Connecting ERP and CRM for Smoother Sales Operations
About the Company
Walker Industrial, a division of Shingle & Gibb Automation, specializes in supplying factory automation equipment and electrical components to businesses across the United States. With more than 40 years of industry experience, the company helps customers source products from a wide network of leading manufacturers. As a factory-authorized distributor that maintains inventory, Walker Industrial supports businesses in finding the components they need for their industrial automation systems and electrical operations.
Why the Existing Setup Wasn’t Working
Two Integration Attempts, But No Lasting Solution
Walker Industrial first invested in a custom Boomi integration built by a consultant. Although the solution remained in use for approximately two years, it was complex, difficult to troubleshoot, and unreliable despite the significant investment.
The team then moved to Duet360 by Endowance, implemented by an Epicor-certified partner. The implementation was originally estimated to take four to six weeks but ultimately took around 10 months. Even after the extended rollout, data mapping issues persisted, and the team often had to help the vendor understand the P21 database structure.
Neither solution provided the reliability and visibility the company needed. Errors frequently went unnoticed until employees spotted unusual values in Salesforce. Limited documentation, ineffective monitoring, and slow turnaround times also meant the team remained dependent on the vendor for troubleshooting and integration changes.
Manual Workarounds Filled the Gaps, But Inefficiently
With the integration failing to support everyday workflows reliably, the team had to rely on manual processes to keep information moving between systems.
- Duplicate data entry: Information was entered into P21 and then manually mirrored in Salesforce to keep both systems updated.
- Limited access to ERP data: Sales reps did not have access to P21, so they relied on emailed PDFs of daily quotes, orders, and invoices generated through an external reporting tool.
- Salesforce workarounds: The team created custom Salesforce flows to compensate for fields that did not map correctly, including account ownership on invoices. These workarounds added complexity without fixing the underlying integration issues.
The Impact on Salesforce and the Sales Team
The integration challenges extended beyond data accuracy and manual effort. API call volumes reportedly reached approximately one million per day, putting significant strain on Salesforce.
With unreliable data, limited monitoring, and workflows that depended on manual intervention, the sales team struggled to rely on Salesforce as a consistent source of information. CRM adoption remained limited, and the company was unable to realize the full value of its Salesforce investment.
After years of trying different solutions and working around their limitations, Walker Industrial needed a more reliable and transparent integration approach, backed by strong Prophet 21 expertise and better control over its integration workflows.
Finding the Right Fit With DCKAP
A Solution Built Around Their Requirements
DCKAP’s team of experts configured five batch integration pipelines to support data flows between P21 and Salesforce:
- Customer and account data (P21 to Salesforce): Synchronizes accounts, contacts, ship-to information, and customer balances from P21 to Salesforce.
- Account and contact updates (Salesforce to P21): Syncs accounts, contacts, and ship-to information from Salesforce back to P21.
- Product sync (P21 to Salesforce): Transfers product data from the ERP to Salesforce.
- Quote sync (P21 to Salesforce): Syncs quote creation and updates from P21 to Salesforce.
- Order sync (P21 to Salesforce): Syncs order creation and updates from P21 to Salesforce.
- Invoice sync (P21 to Salesforce): Syncs invoices creation and updates from P21 to Salesforce.
The integration supported both standard and custom Salesforce objects, with field mapping tailored to the company’s requirements.
Delivered Within the Target Timeline
Timing was an important consideration for Walker Industrial. DCKAP successfully implemented the integration and took it live within the client’s target timeline. This gave Walker Industrial a new integration built around its P21 and Salesforce requirements, with flexible mapping, detailed logging, and dedicated support to help manage the integration going forward.
The Impact
Less Manual Work for the Sales Team
With customer information, products, quotes, and orders syncing between P21 and Salesforce, the team has reduced manual data entry and workarounds. Sales reps can access key business information directly in Salesforce, making everyday tasks more efficient.
More Reliable Data for Sales Decisions
Consistent data across both systems gives the team a more dependable view of customer records, quotes, and orders. This also supports more accurate sales dashboards and better visibility into business activity.
Easier Monitoring and Troubleshooting
Detailed logging and flexible field mapping give the team greater visibility into data flows, making it easier to identify issues and manage changes without relying as heavily on external support.
Greater Value From Salesforce
With essential ERP data available in Salesforce, the sales team can work with fewer information gaps and less dependence on manual processes. This helps make Salesforce a more practical tool for everyday sales activities and supports broader CRM adoption.
Moving Forward With Better Connected Systems
With DCKAP, Walker Industrial has a more reliable way to connect P21 and Salesforce, giving its sales team better access to the information they need and reducing the effort involved in managing data across both systems.
If your business is facing similar integration challenges, DCKAP can help you find a solution that fits your ERP, your workflows, and your team’s needs. Get in touch with us to see how we can help make your integrations simpler and more reliable.
