Skip to main content

BPAS

Perfion PIM · Complete Feature Guide

ERP Integration Perfion ERP Connection Guide

Release approved product data from Perfion into SAP Business One, Business Central or Finance & Operations on a schedule, and show Perfion product details on the ERP item screen: entered once, released when ready, seen where people work.

Perfion connects to the ERP through two standard modules. Release2ERP, installed in the ERP, imports product data from Perfion: a query picks the items that are ready, and a mapping places each value in the right ERP field, with a key field so that existing items are updated, not duplicated. The ERP Add-in shows the Perfion record on the ERP item screen. Boyum provides both for SAP Business One, Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations; for SAP S/4HANA, Oracle and Epicor Kinetic, the connector comes from BPAS.

At a glance

Perfion name
ERP Add-in and Release2ERP
Where
Installed and set up in the ERP; Release2ERP reads the Perfion API, the Add-in shows a Web Client pageAdd-inRelease2ERPSchedulesFor SAP Business One, both modules come with B1UP
Used by
ERP, IT, product data and operations teamsERP users see Perfion on the item screen
Three ERPs, two modules each
3 current ERPs with standard Perfion modulesSAP Business OneBusiness CentralFinance & Operations
How It Works

How Perfion connects to your ERP, from an approved record to the ERP item

A query picks the items that are ready, a mapping places each value in the ERP, the setup is proven in a test system, and the ERP pulls on a schedule while the Add-in shows the record on screen.

  1. Choose what the ERP receives

    A query picks the items and features to release, for example only approved items changed since the last import date.

  2. Map each ERP field

    The mapping says which ERP field gets which Perfion value, with a key field marking the record, and a default value or, in Dynamics 365, a conversion where needed.

  3. Test before it goes live

    Each integration setup should be proven in a test system first, with the query tested or previewed and problems found before the live ERP is touched.

  4. Release on a schedule

    Release2ERP, installed in the ERP, reads Perfion through the Perfion API on a schedule and reports the result of each run.

  5. See Perfion in the ERP

    The ERP Add-in shows the Perfion details of the item on screen, so users see them where they already work.

An illustration, not a screenshot: an integration setup’s query, and the mapping that fills the ERP item master.
Re-keying vs Perfion

Re-keying into the ERP vs Perfion: what changes when the ERP reads from the record

Re-keying copies product data into the ERP by hand, item by item, whenever someone has time. Perfion’s ERP modules release approved product data on a schedule, and show Perfion product details on the ERP item screen.

Product data copied into the ERP by hand compared with Perfion's ERP Add-in and Release2ERP, as described in Boyum IT Solutions' Perfion documentation.
Task Re-keying by hand Perfion ERP integration
New items Typed again into the ERP from a spreadsheet. Released from Perfion by Release2ERP.
Which items Whoever remembers to send them. Chosen by a query, such as approved items only.
Changed items Corrections emailed to the ERP team. Fetched if changed since the last import date.
Codes and units Fixed by hand to suit the ERP. Set by default values, and conversions in Dynamics 365.
Timing Whenever someone has time. On a schedule set in the ERP.
Errors Found later, in orders and invoices. Shown in the import results and the log.
Product details In a separate folder or system. Beside the ERP item, through the ERP Add-in.
Going live Tried directly in the live company. Tested in a test system first.

See how your own ERP would receive product data from Perfion.

See it for your business
Capabilities in Depth

Perfion ERP integration capabilities: eight ways to connect product data and the ERP

Each capability shows what it does in Perfion and the ERP, and what it is worth to the business.

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Boyum provides two standard Perfion integration modules for SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations. The ERP Add-in shows Perfion product details inside the ERP; Release2ERP imports product data from Perfion and keeps it in the ERP. For SAP Business One, both are part of Boyum’s B1 Usability Package, as the Perfion Extension. For Business Central in the cloud, both are available from Microsoft AppSource, with apps for on-premises installations too. For Finance & Operations, both are extensions installed into Dynamics 365, and Boyum recommends that the Microsoft partner installs them. For SAP S/4HANA, Oracle and Epicor Kinetic, the connector comes from BPAS.

