Business Central Shopify Integration: Streamline your E-Commerce Operations

Think of your online store and ERP system not as separate tools, but as two parts of a perfectly synced system. That’s what the Business Central Shopify integration makes possible. It’s not just an integration but convergence. 

When Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Shopify are in perfect sync, this integration dissolves data silos, clears out manual clutter, and ensures a continuous, real-time flow of information across your entire operation.

From product listings and pricing to stock levels, customer details, and orders, everything moves in harmony. Your Shopify storefront and Business Central back end start functioning like a single, intelligent system. The result? Sharper efficiency, tighter control, and a business that moves at the speed of now.

For companies looking to reduce friction in e-commerce operations while ensuring expert guidance along the way, having reliable Business Central support is essential.

What is the Business Central Shopify Connector?

The Business Central Shopify Connector gets your Shopify store and Business Central ERP talking fluently. It’s a free tool available right on the Shopify App Store. This Microsoft-provided connector comes at no additional cost with your Business Central subscription, eliminating the need for expensive third-party integration solutions.

This connector keeps your data flowing both ways: from your store to your ERP and right back again. Orders, inventory, and customer info are always current, always accurate. Besides, it is important to note that this connector is built for the cloud, that is, Business Central SaaS deployments. If you're running Business Central on-premises, this one's not for you.

Key Benefits of Integrating Business Central and Shopify

Streamlined Data Management

With Business Central Shopify integration, you don’t have to waste time copying the same info into two systems. When you update something, say a price or a new product, in one place, it automatically shows up in the other. It’s faster, cleaner, and way less stressful.

Enhanced Inventory Control

Running out of stock or overselling is a nightmare. But with real-time inventory sync, your Shopify store always shows the correct stock levels from Business Central. Customers see what’s actually available, and you stay in control.

Efficient Order Processing

When someone places an order on your Shopify site, it doesn’t just sit there waiting for you to do something with it. It instantly becomes a sales order in Business Central, ready for fulfilment. No manual typing. As a result? No missed orders. Just smooth processing from click to delivery.

Comprehensive Customer Management

Ever wish you could see everything about your customers in one place? The integration helps with that too. New customer info from Shopify gets pulled into Business Central, and your existing Business Central contacts can sync over to Shopify as well. You’ll always have a full view, no matter where they shop.

To set up and optimize this integration efficiently, many businesses choose to work with a Microsoft Partner who understands the nuances of both platforms and can tailor the configuration to match operational needs.

Prerequisites for Integration

Before implementing the Business Central Shopify integration, ensure you meet these requirements:

For Shopify:

• A Shopify account with Store Owner permissions
• An active Shopify online store

For Business Central:

• A Dynamics 365 Business Central SaaS subscription
• The Shopify Connector app installed (preinstalled for new sign-ups and trials)
• Users with the SHPFY – ADMIN permission set

Setting Up the Integration

The integration setup involves steps in both Shopify and Business Central:

Install the Business Central App in Shopify

1. Navigate to your Shopify admin panel
2. Go to Settings > Apps and sales channels > Shopify App Store
3. Search for "Dynamics 365 Business Central" and install the app
4. After installation, click "Sign in" to authenticate with your Business Central credentials

Connect Business Central to Your Shopify Store

1. In Business Central, search for "Shopify Shop" or navigate through the Shopify menu
2. Choose "New" to create a new shop connection
3. Enter a code for your shop (e.g., "Main Store" or "Furniture")
4. Input your Shopify URL using the format: https://{shopname}.myshopify.com/
5. Enable the integration by toggling the "Enabled" switch
6. Review and accept the terms and conditions
7. Test the connection by requesting access

You can repeat this process if you have multiple Shopify stores to connect to Business Central.

Key Integration Features

Dual-Direction Product/Item Synchronization

The connector supports bidirectional synchronization of products between the two platforms:

• Business Central to Shopify: Export items from Business Central to create products in Shopify, including descriptions, variants, and images.
• Shopify to Business Central: Import products created in Shopify as items in Business Central using item templates.
• Image Synchronization: Transfer item images from Business Central to enhance your Shopify product listings.

