From Manual Orders to Global Growth: How E-Commerce + ERP Integration Transformed this company 

In today’s global manufacturing landscape, businesses need more than just strong products to stay competitive. They need digital operations that connect customers, distributors, and internal teams in different regions. One powerful way to achieve this is by integrating e-commerce platforms with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. 

This is the story of a 140-year-old global leader in materials testing machine manufacturing that transformed its order-taking process through a Shopify–Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations integration. 

The Challenge 

With offices in five countries and sales across the UK, Europe, China, India and multiple U.S. territories, this manufacturer had a truly global footprint. Yet, order-taking remained manual and inefficient: 

1. Only ~50 orders per month could be processed, often via phone or email. 

2. Orders had to be manually keyed into their ERP system (AX 2012), which was tedious, error-prone, and time-consuming. 

3. Customers and distributors had little visibility into order status. 

4. Disconnected systems meant fragmented data and no unified view for decision-making. 

In short: their legacy setup couldn’t keep up with modern customer expectations or their own ambitions for global growth. 

The Solution 

Over the course of a decade long partnership, we helped the company modernize and digitize its business processes. The centre piece was a seamless integration between Shopify and Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (F&O), built natively within F&O (no recurring middleware costs). 

Key integrations included: 

1. Products & Variants – unified catalog across systems. 

2. Orders & Customers – real-time sync from Shopify into F&O. 

3. Addresses, Inventory, Pricing & Shipping – consistent and accurate across all channels. 

4. Order Tracking – visibility for customers and internal teams. 

5. Courier system integration – automated logistics and delivery. 

6. Power BI integration – business intelligence dashboards for KPIs and analytics. 

This solution ensured that high data volumes and complex processing demands could be handled efficiently within F&O. 

The Results 

The change has reshaped how the company works: 

1. Fully automated process – From customer order placement to fulfillment, minimal human intervention is now required. 

2. Scalability unlocked – Between January to September 2025, the company processed over 3,500 orders, with 20% placed directly through the Shopify integration. 

3. Faster, error-free operations – No more manual data entry bottlenecks or inconsistencies. 

4. Customer & distributor satisfaction – Customers get timely updates and accurate product data; distributors have smoother workflows. 

5. New revenue channels – A newly developed Shopify distributor portal allows select distributors to order directly, opening a fresh branch of growth. 

Lessons for Other Global Manufacturers 

This journey highlights critical lessons for manufacturers, distributors, and global businesses alike: 

1. Connected systems drive efficiency – Integrating ERP with e-commerce eliminates duplication of effort and reduces errors. 

2. Customer experience is key – Real-time visibility, accurate product data, and faster fulfillment directly improve customer loyalty. 

3. Scalability matters – A future-ready integration ensures businesses can adapt to rising order volumes and global expansion. 

4. Focus shifts to value creation – Automation handles repetitive tasks so employees can work on higher-value tasks. 

The Road Ahead 

After integrating Shopify with Dynamics 365 F&O, the company has launched a dedicated distributor website where approved distributors can place orders directly on behalf of customers. This portal creates a new revenue stream, strengthens the distribution network, and ensures orders flow into F&O with the same automation, inventory sync, and reporting as direct sales. By extending digital integration to distributors, the company is simplifying order-taking while expanding its business model for global growth. 

Ending thoughts 

The journey of this global manufacturer shows that true digital transformation isn’t about adding more tools, it’s about connecting the right ones. By integrating Shopify with Dynamics 365 F&O, they moved from fragmented, manual processes to a scalable, automated ecosystem that empowers customers, distributors, and internal teams alike. 

For any organization operating across regions, the lesson is clear: e-commerce and ERP should not live in silos. When they work together, they create a foundation that not only accelerates order taking but also unlocks new revenue streams, sharper insights, and stronger global relationships. 

In a world where speed, accuracy, and customer experience define competitiveness, the question isn’t whether you can afford to integrate, it’s whether you can afford not to. 

What’s next:  

Don’t let manual processes slow you down. Connect with us at transform@cloudfronts.com and let’s design an integration roadmap tailored for your business.