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Despatch Cloud integration for ecommerce fulfilment

Governed dispatch automation from order to tracking in real-time iWeb integrates Despatch Cloud into your fulfilment estate so orders flow from commerce to warehouse without manual intervention, stock stays synchronized across all systems, and tracking publishes back to customers automatically. Works with Adobe Commerce, Magento Open Source, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce and other storefronts.

Also searched as: shipping connector, warehouse integration, fulfilment plugin, app.

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Works with - Adobe Commerce · Magento Open Source · Shopify Plus · BigCommerce · Other storefronts
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01 · What you get

What a Despatch Cloud integration gives you.

Orders reach packing without manual intervention

Commerce orders flow automatically to Despatch Cloud queues with complete address, SKU and channel data. Warehouse teams pick and label from the system without re-typing or chasing missing information.

Customers receive tracking automatically

When an order ships, tracking numbers and carrier details are published back to the customer account and email so shoppers know status in real-time without manual email sending.

Stock stays synchronized across all systems

Stock reserves in commerce, available stock in ERP and picked stock in Despatch Cloud move together. Oversell incidents drop because each system knows the true state.

Multi-channel orders are treated fairly

Marketplace, B2B and direct web orders compete in a single dispatch queue governed by carrier rules and channel priority, reducing channel-specific delays and improving fulfillment SLA compliance.

Returns loop back without getting lost

Return authorisations flow to Despatch Cloud, restock happens in the warehouse, and credit notes are triggered in ERP. No returns sit unprocessed in corner queues.

02 · When it's worth it

Where a Despatch Cloud integration earns its place.

If two or more of these are true, the integration usually pays for itself quickly.

Routing multi-channel orders (marketplace, web, B2B) through a single despatch queue with channel-specific carrier rules
Automating pick, pack and label generation from commerce orders without manual data re-entry into WMS
Publishing tracking and despatch confirmations back to storefronts and customer accounts in real-time
Synchronising stock movements from the warehouse back to ERP and commerce inventory reserves
Managing returns, RMA intake and restock events from Despatch Cloud into the broader order and inventory system
03 · The limits

Where off-the-shelf connectors fall short.

Vendor connectors are fine for simple cases. Here's where the real ones need more.

No automatic order routing rules by channel

Despatch Cloud queues orders for dispatch but does not natively route them by marketplace, carrier preference or destination zone without custom rule configuration. You must define and maintain carrier selection logic outside the platform.

Limited multi-warehouse orchestration

If you operate multiple physical locations, Despatch Cloud does not automatically allocate orders to the optimal warehouse or split orders across sites. You must pre-route orders at commerce or ERP level before they reach Despatch Cloud.

No native ERP stock reconciliation

Despatch Cloud does not automatically reconcile its stock view with your ERP. Stock movements must be explicitly configured to flow back; silent drift between systems can hide stock mismatches.

Returns workflow is manual-heavy

While Despatch Cloud can receive return instructions, it does not natively enforce RMA validation, inspect-on-receipt workflows or condition-based routing. Custom logic is usually needed to map returns back to original orders and credit workflows.

No built-in exception queue visibility

Unshipped orders, labelling failures and carrier rejections are logged in Despatch Cloud but do not automatically surface to commerce teams or ERP. You must build dashboards or alerting on top to stay aware of dispatch failures.

04 · The real work

The moment despatch confirmations or stock movements stop flowing back from the warehouse, finance and commerce lose sight of what has actually shipped and inventory drifts against the physical reality.

05 · Where it sits

Where this integration sits in your estate.

Despatch Cloud holds the commercial record. The iWeb integration layer manages the rules, mappings, monitoring and exceptions. The commerce platform presents the customer-facing experience. The estate map helps agree ownership before anything is built.

Platform-agnostic by design. Despatch Cloud sits at the centre of your estate, not at the edge of one platform.

