All the key terms around Xentral, ERP systems and e-commerce explained clearly. From API to webhook — your reference guide for digitalisation.
Third Party Logistics – external fulfilment service providers.
3PL (Third Party Logistics) refers to service providers that handle warehousing, picking and shipping for other companies. Well-known providers: DHL Fulfillment, Fiege, Arvato. Xentral can connect to 3PL warehouses via interfaces.
Central product master data management in Xentral.
The Artikelstamm (product master) is the central database of all products in Xentral. SKU, description, prices, tax rates, suppliers, images and variants are maintained here. The product master is the foundation for all sales and purchasing processes.
Fulfillment by Amazon – storage and shipping handled by Amazon.
With Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), Amazon stores and ships the merchant's products. Advantages: Prime shipping, scalability. Disadvantages: high costs, loss of control. Xentral can synchronise FBA inventory and import orders.
Fulfillment by Merchant – self-shipping through Amazon.
With Amazon FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant), the seller ships directly even when the sale is made through Amazon. Advantages: more control, lower costs. Disadvantages: no Prime shipping. Xentral processes FBM orders like regular orders.
Interface for data exchange between systems.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is an interface through which software systems communicate with each other. The Xentral REST API enables reading and writing of data (products, orders, customers) by external applications. The foundation for integrations and automations.
Automatic execution of tasks without manual intervention.
Automation means that processes run without human involvement. In Xentral: automatic order approval, stock alerts, email notifications. Reduces errors and saves time.
Transactional data such as orders and postings.
Transactional data (Bewegungsdaten) encompasses all transactions in the ERP system: orders, sales, stock movements, postings. Unlike master data, it is generated continuously in day-to-day business. It forms the basis for evaluations and reports.
Cloud inventory management for small online retailers.
Billbee is a German cloud inventory management solution aimed at small online retailers and newcomers. Strengths: affordable entry point (from €9/month), ease of use, quick setup. Weaknesses: limited automation, restricted DATEV export. Often used as a stepping stone before switching to Xentral.
Automatic synchronisation of stock levels across all channels.
Stock synchronisation means that inventory levels are automatically reconciled between the ERP and all sales channels (shop, marketplaces). This prevents overselling and ensures availability. In Xentral this happens via interfaces in real time or at set intervals.
Recording all financial transactions of a business.
Accounting (Buchhaltung / financial accounting) records all financial transactions of a company: income, expenses, receivables, payables. Xentral creates preliminary postings for the DATEV export to the tax advisor.
ERP system hosted in the cloud.
Cloud ERP refers to ERP systems that are not installed locally but delivered via the internet. Advantages: no own server infrastructure, automatic updates, location-independent access. Examples: Xentral, weclapp, Oracle NetSuite. Usually billed on a subscription basis.
Dynamic storage without fixed location assignments.
In dynamic storage (chaotische Lagerhaltung), items have no fixed location but are stored wherever space is available. The system records the position. Advantages: optimal use of space. Prerequisite: an ERP system with warehouse management such as Xentral.
German software company for tax advisors and their clients.
DATEV is a German software company offering solutions for tax advisors, auditors and their clients. DATEV Unternehmen Online is the platform for data exchange between businesses and their tax advisors. The DATEV export from Xentral transfers posting data automatically.
Customer who owes money to the business.
A debtor (Debitor) is a customer with outstanding receivables. Accounts receivable management tracks overdue payments. Xentral maintains debtor accounts and enables dunning for overdue invoices.
Transferring data from one system to another.
Data migration (Datenmigration) is the process of transferring data from a legacy system (e.g. Billbee, JTL) to a new system (e.g. Xentral). Covers: master data, historical orders, stock levels. Requires careful planning and field mapping.
Enterprise Resource Planning – software for managing business operations.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) refers to software that consolidates all business processes of a company into a single system. Typical modules: inventory management, accounting, warehouse management, CRM, production. Well-known ERP systems: SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Xentral, weclapp.
European Article Number – international barcode standard.
EAN (European Article Number) is a 13-digit barcode for unique product identification worldwide. Mandatory on most marketplaces. Can be obtained from GS1. In Xentral, the EAN is maintained in the product master and used for shipping labels.
Outputting data to external systems.
Export refers to outputting data from a system. Typical formats: CSV, PDF, XML. In Xentral, data is exported for DATEV, reporting and other systems. Can be done manually or automated via Prozessstarter.
Complete logistics process from order to delivery.
Fulfillment covers all steps after an order is placed: picking, packing, shipping, tracking and returns management. It can be handled internally or by external service providers (3PL). Xentral supports both models.
Global Trade Item Number – worldwide product identification standard.
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is the international standard for product identification, superseding EAN. GTIN-13 corresponds to the classic EAN. A mandatory field on Amazon, Google Shopping and many marketplaces. Administered by GS1.
Credit note for returns or incorrect postings.
A credit note (Gutschrift) corrects an invoice in full or in part, e.g. for returns or discounts. Legally it is a negative invoice. In Xentral, a credit note is often created automatically together with a return.
The moment a new system goes into production use.
Go-live marks the point at which a new system is used in production. In ERP projects: the legacy system is retired and all orders run through the new system. Requires careful preparation and often a parallel operation period.
Physical stocktake of all warehouse inventory.
A stocktake (Inventur) is the physical count of all goods in the warehouse. Required by law for companies subject to accounting obligations (once a year). Methods: cut-off stocktake, perpetual inventory. Xentral supports mobile stocktaking with scanners.
Connection between two software systems.
An integration connects different software systems with each other. Example: a shop integration (Shopify–Xentral) synchronises orders and stock automatically. Integrations can be native (provided by Xentral) or custom (individually developed).
