Creating SOP invoices in Great Plains: eConnect or Web Service API?

Question

We are using Integration Manager to create a batch of monthly invoices. I want to build a replacement that creates a batch in GP and imports the invoices into the batch. After review, the batch will be posted to GP. Is this doable with either of these API's and which would you choose?

Answer 1

Integration manager can use econnect for its insertion engine. If you are processing a high volume of transactions, you will notice a huge difference between integration manager's UI engine and econnect. When you create a new integration, simply choose the econnect option and whatever data source you have set up.

Concerning the non-IM APIs, both may be used, and they are situational. The web services sits on top of econnect, and it is much slower integrating because you are passing information between several layers. It does provide a secure link between your SQL server and any outside integration sources, and it is ideal if you need to setup something to allow integrations to happen through middleware such as a billing gateway. If you have access to build an econnect process/app that makes a connection to your SQL server for GP, this is the fastest way to integrate SOP and receivable transactions. It maintains all the business rules to help ensure GP does not break in as a result of a patch, and the speed is fast enough to push thousands of records without requiring a custom integration solution.

If you want to get done quickly, and do not mind working from the integration manager interface, just build your integrations using econnect. If you have the time to develop a custom integration routine, go for econnect. If you want to leverage WCF technology on top of econnect, go for web services.

Each are listed in the amount of time it will take you to develop from fast implementation to slower implementation.