System of record
Source / owner
Despatch Cloud
Central fulfilment authority for dispatch, tracking and stock reconciliation
  • Order queue and dispatch routing
  • Pick and pack orchestration
  • Carrier selection and label generation
  • Despatch confirmation and tracking emission
  • Returns intake and restock coordination
iWeb integration layer
Customer-facing commerce
Commerce platform
Adobe CommerceMagento Open SourceShopify PlusBigCommerceOther storefronts
  • Order creation and payment capture
  • Stock reserve decision
  • Customer notification and tracking display
  • Return authorisation issuance
Connected neighbours
Integration layer
ERP
System of record for stock, customer accounts and finance reconciliation. Stock movements and goods-out confirmations flow back from Despatch Cloud.
Integration layer
Commerce platform
Captures orders, publishes tracking and manages customer visibility. Despatch Cloud is the WMS layer underneath.
Integration layer
Marketplace connectors
Feed orders from multiple channels into Despatch Cloud. Despatch Cloud dispatches them all through the same queue and sends tracking back to each channel.
Integration layer
Carrier APIs
Despatch Cloud generates labels, submits manifests and retrieves tracking. Carrier outages or rule changes impact dispatch and must be monitored.
Two-way sync where relevant
06 · Surrounding systems

Systems this integration usually sits next to.

Examples, not a closed list. iWeb is platform-agnostic on both sides: we wire this integration into whatever ecommerce platform and surrounding systems your estate already runs.

Ecommerce platforms (examples)
  • Adobe Commerce
  • Magento Open Source
  • Shopify Plus
  • BigCommerce
  • Other storefronts
Surrounding systems (examples)
  • ERP (stock, goods-out accounting)
  • Commerce platform (order capture, tracking display)
  • Marketplace connectors (multi-channel order flow)
  • Payment gateway (order validation trigger)
  • Customer account system (tracking email and visibility)
  • Carrier APIs (label generation, tracking lookup)
Not sure?

Not sure if this works with your stack?

Tell us what you’re using and what needs to connect. We’ll give you a straight view on what’s possible, what might be awkward, and the safest way to approach it.

07 · Data flows

The data flows we wire.

Each flow has a direction and an owner. We agree both before a line of code is written.

→Into COMMERCE & ERP
←From COMMERCE & ERP
↔BOTH WAYS
Order and line capture: Validated orders from your commerce platform are sent to Despatch Cloud with shipping address, line SKUs, quantities and channel origin
Despatch Cloud queues them for picking and labelling.
Stock levels and hold buffers: Available stock and reserved-stock flags flow from your ERP to Despatch Cloud so it does not oversell or hold orders against phantom stock
Stock buffers protect against ERP-to-commerce latency.
Despatch and tracking: When an order ships, Despatch Cloud sends tracking numbers, carrier, label reference and despatch confirmation back to commerce so customers see order status and shoppers receive tracking links.
Stock movement and reconciliation: Pick and despatch events from Despatch Cloud feed back to ERP as stock movements, so inventory balances stay in sync with physical warehouse state and finance can reconcile goods out.
Returns and RMA flow: Return authorisations and restock events flow to Despatch Cloud; completed returns, refund triggers and restock confirmations flow back to commerce and ERP for credit note and inventory adjustment.
08 · How we build it

How iWeb configures the integration around your business.

Same method on every integration. The decisions come before the code.

  1. 01
    Order flow and buffer design

    We define when orders transition from commerce to Despatch Cloud (on payment, on ERP validation, etc), set stock reserve buffers to account for latency, and build fallback behaviour if Despatch Cloud is unreachable.

  2. 02
    Carrier and shipping rule configuration

    We map your business rules (zone-based carrier selection, weight-based method choice, channel-specific shipping) into Despatch Cloud label and dispatch templates so the right label prints for every order.

  3. 03
    Stock synchronisation and reconciliation

    We build the bridge so stock movements (picks, despatch, returns) flow back to ERP and commerce inventory. We add monitoring so drifts between Despatch Cloud and ERP are caught and escalated.

  4. 04
    Exception handling and observability

    We surface unshipped orders, labelling failures and carrier rejections to a monitored queue with clear ownership and runbooks. We add alerts so teams know immediately when dispatch is stuck.

  5. 05
    Multi-warehouse and multi-channel testing

    We run peak-load and failover scenarios to ensure orders do not pile up, carriers are not overloaded, and channel priority is respected. We validate that your fulfilment scales cleanly.

