Knipex Order Syncing from Shopify to Zoho Inventory and Integration with Omniful using Webhooks and APIs
Company Profile
Knipex is a growing e-commerce company using Shopify for sales and Zoho Inventory for stock management. To streamline purchase orders and automate inventory updates, Knipex also relies on Omniful, a warehouse management solution. The company required a reliable, automated syncing solution between these platforms to manage order processing and update statuses accurately.
Problem Statement
Manual segmentation and email outreach were resource-intensive, with challenges in tracking lead behaviour and timing follow-ups. An automated solution was required to ensure leads received timely, targeted communications to maximize engagement.
Knipex faced challenges in syncing orders from Shopify to Zoho Inventory and sending Zoho Inventory purchase orders to Omniful. Additionally, they required a system to automatically update purchase order statuses from Omniful back to Zoho Inventory. The goals were to:
- Sync orders between Shopify and Zoho Inventory without locked transaction issues.
- Automatically generate and track purchase orders from Zoho Inventory to Omniful.
- Update purchase order statuses in Zoho Inventory based on status changes in Omniful.
Our Solution
Based on Knipex’s requirements, we provided a two-fold solution that:
- Resolved existing Shopify-Zoho Inventory syncing issues.
- Enabled automatic invoice creation and purchase order updates between Zoho Inventory and Omniful.
The primary steps included:
- Order Syncing Review and Issue Resolution: We checked the Zoho Inventory-Shopify integration to identify the cause of syncing issues, including locked transactions and item discrepancies.
- Automated Invoice and Purchase Order Creation: Configured an incoming webhook to create an invoice in Zoho Inventory upon order creation in Omniful.
- Purchase Order Status Update Using APIs: Developed a custom workflow to create a purchase order in Omniful from Zoho Inventory and update statuses automatically.
Key Features of the Solution
- Transaction Lock Issue Resolution: We resolved locked transactions prior to December 29, 2023, which were caused by incorrect item sales accounts in Zoho Inventory.
- Item Discrepancy Resolution: Exported item lists from both Shopify and Zoho Inventory to identify discrepancies, allowing for accurate sync.
- Automated Invoice Creation: Configured a webhook to trigger automatic invoice creation in Zoho Inventory upon order creation in Omniful.
- Automated Purchase Order Creation and Status Sync:
- When an order status is updated to ‘Issued’ in Zoho Inventory, a purchase order is generated in Omniful.
- As webhooks were unavailable for purchase order creation, we used APIs to push the purchase order data to Omniful, automatically populating the ‘External Purchase Order’ field in Omniful with the Zoho Inventory purchase order ID.
- Status Updates: Created a custom dropdown field in Zoho Inventory’s purchase order module to update the purchase order status based on Omniful’s data. Using the PO number, the API pulls the latest status from Omniful and updates it in Zoho Inventory.
Results
The integration provided the following benefits:
- Reliable Shopify Order Syncing: Orders synced without the previous locked transaction issues.
- Automated Invoice and Purchase Order Processing: Reduced manual entry and improved processing efficiency.
- Real-Time Status Updates: Purchase order statuses accurately reflected Omniful’s updates in Zoho Inventory, enabling seamless inventory tracking.
Challenges & Solutions
- Locked Transactions: The primary issue was due to item sales account misconfigurations. After updating these settings, transactions synced smoothly.
- Webhook Limitations in Omniful: Since Omniful does not support purchase order creation via webhooks, we used APIs to complete this function.
Conclusion
In summary, we reviewed and resolved the locked transaction and item discrepancy issues between Shopify and Zoho Inventory. The integration utilized webhooks and APIs to automate invoice creation, purchase order processing, and real-time status updates, aligning data across Shopify, Zoho Inventory, and Omniful for Knipex. The solution significantly streamlined Knipex’s order and inventory management processes, reducing manual efforts and enhancing data accuracy.