  • An Add-in and Release2ERP for each ERP
  • Part of B1UP for SAP Business One
  • AppSource for Business Central in the cloud

Executive ROI Value

For SAP Business One, Business Central and Finance & Operations, the link between product data and the ERP is a standard module, not a one-off project that has to be built and maintained.

  • Standard
  • Supported

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

The ERP Add-in shows the Perfion details of the item the user is looking at. In SAP Business One it adds a Perfion tab to the Item Master Data form, which follows the item on screen; refreshing the record shows changes just made in Perfion, an Open button opens the item in the Perfion editor, and a Reports button creates a Perfion report. In Business Central, the Perfion Perfion FactBox sits beside the item list and the single item card, with product reports on request. In Finance & Operations, it comes on the products and released products pages, and can be added to other pages, such as customers, through a development change in Dynamics 365.

  • A Perfion tab on SAP Business One items
  • A FactBox on Business Central items
  • On Finance & Operations product pages

Executive ROI Value

Sales, stores and purchasing see specifications and images where they already work, without asking the product team.

  • Less asking
  • One view

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Release2ERP imports product data from Perfion into the ERP through the Perfion API and keeps it there. Boyum’s Finance & Operations guide lists the uses: Perfion as the master system for ERP product data; for manufacturers, items born in Perfion and sent to the ERP when they are ready for production or sale; and for resellers, supplier data received in Perfion, filtered and modified, then sent on. In SAP Business One it creates and updates business objects, with Boyum’s examples for items and for bills of materials built from a Swap Relation Table. In Business Central it writes to any table whose key fields are mapped, from items to sales prices. In Finance & Operations it writes to Dynamics 365 data entities, such as products and product translations.

  • Items created and updated in the ERP
  • Bills of materials in SAP Business One
  • Any mapped table or entity in Dynamics 365

Executive ROI Value

A new product is entered once, in Perfion, and reaches the ERP complete and correct.

  • Entered once
  • No re-keying

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Each integration setup starts with a query that decides which items and which features are fetched from Perfion. Boyum’s example releases only normal products, not virtual ones, that carry a ticked approval feature for the ERP. The query can also use the last import date, so each run fetches only what changed since the last successful one; all three ERPs support this. Boyum recommends fetching only the features the ERP actually needs, to keep each run fast, and large sets are fetched in pages or chunks.

  • Approved items only
  • Changed since the last import
  • Only the features the ERP needs

Executive ROI Value

Half-finished items stay in Perfion, and each run moves only what changed, so it stays quick as the range grows.

  • Ready only
  • Fast runs

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

The mapping gives each ERP field its value through an XPath into the data from Perfion. A key field identifies the record, so an item already in the ERP is updated rather than added again. A default value fills a field when Perfion has no value, or sets a constant, and in Dynamics 365 a conversion turns a Perfion value into the ERP’s own. In Business Central and Finance & Operations, a field can be imported only when a record is created, so values the ERP looks after are not overwritten later. SAP Business One adds options to skip a field on an error or when it is empty; Finance & Operations can clear a value when Perfion has none.

  • Key fields to add or update
  • Default values and conversions
  • Fields set only when a record is created

Executive ROI Value

The ERP receives codes, units and groups in its own form, and the fields it owns stay its own.

  • ERP-ready
  • Protected

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Releases run on a schedule set in the ERP. In SAP Business One, an import can run every few minutes, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, once, or on the last day of the month, and sends a success email and an error report; this needs the B1UP Server Component. In Business Central, the Job Queue runs each integration, the log records errors, successes or both and keeps them for a set period, and old log entries can be cleaned up automatically. In Finance & Operations, imports can run in the background as batch jobs, and logging can be switched off or made more or less detailed.

  • Schedules from minutes to monthly
  • Success and error emails in SAP Business One
  • Logs kept for a set period in Business Central

Executive ROI Value

New and changed products reach the ERP without anyone remembering to send them, and problems are reported.