To synchronize products, navigate to the Shopify menu > Products in Business Central, then use the "Add Items" function to select which items to export. The connector provides options to control the status of exported products, allowing you to publish them as drafts or active products.

Price and Inventory Synchronization

The connector offers flexible options for managing prices and inventory:

• Price Synchronization: Automatically update product prices in Shopify based on Business Central pricing.
• Customer Price Groups: Define specific pricing for online customers by assigning a Customer Price Group to your Shopify shop in Business Central.
• Inventory Level Updates: Keep Shopify inventory levels in sync with Business Central to present accurate availability to customers.

With the April 2023 update, price synchronization capabilities were enhanced, allowing for more granular control over how prices are transferred to Shopify. You can sync standard unit prices or leverage customer price groups for specialized online pricing.

Customer Data Management

The connector provides three approaches to customer data management:

• Export Business Central Customers to Shopify: Create customer accounts in Shopify based on your existing Business Central customer records.
• Import Shopify Customers to Business Central: Create new customers in Business Central based on Shopify customer data using customer templates.
• Use a Default Customer: Configure all Shopify orders to be assigned to a single default customer in Business Central, with order-specific customer details captured in the sales documents.

The customer mapping can be configured based on email addresses or phone numbers, ensuring proper matching between systems. This flexibility allows you to choose the approach that best fits your business requirements.

Order Processing and Fulfillment

Order processing is streamlined through automated synchronization:

• Order Import: Automatically import Shopify orders into Business Central as sales orders.
• Fulfillment Updates: Send shipment information from Business Central back to Shopify to update order status.
• Payment Tracking: Capture payment information from Shopify orders in Business Central.

When a customer places and pays for an order on Shopify, it can be synchronized to Business Central, creating a sales order with all relevant information including line items, shipping details, and payment status. This automation reduces manual effort and accelerates the order fulfillment process.

Testing Strategies

Before fully implementing the integration in your production environment, Microsoft recommends testing your setup. There are several approaches to consider:

Sandbox Testing

The safest approach is to connect a Shopify sandbox (or trial/development store) with a Business Central sandbox environment. This allows you to test all aspects of the integration without affecting your production data.

Protection Measures for Production Testing

If you need to test with a production environment on either side, consider these protective measures:

• Disable the "Allow Data Sync to Shopify" toggle when testing with a production Shopify store to prevent unwanted data writes.
• Set the "Status for Create Product" field to "Draft" to ensure exported products aren't immediately available to customers.
• Turn off customer export to prevent sending test customer data to your production environment.
• Disable automatic creation of items, customers, and sales orders to control what data flows between systems during testing.

Best Practices for Implementation

To maximize the benefits of your Business Central Shopify integration:

Data Preparation

• Clean up existing data in both systems before integration
• Standardize product information and customer records
• Consider backing up your Shopify data by exporting products and customers

Configuration Optimization

• Clearly define which system is the "master" for different data types
• Configure automatic synchronization schedules that align with your business operations
• Implement appropriate filters to control which products are exported to Shopify
• Set up customer templates that align with your business requirements

Ongoing Management

• Regularly monitor synchronization logs
• Schedule periodic data validation checks
• Update your configuration as your business needs evolve

Conclusion

The Business Central Shopify integration is your shortcut to smoother e-commerce operations. By linking Shopify with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, you reduce manual work, ensure consistent data, and streamline business processes across the board.

Thanks to the native connector from Microsoft, this integration is cost-effective and robust. There is no need for third-party tools. With bidirectional sync of products, prices, inventory, customers, and orders, your store and back-office stay perfectly aligned.

Whether you're scaling your digital operations or launching your first storefront, having a trusted Microsoft Dynamics Partner by your side can ensure the integration is not only seamless but also strategic for long-term growth.

Want to simplify and scale?

Reach out to Dynamics Square at info@dynamicssquare.ca or call +1 289 807 0740 to explore how Business Central Shopify integration can elevate your business.