How it Works:
Vendor & Retailer Connection
We built Flxpoint to be a flexible link between suppliers and retailers, operating in whatever way is easiest for both parties to exchange product data and order information.
How Retailers Connect to Vendors With Flxpoint
Here at Flxpoint, we get asked all of the time….
“What’s the best way to integrate our dropship partners and automate our ecommerce workflows?”
Well, as you might expect… “it depends”.
We built Flxpoint to be a flexible link between suppliers and retailers, operating in whatever way is easiest for both parties to exchange product data and order information.
To evaluate possible solutions, here are the questions, vendors and retailers must consider.
Inventory & Product Data
The first question to ask is:
How does the vendor currently provide inventory
quantities and other product data to retailers?
If the vendor has the means to automate this data, the most common methods will be:
Flxpoint can easily integrate any data that exists in a file or spreadsheet. This is normally shared via email, FTP, Dropbox folder, or HTTP link, which can be set up with our no-code mapping tool.
File
Spreadsheet
Via email, FTP, Dropbox
folder, or HTTP link.
Inventory & Product Data
No Code Mapping Tool
If data is exchanged through an EDI or API setup, our team can provide a cost-effective quote for building a custom integration.
If a vendor doesn’t currently provide inventory or product data in an automated manner, they must have some way to manage their product catalog and keep track of inventory.
In many cases, suppliers will manage this data using their ecommerce store or warehouse management system.
Flxpoint’s pre-built connectors to Shopify, BigCommerce, Skuvault, and more can seamlessly pull live quantities and product data from these sources.
Inventory & Product Data
Pre-Built Connectors
Also, WooCommerce and Magento offer free apps to generate CSV files that retailers can then pull data from, using our self-service mapping tool.
If none of these methods apply, our team can evaluate other solutions.
Orders & Shipment Tracking
The second question to ask is:
How does the vendor currently accept automated
orders and provide shipment tracking information?
If the vendor accepts orders and sends tracking back via a spreadsheet over email, FTP, or Dropbox, the retailer can use Flxpoint’s mapping tool to send and extract these files.
Order & Shipment Tracking
No Code Mapping Tool
Spreadsheet
Via email, FTP, or Dropbox.
.
Flxpoint’s development team can provide a quote for a custom integration if the vendor or retailer requires an EDI or API setup to exchange order and tracking information.
Placing orders into a vendor’s Shopify or BigCommerce store and pulling tracking information from these platforms is also an option.
Order & Shipment Tracking
Pre-Built Connectors
And if we can’t find a solution using any of these methods, Flxpoint can provide a vendor portal to allow retailers and vendors to easily integrate and communicate. Vendors can log in to view their orders and manually update order status and shipment tracking information.
And lastly, for vendors interested in automating their B2B dropship operations, Flxpoint can act as a back-end management system that allows them to streamline data management, automate order acceptance and payment, generate custom invoice workflows, and much more.