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The Hub Model of merchantCENTRAL

Why a Hub?

The challenge in multi-channel e-commerce is obvious: Every marketplace – Amazon, Otto, Kaufland, eBay, Conrad, Shopify – has its own APIs, its own data formats, its own order processes, and its own rules. Anyone operating multiple channels quickly faces a tangle of individual solutions that don't communicate with each other.

merchantCENTRAL solves this problem with a hub model: A central platform in Business Central that brings all channels together through a unified interface. Instead of maintaining many isolated point solutions, there is one central node through which everything runs.

Hub Model Architecture

The Core Idea: "List Once, Sell Everywhere"

The hub model is based on a simple principle:

Without Hub With Hub
Each marketplace has its own item master One central item pool for all channels
Orders are processed per marketplace All orders flow into a unified process
Supplier data is maintained manually Automatic import into a central data pool
Prices are manually calculated per channel Central price calculation with channel-specific adjustments
Shipping labels created via separate portals One shipping system for all carriers
Stock levels inconsistent One inventory calculation for all channels

Advantages of the Hub Model

1. One Item Base – No Duplicate Effort

Items are created once in Business Central and made available to all marketplaces via the central item pool (Marketplace Items). Changes to title, description, EAN, images, or category are automatically propagated to all connected channels.

β†’ More details: Central Item Pool

2. All Suppliers Feed into One Pool

Whether it's Jarltech, BlueStar, Wave, VEDES, or any of the other 13+ supplier connectors – all imported price lists and stock levels end up in one central table: the Supplier Data Pool. From there, they are equally available to all marketplace connectors.

β†’ More details: Suppliers & Item Pool

3. Central Price Management

Based on supplier prices in the central pool, the Price Engine automatically calculates sales prices – with margins, rounding rules, MSRP caps, and marketplace-specific fees. A price change at the supplier automatically triggers the recalculation of all sales prices.

β†’ More details: Central Price Management

4. Unified Order Management

Whether an order comes from Amazon, Otto, Kaufland, or your own Shopware shop – it is imported through the same process, converted into the same Business Central sales order, and processed with the same warehouse and shipping workflows.

β†’ More details: Order Management

5. One Shipping System for All

Labels for DHL, DPD, GLS, UPS, or Rhenus are created from the same dialog. Tracking numbers are automatically assigned to the correct marketplace and reported back as shipping confirmations.

β†’ More details: Shipping Integration

6. Central Inventory Calculation

A single inventory formula calculates the available quantity for each item and each channel – taking into account safety stock, cross-channel reservations, supplier stock, and maximum quantities.

β†’ More details: Inventory Calculation

7. One Dashboard for Everything

Instead of opening ten different portals, the merchantCENTRAL Dashboard shows you at a glance:

  • How many new orders arrived today
  • Which orders are still open
  • Which items need updating
  • Revenue per channel

8. Scalability Through Plugin Architecture

New marketplaces, suppliers, or shipping providers are installed as standalone apps – without touching the existing configuration. The hub model is designed so that every new channel immediately benefits from the entire infrastructure.

β†’ More details: Plugin Architecture

The Hub Model at a Glance

Hub Infrastructure

Comparison: Hub vs. Individual Solutions

Criterion Individual Solutions merchantCENTRAL Hub
Item Management Maintained separately per channel Created once centrally, available everywhere
Price Calculation Manual per channel Automatic via Price Engine
Order Process Different per marketplace One unified workflow
Supplier Data Manual maintenance or custom tools 13+ automatic importers
Shipping Labels Separate carrier portals One dialog, all carriers
Inventory Inconsistent individual levels Cross-channel calculation
Adding a New Channel Completely new integration Install an app, done
Training Effort Different logic per channel Learn once, apply everywhere
Error Handling Scattered across different systems Central activity log
Reporting Tedious across systems One dashboard, all data

Who Is the Hub Model For?

The hub model is ideal for businesses that:

  • Sell on more than one marketplace (or plan to)
  • Want to calculate prices automatically rather than maintaining them manually
  • Have multiple suppliers whose data is regularly updated
  • Handle shipping via different carriers
  • Use Business Central as their leading ERP system
  • Want to ensure efficiency and consistency across all channels

Further Documentation