  • Hands-free
  • Reported

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

Boyum’s Dynamics 365 guides advise testing any change to the ERP in a proper test environment before it reaches the live system. Each module helps: in SAP Business One a query can be tested, and debug mode tries every field of every item, reports which fields cause problems and then rolls everything back, so nothing is created. In Business Central the query can be previewed and run, and in Finance & Operations the live data an import would fetch can be shown first. In SAP Business One and Finance & Operations, setups can be exported and imported, so a setup proven in test moves to production without being entered again.

  • Test environment first
  • Debug mode with roll-back in SAP Business One
  • Setups exported from test to production

Executive ROI Value

Mistakes are found in a test company, not in the live item master, orders or invoices.

  • Safer go-live
  • No surprises

Operational Reality (Capabilities)

In Business Central, images can be imported at a set size or resolution, in a chosen format, and fitted, stretched or cropped to the size. In Finance & Operations, images and other binary data can be imported, for example as product document attachments, at a set height and width, product names and descriptions as product translations, and from release 1.31 one integration can import products into several company accounts. Because Dynamics 365 Commerce takes its product data from Finance & Operations, Release2ERP supplies Commerce through it.

  • Images in Business Central and Finance & Operations
  • Product translations in Finance & Operations
  • Several companies from one integration

Executive ROI Value

Images, languages and, in Finance & Operations, each configured company are served from the same product record as the item itself.

  • Complete items
  • Every company
Core Concepts

5 Core Concepts of ERP integration in Perfion

The first gives every field one owner and the second sets the direction. The third releases only what is ready, the fourth gets keys and order right, and the last puts Perfion where people work.

  1. Concept 01 · One owner for every field

    Decide Which System Owns Each Field

    The product data problem it solves

    A pump’s description is edited in Perfion and, separately, in the ERP by the purchase team. Every night the import overwrites the ERP change, the purchase team edits it again, and nobody knows which text is right.

    The concept explained

    Release2ERP moves product data one way: from Perfion into the ERP. That works when each field has one owner. Perfion owns what describes the product, such as names, descriptions, specifications, images and translations, and releases it. The ERP owns what runs the business, such as costs, stock and planning data, and those fields are left out of the mapping. In Business Central and Finance & Operations, fields the ERP needs once, such as an item group, can be imported only when a record is created and left alone after that.

    Everyday analogy

    A recipe and a kitchen roster. The chef writes the recipe; the manager writes the roster. Neither edits the other’s.

    In Perfion

    In Business Central and Finance & Operations, each mapping line can be limited to new records. In Finance & Operations, a line can also clear the ERP value when Perfion returns none.

    BPAS method · toolDeploy EnterpriseDesign before configurationThe data model is designed and signed off before anything is configured: the Design phase of toolDeploy Enterprise.
    Decide which system owns each fieldLeft: fields Perfion owns and releases to the ERP: item name, description, specifications, images and translations. Right: fields the ERP owns and keeps out of the mapping: cost price, stock, reorder level and lead time. Middle: in Business Central and Finance and Operations, two fields set once, when the item is created, and not overwritten afterwards: item group and sales unit. Bottom: Release2ERP moves data one way, from Perfion into the ERP; each shared field has one owner.One owner for every fieldPerfion ownsreleased to the ERPItem nameDescriptionSpecificationsImagesTranslationsThe ERP ownsleft out of the mappingCost priceStockReorder levelLead timeSet once, at creationBusiness Central and F&OItem groupSales unitOne way: from Perfion into the ERPEach shared field has one owner, so nothing is overwritten by surprise.
    Perfion owns what describes the pump, the ERP owns what runs the business, and two fields are set once when the item is created.
  2. Concept 02 · The ERP asks; Perfion answers

    Let the ERP Pull, on Its Own Schedule

    The product data problem it solves

    Someone exports new items from the product system every Friday and hands a file to the ERP team. When that person is on leave, new pumps wait a week for an item code and orders are held.

