Why this retailer is moving to headless commerce (And what that means for ERP integration) Bob’s Industry Insights #3

In this episode of Bob’s Industry Insights, Jeroen talks with Bob about a 3D printing retailer transitioning to modern headless commerce with Medusa.js. After years with a traditional platform, they’re building a custom solution that needs to handle complex B2B and B2C scenarios. What challenges are they facing? And how does Tinx’s Universal Connector enable this kind of flexible architecture?

You recently spoke with a 3D printing retailer that’s completely rebuilding their e-commerce platform. What’s driving this change?

They’ve outgrown their current setup. The platform was limiting their growth, especially around marketing flexibility and the user experience they need for both B2B and B2C customers. They brought in a marketing agency and a technical partner who specializes in headless commerce. Together, they’re building a completely custom solution using Medusa.js, an open-source, API-first e-commerce platform. It gives them maximum flexibility to build exactly what they need.

What kind of organization are we talking about?

They’re a specialized retailer in 3D printing supplies with a diverse customer base. On one side, individual consumers buying filament and equipment. On the other, schools, government institutions, and companies with specific requirements. For example, employees might be allowed to order up to €1,000 autonomously, but anything above needs approval. They’re running Business Central Cloud and need the new platform to handle this complexity smoothly.

What challenges are they facing with this transition?

Several things. First, their current product data management is frustrating. Everything sits in Business Central’s standard attribute system, which is painful for batch updates and limited in structure. They’re also considering switching from separate SKUs to proper product variants, which would simplify managing items like filament that come in multiple colors, thicknesses, and weights. Second, customer management is complex. They want B2B companies to self-register online, but need to prevent duplicate customer records when multiple employees from the same organization sign up. And third, they want real-time order history and invoices from Business Central visible in the webshop, not managed in two places.

How does Tinx fit into a headless architecture like this?

That’s where it gets interesting. The technical partner was initially considering building a custom connector from scratch. But we’re proposing our Universal Connector instead. It works like our standard connectors but with an open API structure, so we can connect to any platform with documented APIs, including Medusa. The developer can build his Medusa implementation completely independently. As long as he provides API documentation and endpoints, we configure our connector to integrate with his system.

What are the main integration requirements?

Product data with variants, enhanced attributes, and flexible category structures. Customer management for both B2B and B2C, including self-registration with duplicate prevention using domain-based email checking. Price lists for customer-specific pricing and promotions. Real-time inventory with smart handling of bundled products. And they want order history, invoices, and tracking pulled directly from Business Central in real-time, not duplicated in the webshop database.

What does Tinx offer as a solution?

We provide our Universal Connector for Business Central aka Tinx Integration Agent, which includes:

• Direct integration with any API-based platform (no middleware needed)
• PIM functionality for enhanced product data management
• Flexible B2B and B2C customer handling with smart duplicate prevention
• Real-time inventory sync with bundled product support
• Multiple price list management
• Full mapping flexibility for standard and custom Business Central fields

The beauty is that the developer focuses on creating the best customer experience, while we handle all the ERP complexity. No black boxes, everything runs directly in Business Central.

Jeroen: And what’s the benefit of working with Tinx in a project like this?

Bob: Speed and reliability. Instead of spending months building and testing a Business Central integration, the technical partner can focus on the frontend experience. They get access to features that would take significant development time, like our PIM functionality and smart inventory management. And they avoid the risk of building something that works initially but becomes difficult to maintain. Plus, because we’re in Business Central directly, we can access any table or field and ensure everything stays performant and transparent. It’s the best of both worlds: custom development flexibility with proven connector reliability.

Are you considering a headless commerce approach and want to ensure your Business Central integration is solid from day one?

Schedule a demo or introduction call with us today.