Connecting Mobile Apps to Your ERP and AI Workflows Without a Rewrite
Your ERP is the single source of truth, but it feels like a prison. Here is how to unlock it with an integration layer instead of a sledgehammer.
Every CIO faces the same dilemma: The Sales team wants a fast mobile app. The CEO wants "AI insights." But the data is locked in an SAP/Oracle/Navision instance from 2012. Migration feels too risky. Doing nothing feels like death.
Why "No Rewrite" Integration is Smarter
A full ERP replacement takes 18 months and costs millions. It is high-risk open-heart surgery.
The modern alternative is the Strangler Fig Pattern (or Wrapping): You keep the old ERP as the fast, reliable database of record, but you build a modern "Integration Layer" around it. New apps talk to the Integration Layer, not the old ERP.
Integration Building Blocks
API Gateway
The bouncer. It turns clumsy ERP queries into clean, secure `REST` or `GraphQL` endpoints for your apps.
Integration Platform (iPaaS)
The translator. Tools like MuleSoft, Tibco, or custom Node.js middleware that map "Column_X23" to "CustomerName".
Message Queues
The buffer. If 1,000 mobile users sync at once, the queue holds the data and feeds it to the ERP slowly so it doesn't crash.
Connecting Mobile Apps
Never connect a mobile app directly to your ERP database. It's a security nightmare and a performance killer.
Instead, your field sales app should hit an API Gateway. The Gateway checks if the user is authorized, then fetches the data from a Read Replica or a Cached Layer (Redis). This ensures your app is fast (sub-100ms) even if the ERP takes 2 seconds to respond.
Adding AI Workflows
AI models are hungry for data, but they don't need real-time access.
Use a Workflow Orchestration tool (like n8n or Temporal) to pull data out of the integration layer and feed it to the AI.
- Anomaly Detection: "Why is this invoice 5x higher than usual?" AI flags it in Slack before it hits the approval queue.
- Chat Integration: "Hey ERP-Bot, how many units of SKU-123 do we have in Mumbai?" The bot queries the API layer, not the SQL DB effectively.
Step-by-Step Roadmap
- Inventory Use Cases: Don't try to expose everything. Just expose "Orders" and "Inventory" if that's what the sales app needs.
- Choose Middleware: If you are a Microsoft shop, use Azure Logic Apps. If you hack, use Node.js/NestJS.
- Build Read-Only APIs first: It's safer. Let apps view data before you let them write data.
- Pilot One App: Launch a simple "Inventory Checker" app. Test the latency.
Lionize’s "Integration First" Approach
We believe in Evolutionary Architecture. We build a thin, robust API layer around your legacy core. This layer becomes your platform for innovation. You can swap out the ERP underneath 5 years later, and your mobile apps won't even notice.
Unlock Your Legacy Data
Talk to an Architect – See where AI and an integration layer can unlock ERP value without a risky rewrite.