    The concept explained

    Release2ERP is installed in the ERP and configured there. The ERP takes the initiative: it sends a query to the Perfion API, Perfion answers with the data, and the ERP creates or updates its own records. Boyum states it plainly for Finance & Operations: there is no push from Perfion when data changes, and every sync is a pull from the ERP. A schedule in the ERP decides how often that happens, and the result of each run is reported.

    Everyday analogy

    A newspaper on subscription. It arrives every morning because the order is standing, not because someone remembers to post it.

    In Perfion

    The Perfion API must be reachable from the ERP server, and the integration signs in with a Perfion API user where the API requires one. For Business Central in the cloud, the Perfion Web Client must be reached over https.

    Let the ERP pull, on its own scheduleLeft: the ERP, with Release2ERP installed and configured inside it, and a schedule set to run nightly at 02:00. Step 1: the ERP sends a query to the Perfion API. Right: Perfion answers through the API with the approved, changed items. Step 2: the data returns to the ERP. Step 3: the ERP adds 12 items and updates 26, and reports the run. Bottom: the ERP takes the initiative and Perfion answers; Perfion does not push changes.The ERP asks; Perfion answersYour ERPRelease2ERP installed and set up hereSchedule · nightly, 02:00Perfionanswers through the Perfion APIApproved, changed items · 381 · Query2 · Data3 · Items added · 12Items updated · 26Run reportedThe ERP takes the initiativePerfion answers when asked; it does not push changes to the ERP.
    The ERP asks the Perfion API on a schedule, Perfion answers, and the ERP writes and logs its own records.
  3. Concept 03 · Only what is ready, only what changed

    Release Only What Is Ready, and Only What Changed

    The product data problem it solves

    A new pump is added to Perfion with a placeholder description while its specifications are still being tested. The nightly import sends it to the ERP, and a dealer order is booked against an item that is not yet for sale.

    The concept explained

    The query decides what reaches the ERP. Boyum’s example narrows it in steps: normal products only, not virtual ones; then only those with a ticked approval feature for the ERP; then only those changed since the last import date. Items still being prepared stay in Perfion until someone approves them, and each run carries only the handful of items that changed, not the whole range.

    Everyday analogy

    A dispatch bay. Only boxes that passed inspection and are booked for today go on the truck.

    In Perfion

    Boyum recommends fetching only the features the ERP actually needs, and taking care with wildcard selections, to keep performance good. Large data sets can be fetched in pages or chunks.

    Release only what is ready, and only what changedA funnel of four bars, each narrower than the last: 2,400 products in Perfion; 2,310 normal products, not virtual; 2,150 approved for the ERP; and 38 changed since the last import. Beside the bars, two items stay in Perfion: a new pump still being tested, not yet approved, and an unchanged pump that was released last week. Bottom: the query decides what reaches the ERP; only approved, changed items move tonight.From the whole range to tonight’s releaseProducts in Perfion2,400Normal, not virtual2,310Approved for the ERP2,150Changed since last import38Stays in PerfionPMP-160 · still in testingNot approved for the ERPNot fetched tonightPMP-120 · no changesince last week’s importThe query decides what reaches the ERPOnly approved items that changed since the last import move tonight.
    2,400 products narrowed to 38: normal products, approved for the ERP, changed since the last import.
  4. Concept 04 · Keys first, then what depends on them

    Map the Keys First, Then What Depends on Them

    The product data problem it solves

    The first test run adds 40 pumps. The second run adds the same 40 again as new records, and the bill of materials import fails because a motor it uses has not reached the ERP yet.

    The concept explained

    Every record in the ERP is identified by its key field, usually the item number. When the key is mapped, Release2ERP finds an item that already exists and updates it instead of adding it again. SAP Business One needs at least one key field for each object, and Business Central needs every key field of the table it writes to, using a default value where Perfion has none. Order matters too: Boyum’s bill of materials example releases the items first, because the ERP cannot add a component that does not exist yet.

    Everyday analogy

    Name labels before a seating plan. Nobody can be seated until they have a name.

    In Perfion

    Finance & Operations can use custom keys to decide which fields find an existing record, instead of the table’s own primary key. Business Central can allow an empty key field where the table needs one that Perfion does not hold.

