API Integration or JTL Cloud App?
A background sync is often the right starting point for an ERP integration. You can sync orders and customer records, keep stock information up to date, and use that data to power reports, automated workflows, or your own application. If your product mainly processes data or runs in the background, that approach might be all you need.The limitation appears when customers have to leave one application to complete a task in another. Your integration may already have all the data required, but the merchant still has to switch screens to find information or act on it.A JTL Cloud App gives you another option. You can make parts of your product available inside Cloud ERP, alongside the records and workflows merchants already use.An API integration and a JTL Cloud App aren’t mutually exclusive. An API integration connects your SaaS to JTL and lets you exchange data or automate workflows. A JTL Cloud App gives you another way to build on the platform, whether you need an interface inside the ERP, backend functionality, or both.A JTL Cloud App can be full-stack, serverless, or headless, depending on what you’re building. You don’t have to embed an interface or replace a working integration. You can keep your existing background sync and add a JTL Cloud App where it brings value, or build a JTL Cloud App that handles the functionality your product needs on its own.
Where Embedding Can Make a Difference
The question isn’t how much of your existing application you can move into a JTL Cloud App. It’s which parts would be more useful when they’re available directly in the Cloud ERP.For a helpdesk or customer support product, a Panel on a customer record could show open tickets and previous conversations. On a sales order, it could display shipping information or related support requests. Your customers can access this context without leaving the ERP, while your helpdesk keeps its own interface and continues to retrieve order data through the API.A product content or pricing tool could use a Panel to highlight missing product attributes, listing issues, or pricing information. Instead of switching between applications to review a report and find the affected product, merchants can see what needs attention right beside the product record. Your backend can continue handling the analysis, with the Panel providing a more direct way to act on the results.An analytics product might benefit more from a full-page app than a Panel. A sales performance or inventory dashboard accessible from the Cloud ERP navigation gives merchants a convenient place to view their data without having to open a separate application. Your existing data pipeline can continue doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes.These are illustrative scenarios, not existing customer implementations. The right approach depends on what your product does and how people use it. Some SaaS products benefit from embedding a specific workflow, others need only a dashboard or setup page, and some are better suited to backend automation.JTL Cloud Apps support these different approaches, and you can combine them where it makes sense. See the Cloud Apps overview for a closer look at the available options.What Would it Take to Add a JTL Cloud App?
If you already have a SaaS product and an API integration, you may be able to reuse much of your existing work. A React frontend can reuse your existing web stack, while your backend continues to handle data access and automation through the JTL Cloud API and webhooks. You’ll also need to associate each JTL tenant with the corresponding account in your SaaS and handle authentication and permissions correctly.For the merchant, the setup depends on the app and its configuration. The JTL Cloud App workflow described here requires JTL-Wawi 2.2.0 or later, connected to JTL Cloud Platform. This lets your application access ERP data through the platform without requiring direct access to the merchant’s local network via a VPN or firewall exception.There is also the question of distribution. JTL App Store listing gives merchants another way to discover your product, while private distribution lets you share an app with selected merchants. For eligible marketplace arrangements, JTL handles billing on the merchant’s behalf. Review the current listing and billing requirements when evaluating the commercial model.For more on what changes when you turn an existing integration into a Cloud App, see Turn your ERP Integration into a Cloud App. It covers the transition in more detail, including the parts you can reuse and the responsibilities that come with running an app for multiple merchants.Should You Add a JTL Cloud App to Your Integration?
If your existing integration already moves the right data between your SaaS and the ERP, there’s no reason to replace it simply to adopt the JTL Cloud App model. Start by looking at how customers use your product today.If most of its value comes from background processing, reporting, or automation, your current integration may be enough. But if customers regularly switch between your application and ERP to find information or complete a task, a JTL Cloud App interface is worth exploring.You don’t need to embed the entire product either. Start with one workflow where having your product available inside the Cloud ERP makes a practical difference, and evaluate whether a Panel or full-page app is the right fit.The goal isn’t to choose between an API integration and a JTL Cloud App for the sake of it. It’s to understand what your existing integration already solves and whether bringing part of your product into the ERP would add value for the merchants using it.Where to Start
A sync gets your data into the merchant’s world. A Cloud App gets your product there too, and it can carry your sync along with it. Here’s how to take the first step:- Read What are JTL Cloud Apps?
- Follow the Wawi connection guide to connect the JTL Cloud Platform to your ERP.
- Follow the Cloud Apps quickstarts to get started.
- See what we built at JTL Academy Day for real examples.