09 · Ownership

Who owns what.

The single most important table in any integration. One system owns each field; everything else reads it.

Data
Source / owner
Maintained by
Notes
DataDispatch instructions and order routing
Source / ownerDespatch Cloud
Maintained byWarehouse / operations team with input from commerce order capture
NotesCommerce sends orders; Despatch Cloud queues and routes them. Carrier rules and warehouse location are owned by the WMS.
DataDespatch confirmation, tracking and label reference
Source / ownerDespatch Cloud
Maintained byDespatch Cloud system (automated from carrier and label output)
NotesTracking and carrier data flow back to commerce and ERP so customers and finance see shipment state.
DataStock movements from pick and despatch
Source / ownerDespatch Cloud (warehouse events)
Maintained byDespatch Cloud, synced to ERP and commerce
NotesPick events reduce available stock; despatch events confirm goods out. Stock must reconcile across all three systems.
DataReturns, RMA intake and restock events
Source / ownerDespatch Cloud (when return lands in warehouse)
Maintained byWarehouse team with confirmation from Despatch Cloud back to commerce
NotesReturns are authorised in commerce, received and inspected in Despatch Cloud, then restocked and credited in ERP.
DataCarrier selection and shipping rules
Source / ownerBusiness rules (maintained outside system)
Maintained byOps / shipping team, configured in Despatch Cloud
NotesRules (zone, weight, channel, service level) are the source of truth for label and carrier output.
DataIntegration transport and exception handling
Source / ownerIntegration layer
Maintained byiWeb and internal ops
NotesOrder, stock and return flows are monitored; failed messages and queue exceptions are logged and escalated.
10 · Experienced integrator

Built this before

iWeb has integrated Despatch Cloud into multi-channel and multi-warehouse estates. We understand how despatch fits alongside commerce order capture, ERP stock and finance, and carrier networks. We know the common failure points and build observability and governance to prevent them.

We design order flow handshakes so orders move to Despatch Cloud only when they are valid, stock is reserved and fulfilment capacity is available.
We configure carrier rules, zone-based routing and multi-channel packing instructions so Despatch Cloud dispatches orders according to your business logic.
We build stock movement synchronisation so picks and despatch events flow back to ERP and commerce inventory stays accurate across the estate.
We add exception handling and observability for unshipped orders, labelling failures and carrier rejections so operations teams are never blind.
We test multi-channel dispatch, peak load and carrier failover scenarios so your fulfilment scales and remains reliable at launch.
11 · Before launch

What we test before launch.

Every one of these is rehearsed before a customer ever sees the integration.

Test order flow from each commerce platform to Despatch Cloud with complete address and SKU data; validate queue acceptance within SLA.
Verify stock reserve from ERP is enforced before orders are released to picking; test fallback behaviour if stock is unavailable.
Confirm tracking and carrier data flows back from Despatch Cloud to commerce and customers within expected SLA post-despatch.
Validate stock movements (picks and despatch) flow to ERP and reconcile against physical warehouse counts; measure reconciliation lag.
Test return flow from customer request through Despatch Cloud intake, restock and credit trigger; verify no returns are orphaned.
Simulate carrier unavailability and test order holds, alternative carrier selection and alert propagation to ops team.
Run peak-load scenario (multi-channel orders, peak volume) to validate queue throughput, order latency and carrier label capacity without bottleneck or data loss.
12 · Failure points

Common risks and where they bite.

We name these on day one. A risk written down is a risk you can plan around.

Orders sit unshipped because stock is not reserved

If commerce does not reserve stock before sending orders to Despatch Cloud, the WMS may hold orders waiting for stock that never arrives (or is sold elsewhere). Result: customer SLA breach and angry warehouse teams.

Tracking is never sent back to the shopper

If the despatch confirmation flow from Despatch Cloud to commerce is not configured or breaks silently, customers never see tracking numbers. Shipping becomes invisible and return inquiries spike.

Stock drifts between Despatch Cloud and ERP

If stock movements are not configured to flow back from Despatch Cloud to ERP, physical stock and system stock diverge over weeks. Finance reconciliation fails and oversell creeps in.