    Map the keys first, then what depends on themLeft: run 1 releases items with the item number as the key field: PMP-150 is added, MTR-2, a motor, is added, and PMP-120, already in the ERP, is updated instead of added again. Right: run 2 releases the bill of materials for PMP-150, whose components are MTR-2, one per pump, and IMP-7, an impeller. MTR-2 is found because run 1 released it; IMP-7 is not in the ERP yet, so that line fails until the item is released. Bottom: map every key; release items before the bills that use them; the same key updates, never duplicates.Keys first, then what depends on themRun 1 · ItemsKey · Item NoPMP-150 · PumpAddedMTR-2 · MotorAddedPMP-120 · PumpUpdatedAlready in the ERP: updated, not added againRun 2 · Bill of materialsParent · PMP-150MTR-2 · 1 NosFoundIMP-7 · 1 NosNot in ERPIMP-7 must be released as an itembefore this line can be added.Map every key; release items before the bills that use themThe same key updates the same record, so a second run never duplicates.
    Run 1 releases the items; run 2 releases the bills of materials that use them; the same key updates, never duplicates.
  5. Concept 05 · The record on the ERP screen

    Show Perfion Where People Already Work

    The product data problem it solves

    Stores staff picking a pump for a dealer need its head, flow and wiring diagram. The ERP item screen shows only a code and a short name, so they phone the product team, who look it up in Perfion and read it out.

    The concept explained

    The ERP Add-in brings the Perfion record onto the ERP item screen. The details shown follow the item on screen, and in SAP Business One refreshing the record shows changes just made in Perfion. Users who need more can open the item in the Perfion editor from SAP Business One, or create a Perfion report, such as a datasheet, from SAP Business One and Business Central. Product data is still maintained in one place, and seen wherever it is needed.

    Everyday analogy

    A label on the shelf. The stock is in one place, and the description is right where you pick it up.

    In Perfion

    The Add-in shows the Perfion FactBox, a page of the Perfion Web Client, so the Web Client must be installed and reachable from the ERP. In Business Central, the details shown are set in Perfion.

    From BPAS · prodRecord newsletterprodRecordKeeping the record straight.One product data practice every month, written in plain English for product data teams.
    Show Perfion where people already workA SAP Business One example. An ERP item screen for PMP-150, a monoblock pump of 1 HP, showing the ERP's own fields: item number, description, stock of 120 Nos and the warehouse. Beside it, the Perfion panel shown by the ERP Add-in, with an image of the pump and its specifications: head 32 metres, flow 1,800 litres per hour, power 1 HP and single phase. Two buttons: Open, to open the item in the Perfion editor, and Reports, to create a datasheet. Bottom: the record is maintained once in Perfion and seen on the ERP screen; in SAP Business One, refreshing the record shows changes just made in Perfion.The Perfion record, on the ERP item screenItem Master Data · PMP-150Item NoPMP-150DescriptionMonoblock pump 1 HPIn stock120 NosWarehouseCoimbatoreERP Add-in · SAP Business OneImageHead · 32 mFlow · 1,800 LPHPower · 1 HPSingle phaseOpenReportsOpen the item in Perfion, or create a datasheetMaintained once in Perfion, seen on the ERP screenThe panel follows the item on screen; no copy to keep in step.
    The ERP item screen with the Perfion record beside it: specifications, an image, and buttons to open the item or create a report, as in SAP Business One.
Best Practices

10 Best Practices for ERP integration in Perfion

Each practice says what a well-run link between Perfion and the ERP looks like and what it costs to ignore it. Designing integration setups, queries and mappings around your ERP is what BPAS consultants do.

  1. 01Decide which system owns each field before mapping starts

    Design · Ownership

    The rule

    Every field the ERP and Perfion share has one agreed owner, and only Perfion-owned fields are released.

    Risk if ignored

    ERP changes overwritten every night, and two teams editing the same text against each other.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  2. 02Build and prove every integration in a test system first

    Go-live · Testing

    The rule

    Each integration runs cleanly in a test copy of the ERP before it is moved to the live company.

