check Integration blame between systems
check Pressure on internal users after go-live

Separate partners vs one connected partner

The difference is not only who builds the website. It is who owns the operational outcome.

Area	Separate Partners	One Connected Partner
Support	Issues may move between suppliers.	One team can review the full process.
Pricing	ERP pricing and website display may need separate investigation.	Pricing logic is considered from ERP to checkout.
Orders	Failed orders can require multiple support routes.	Order flow is owned from website to Business Central.
Changes	Small changes may need coordination between companies.	ERP, website and integration changes can be planned together.

How Orca approaches it

One partner for the journey, not just the software

Orca Commerce is designed for wholesalers and distributors that do not want online selling to sit separately from their ERP. It works with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics NAV, allowing products, customers, prices, orders and web-related information to stay connected to the ERP environment.

For the business

Less duplication and fewer conversations between disconnected suppliers.

For the customer

A more reliable buying experience with accurate pricing, stock and order information.

For the internal team

Clearer ownership when changes, issues or improvements are needed after go-live.

Decision guide

When should you use one partner?

The more operational your eCommerce platform becomes, the more important partner ownership becomes.

Two partners may be fine when...

check The website is mainly for marketing content.
check Customers do not need account-specific pricing.
check Orders do not need to flow into the ERP automatically.
check The site is not central to daily operations.

One partner is stronger when...

check The website handles trade ordering.
check Pricing, stock and customers come from Business Central or NAV.
check Delivery rules and order processing matter.
check You need one team to support the full journey.

Questions to ask before choosing an eCommerce partner

These questions help reveal whether the project will be straightforward to support after go-live.

Who owns the integration if something fails?

Make sure responsibility is clear before go-live, not after the first support issue.

Who supports customer pricing issues?

Customer-specific pricing often depends on ERP logic, customer groups and website display.

Who checks whether orders reach the ERP?

Online orders must be reliable enough for warehouse, finance and customer service teams.

Who understands your warehouse and delivery process?

Wholesale eCommerce is connected to stock, picking, delivery, invoicing and customer service.

Frequently asked questions

Want one joined-up approach to ERP and eCommerce?

Orca Commerce connects online ordering with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics NAV, helping wholesalers reduce complexity and improve accountability.