All Systems Go

You're probably dreaming about the day when your website will seamlessly integrate with your accounting, inventory and customer management back-end systems. With such a setup in place, your site can become the focal point of contact with customers, consolidating your entire history with them-from tracking packages, reviewing past orders and viewing sales quotes to answering FAQs and logging support calls.

You're not alone. This dream has yet to become a reality for many e-tailers. Instead of a seamlessly integrated solution, most still use a system thrown together when they first set up shop. Information is stored in separate accounting, warehousing or customer support systems, interfering with productivity. Tying these systems together might not be easy, but it should be a top priority for your e-business.