Carrier rules change but dispatch logic does not

Carrier selection, label format or zone rules change in the real world but are not updated in Despatch Cloud. Orders route to the wrong carrier, labels print incorrectly, or shipments are rejected at pickup.

Returns loop is broken or unowned

Return instructions reach Despatch Cloud but nobody owns the RMA validation, restock confirmation or credit trigger in the back end. Returns accumulate in a queue and credit notes are never issued.

Despatch Cloud outage breaks checkout

If order submission to Despatch Cloud is synchronous and blocking, a service outage stops orders from being placed. No fallback queuing or async pattern is in place.

13 · Where it applies

Relevant services and sectors.

14 · Questions

Common questions about Despatch Cloud integrations.

When does an order move from commerce to Despatch Cloud?

Typically after payment is confirmed and stock is reserved in ERP. Some businesses send orders on payment only and rely on Despatch Cloud to wait for stock. We help you choose the pattern that matches your stock buffer and fulfilment capacity.

What happens if Despatch Cloud is down when an order is placed?

If order submission is asynchronous, orders queue in commerce or a message broker until Despatch Cloud is back. If it is synchronous and blocking, checkout fails. We recommend async with fallback observability so no orders are lost.

How do we ensure multi-channel orders share the same dispatch queue fairly?

All orders flow into Despatch Cloud regardless of origin (web, marketplace, B2B). Channel priority, carrier rules and packing instructions are defined in Despatch Cloud templates so each order is treated according to your policy.

How does stock reserve work between commerce, Despatch Cloud and ERP?

Commerce reserves stock at purchase. Despatch Cloud holds the order until stock is confirmed available. ERP reflects both reserved and available stock. We sync all three so oversell is prevented and stock does not disappear between systems.

When does tracking reach the customer?

After the order is picked, packed and labelled in Despatch Cloud, the carrier and tracking number are sent back to commerce. Commerce publishes tracking to the customer account and sends email notification in real-time.

How do stock movements flow back to ERP?

Pick events in Despatch Cloud reduce available stock. Despatch events confirm goods out. Both are sent to ERP so inventory balances stay accurate. We add reconciliation monitoring to catch silent drifts.

Can we split an order across multiple shipments or warehouses?

Despatch Cloud handles split shipments if pre-routed. Multi-warehouse allocation is usually done at commerce or ERP level before orders reach Despatch Cloud. We help you design the orchestration that suits your warehouse network.

What happens when a carrier is unavailable or a label fails?

Despatch Cloud logs the failure and the order sits in a hold queue. We add alerts and dashboards so the team knows immediately and can intervene (choose alternative carrier, hold order, escalate to customer).

How do returns flow back through the system?

Customer requests return in commerce; Despatch Cloud receives the RMA and coordinates restock in the warehouse. Restock confirmation flows back to ERP and commerce triggers a credit note. Without this loop, returns pile up unprocessed.

How do we handle shipping rule changes (carrier, zone, weight)?

Rules are maintained outside Despatch Cloud (in a rules engine, spreadsheet or governance process). When rules change, Despatch Cloud templates must be updated. We add change tracking so stale rules do not silently break dispatch.

What monitoring and alerting do we need?

We recommend monitoring order submission lag, unshipped order age, carrier rejection rate, stock drift between systems and exception queue depth. Alerts trigger when orders are stuck, tracking is late or stock is mismatched.

How do we test that dispatch will survive peak load or a carrier outage?

We run load tests to validate queue throughput, test carrier failover so orders route to an alternative, and test stock buffer depth so orders do not hold indefinitely waiting for stock.

Can we integrate Despatch Cloud with multiple commerce platforms?

Yes. We design a single Despatch Cloud instance that receives orders from multiple commerce platforms, manages despatch centrally and publishes tracking back to each. Multi-platform fulfilment becomes coordinated rather than siloed.

Next step

Have a Despatch Cloud integration brief?

Send the brief, or tell us what is breaking. You will get a written response from a senior expert: the integration boundary, the realistic shape, the risks worth naming, and what it takes to support after launch.
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