    Risk if ignored

    Duplicate or wrong items in the live item master, and orders placed against them.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  3. 03Release only items approved for the ERP

    Query · Approval

    The rule

    An item reaches the ERP only after someone has marked it ready in Perfion.

    Risk if ignored

    Half-finished items in the ERP, and orders booked against products not yet for sale.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  4. 04Fetch only what changed since the last import

    Query · Changes

    The rule

    Each run takes only items changed since the last successful import, so it stays fast as the range grows.

    Risk if ignored

    Runs that take longer every month, and ERP records rewritten when nothing changed.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  5. 05Fetch only the features the ERP needs

    Query · Scope

    The rule

    The query names the features the ERP uses and nothing more.

    Risk if ignored

    Slow runs, and more data moving than anyone will ever read.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  6. 06Map every key, and release items before what refers to them

    Mapping · Keys

    The rule

    Every record type has its key fields mapped, and items are released before the bills of materials and prices that use them.

    Risk if ignored

    Duplicate items on the second run, and imports that fail on missing components.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  7. 07Protect fields the ERP looks after once an item exists

    Mapping · Updates

    The rule

    Fields the ERP takes over after creation are not overwritten later: left out of the mapping, or in Dynamics 365 imported only when a record is created.

    Risk if ignored

    Planning or purchase settings reset by the next import.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  8. 08Turn Perfion values into ERP codes in the integration, not in the product data

    Mapping · Codes

    The rule

    Item groups, units and similar codes are set in the integration, by default values or, in Dynamics 365, conversions, and the product record keeps its own clear values.

    Risk if ignored

    ERP codes creeping into product content, and webshops showing them to customers.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  9. 09Schedule every release, and have someone read the results

    Runs · Monitoring

    The rule

    Releases run on a schedule, and a named person reads the error report or log after each run.

    Risk if ignored

    Silent failures, found weeks later when an item cannot be ordered.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
  10. 10Put Perfion on the ERP screens people already use

    Add-in · Users

    The rule

    Sales, stores and purchasing see the Perfion record on the ERP item screen instead of asking for it.

    Risk if ignored

    Product teams answering the same lookups all day.

    Get it right with BPAS

    Not sure this is in place between Perfion and your ERP? Talk to a BPAS consultant.

    Talk to BPAS
Self-Audit · 10 Best Practices

ERP integration self-audit: how many are in place today?

Tick each of the ten practices above that your business already follows. Your score updates as you go.

Practices in place
0 of 10

Tick the practices that are in place.

Book an ERP integration review

Nothing you tick is stored or sent.

Illustrative scenario · not a client case study A Business Like Yours

Illustrative scenario: an Indian pumps maker, with every new item keyed twice

A maker of domestic and agricultural pumps and motors sells about 2,400 items through about 600 dealers across India and launches about 120 new items a month. Orders, stock, production and invoicing run in the ERP. The product team already describes every pump in Perfion.

The Operational Challenge

Every new pump is described in Perfion and then typed again into the ERP item master from an emailed spreadsheet. New items wait two to three days for the item master team, and names, units and item groups do not always match. Now and then an item still being tested is keyed in early and a dealer order is booked against it.

Stores and sales staff who need a pump’s head, flow or wiring diagram phone the product team, because the ERP item screen shows only a code and a short name.

  • Every new item keyed twice
  • Items waiting days for the ERP
  • Item groups and units mismatched
  • Specifications not on the item screen

The Financial Transformation

In the ERP, Release2ERP runs every night. Its query picks only items approved for the ERP and changed since the last import date, and its mapping sets the ERP’s item groups and units, with the item number as the key field. Every setup was proven in a test company first, and each run’s errors are reported to the item master team.

The ERP Add-in shows each pump’s Perfion details on the ERP item screen, so stores and sales staff see specifications and images where they already work.

  • Items released once approved
  • Only changed items each night
  • Codes set in the mapping
  • Perfion details on the item screen
Illustrative figures for a typical Indian pumps maker of this size. They add up, but they are not a client case study.
Cost line Before (per month) After (per month) Difference (per year)
Re-keying new items into the ERP₹ 70,000₹ 15,000₹ 6,60,000
Correcting wrong item data₹ 45,000₹ 10,000₹ 4,20,000
Product detail look-ups₹ 35,000₹ 8,000₹ 3,24,000
Total₹ 1,50,000₹ 33,000₹ 14,04,000
Illustrative saving a year₹ 14,04,000Same figures as the table, not a client result

See how your own ERP would receive product data from Perfion.

Book an ERP integration review
From BPAS

prodRecord Live

Enterprise product data insights from BPAS

Keeping the record straight, live every month

prodRecord Live is a monthly webinar series on product information management, held on the second Wednesday of every month from January 2027. Each session takes one product data topic and works through it in plain English with time for your questions.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Explore prodRecord Live
12
Live sessions in 2027 Second Wednesday, monthly
Who Benefits

Who benefits when the ERP reads from the record: one record, three answers

  • Promoter & CXOs

    Can a new product reach orders and invoices without being entered twice?

    Approved items are released from Perfion into the ERP on a schedule, so a product is entered once and sold as soon as it is ready.

  • ERP & IT Manager

    Will the integration respect what the ERP owns, and can we prove it before go-live?

    Release2ERP is installed and set up in the ERP, its mapping updates fields only as agreed, and every setup is tested in a test system first.

  • Product Data Manager

    Will the ERP and its users see the record my team maintains?

    Approved, changed items reach the ERP each night, and the ERP Add-in shows Perfion product details on the ERP item screen.

Vocabulary

ERP Integration Vocabulary and Definitions

From the ERP Add-in and Release2ERP to integration setups, queries, mappings, key fields, conversions and the last import date. Each term shows what it means, why it matters, and a household comparison.

  1. ERP Add-in

    Modules · display

    Perfion inside the ERP

    Operational definition

    A standard Perfion integration module that shows Perfion product details inside the ERP, for the item the user is looking at.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Users see Perfion product details without leaving the ERP.

    Everyday analogy

    A window between two rooms: you see in without walking through.

    See it in action:Concept 05 under Core Concepts →

  2. Release2ERP

    Modules · import

    Perfion data into the ERP

    Operational definition

    A standard Perfion integration module, installed in the ERP, that imports product data from Perfion through the Perfion API and keeps it in the ERP.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    New and changed products reach the ERP without being typed again.

    Everyday analogy

    A standing order with a supplier: it arrives on schedule without a new request.

    See it in action:Concept 02 under Core Concepts →

  3. Perfion Extension

    Modules · SAP Business One

    Part of B1UP

    Operational definition

    The part of Boyum’s B1 Usability Package that holds the ERP Add-in and Release2ERP for SAP Business One.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    SAP Business One users get both modules through an add-on they may already run.

    Everyday analogy

    An attachment that fits a tool you already own.

    See it in action:Two standard modules for each ERP under Capabilities →

  4. Integration setup

    Release2ERP · setup

    A query and a mapping

    Operational definition

    One configured import in Release2ERP: a query that picks the data in Perfion and a mapping that places it in the ERP. Called an import setup in SAP Business One and an integration in Dynamics 365.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Each kind of data has its own release, which can be tested and scheduled on its own.

    Everyday analogy

    A delivery note: what to send, and where each item goes.

    See it in action:Only the items you choose under Capabilities →

  5. Query

    Release2ERP · selection

    Which items, which features

    Operational definition

    The Perfion API query in an integration setup. It decides which items and which features are fetched from Perfion.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Only ready items, and only the data the ERP needs, are moved.

    Everyday analogy

    A shopping list: only what is written down goes into the basket.

    See it in action:Concept 03 under Core Concepts →

  6. Mapping

    Release2ERP · fields

    ERP field from Perfion value

    Operational definition

    The lines of an integration setup that say which ERP field receives which Perfion value, with a default value or a conversion where needed.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Every ERP field is filled the same way on every run.

    Everyday analogy

    A seating plan: every guest has a named chair.

    See it in action:Concept 01 under Core Concepts →

  7. Key field

    Release2ERP · records

    Add or update

    Operational definition

    An ERP field that identifies a record, such as the item number. Release2ERP uses it to decide whether to add a new record or update an existing one.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    A second run updates the same items instead of adding duplicates.

    Everyday analogy

    A house number: the post goes to the same door every time.

    See it in action:Concept 04 under Core Concepts →

  8. Conversion

    Release2ERP · values

    Perfion value, ERP value

    Operational definition

    A table in Release2ERP for Dynamics 365 that turns a value from Perfion into the value the ERP expects.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Product data keeps clear values while the ERP receives its own codes.

    Everyday analogy

    A currency counter at the airport: the same money, in the form the country accepts.

    See it in action:Mapping, defaults and conversions under Capabilities →

  9. Last import date

    Release2ERP · runs

    Changes since then

    Operational definition

    The date and time of the last run of an integration setup. A query can use it to fetch only what changed since then.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    Each run moves only what changed, so it stays quick.

    Everyday analogy

    A bookmark: you start reading where you stopped.

    See it in action:Concept 03 under Core Concepts →

  10. Perfion FactBox

    Add-in · display

    The page the ERP shows

    Operational definition

    The page of the Perfion Web Client that the ERP Add-in shows inside the ERP, holding the Perfion details of one item.

    Why it matters in Perfion

    What the ERP shows comes from Perfion, so it is maintained in one place.

    Everyday analogy

    A display case in a shop window, filled from the stock room.

    See it in action:Perfion on the ERP item screen under Capabilities →

FAQ

ERP Integration: questions ERP and product teams ask

Short answers, each with a link to the part of this guide that explains it.

  1. Boyum provides standard Perfion integration modules for SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations: the ERP Add-in and Release2ERP for each. Modules for some older Microsoft Dynamics versions also exist. For SAP S/4HANA, Oracle and Epicor Kinetic, the connector comes from BPAS.

    More on Two standard modules for each ERP
  2. The ERP Add-in shows Perfion product details inside the ERP for the item on screen; the data stays in Perfion. Release2ERP copies product data from Perfion into the ERP’s own records, creating and updating items and other records, so the ERP can use it in orders, production and invoices. The two can be used together.

    More on Concept 02
  3. Not through Release2ERP. It moves data one way, from Perfion into the ERP, and runs are started from the ERP; for Finance & Operations, Boyum states that Perfion does not push changes. The Add-in shows Perfion data in the ERP, and in SAP Business One it can open the item in the Perfion editor, so changes are still made in Perfion.

    More on Concept 01
  4. In SAP Business One, Release2ERP creates and updates business objects, and Boyum’s examples cover items and bills of materials. In Business Central, it writes to any table whose key fields are mapped, such as items and sales prices, and can import images. In Finance & Operations, it writes to Dynamics 365 data entities, such as products and product translations, can import images, for example as document attachments, and from release 1.31 can import into several company accounts.

    More on Release product data into the ERP
  5. For Business Central, both the online and on-premises clients are supported, and the cloud modules are available from Microsoft AppSource. In every case, the ERP and its users must be able to reach the Perfion Web Client, for the Add-in, and the Perfion API, for Release2ERP; Business Central in the cloud needs the Web Client on https.

    More on Two standard modules for each ERP
  6. For SAP Business One, both modules are part of Boyum’s B1 Usability Package. For Finance & Operations, Boyum states that Release2ERP needs an additional licence fee. The licences for your own ERP and Perfion setup are confirmed when the solution is scoped.

    More on Vocabulary: Perfion Extension
  7. For Dynamics 365, Boyum recommends testing any change to the ERP in a test environment first and agreeing the changes with your ERP partner. For Finance & Operations, Boyum recommends that the Microsoft partner installs the modules. The integration setups, queries and mappings are designed around your own data, with someone who knows the ERP’s data structure checking them.

    More on Practice 02

Still have a question?

Ask about your own products, categories and channels. A BPAS consultant will answer in plain English.

Ask BPAS