Reading data from external sources into a system.
Import refers to reading data into a system. Formats: CSV, Excel, XML, JSON. Xentral provides import functions for products, customers, orders and more. Important: correct mapping of columns to Xentral fields.
Free inventory management software for e-commerce.
JTL-Wawi is a free on-premise inventory management system widely used by Amazon and eBay sellers. Extended by paid modules (JTL-WMS, JTL-Shop). Known for strong marketplace integration but more complex than cloud solutions.
Central customer master data management in Xentral.
The Kundenstamm (customer master) contains all customer data: addresses, contact details, payment terms, price groups and order history. Each customer receives a unique customer number. The customer master enables CRM functions and personalised conditions.
Picking and assembling items for an order.
Picking (Kommissionierung) is the process of collecting ordered items from the warehouse. Methods: single-order picking, batch picking, multi-order picking. Xentral supports various strategies and optimises routes through intelligent sorting.
Supplier to whom the business owes money.
A creditor (Kreditor) is a supplier with outstanding liabilities. Accounts payable management handles incoming invoices and payments. Xentral automatically matches incoming invoices to purchase orders.
Standardised chart of accounts for bookkeeping.
A chart of accounts (Kontenrahmen) is a systematic list of all bookkeeping accounts. Common in the DACH region: SKR03 (process-oriented) and SKR04 (balance-sheet-oriented). Xentral supports both charts of accounts for DATEV export.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
SMEs (KMU in German) refers to companies with up to 249 employees and a maximum annual turnover of €50 million. Xentral is specifically designed for SMEs in e-commerce and offers suitable pricing models.
Central supplier master data management in Xentral.
The Lieferantenstamm (supplier master) stores all procurement sources: contact details, delivery terms, minimum order quantities and product assignments. It forms the basis for purchase order suggestions and automated procurement. Each supplier receives a unique supplier number.
Defined storage location for items in the warehouse.
A storage location (Lagerplatz) is a defined place in the warehouse where items are stored. Typical labelling: aisle-rack-level-bay (e.g. "A-01-02-05"). Xentral enables warehouse management with multiple storage locations per item for optimised picking.
Selling across multiple sales channels simultaneously.
Multi-channel refers to selling through various channels simultaneously: own online shop, Amazon, eBay, brick-and-mortar retail. Requires centralised stock management and order processing to prevent overselling. Xentral synchronises stock levels across all channels.
Online platform enabling third-party sales.
A marketplace is an e-commerce platform where multiple merchants can sell. Examples: Amazon, eBay, Kaufland, Otto. Advantages: high reach. Disadvantages: fees, dependency, competition. Integration with Xentral automates order processing.
Payment reminder for overdue invoices.
A dunning notice (Mahnung) reminds the customer of an overdue payment. Typically: 3 escalation levels with increasing urgency. Xentral can generate reminders automatically and send them by email based on configurable dunning runs.
Software installed locally on a company's own servers.
On-premise refers to software installed and operated on a company's own servers. Advantages: full control, data sovereignty. Disadvantages: high initial costs, maintenance effort, IT staff required. The opposite of cloud/SaaS.
Seamless customer experience across all channels.
Omnichannel goes beyond multi-channel: customers experience a seamless journey across all touchpoints. Click & collect, returning online purchases in-store, unified customer data. Requires deep integration of all systems.
Introductory phase for a new system or customer.
Onboarding is the introductory phase in which a new system is implemented or a new customer is brought up to speed. For Xentral: master data setup, staff training, integration of the first shops.
Xentral feature for time-controlled automations.
Prozessstarter are scheduled tasks in Xentral that run on a recurring basis. Examples: hourly stock reconciliation, daily reports, weekly dunning checks. Prozessstarter complement Xentral Flows for non-event-based automations.
Instruction list for picking items from the warehouse.
A pick list contains all items to be picked for one or more orders, including storage location and quantity. Generated by the ERP and can be displayed on paper or on mobile scanners. An optimised sequence minimises walking distances.
Parcels that are undeliverable and returned to the sender.
Return-to-Sender (RTS) refers to shipments that could not be delivered and are sent back to the sender. Reasons: incorrect address, unknown recipient, delivery refused, storage period expired. The RTS rate is typically 2–5% of all shipments. Not to be confused with customer returns.
Return of goods by the customer.
A return (Retoure) is the sending back of goods to the merchant. Reasons: right of withdrawal, defect, wrong item. Differs from RTS (undeliverable). Xentral manages the returns process: receipt, inspection, re-stocking or disposal, credit note/refund.
Invoice document for goods delivered or services rendered.
An invoice (Rechnung) documents a delivery or service and its price. It must contain legally required details: invoice number, date, tax number, description of goods or services. Xentral generates invoices automatically from orders.
Standard architecture for web interfaces.
REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for web APIs. REST APIs use HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) for CRUD operations. Xentral provides a REST API for programmatic access to all data and functions.
Return on Investment – measure of investment profitability.
ROI (Return on Investment) measures the profitability of an investment. Formula: (profit − investment) / investment × 100. In ERP projects: time savings and error reduction weighed against licence and implementation costs.
Core, infrequently changing data in an ERP system.
Master data (Stammdaten) is the foundational data of an ERP system: products, customers, suppliers, storage locations. Unlike transactional data (orders, postings), master data rarely changes. Clean master data is the foundation for all business processes.
Stock Keeping Unit – unique product identifier.
A SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is a unique identifier for an item in the warehouse. It distinguishes variants (size, colour) from one another. Example: "TSHIRT-RED-M" for a red T-shirt in size M. SKUs are essential for mapping between shop and ERP system.
Connection point between two systems.
Schnittstelle is the German term for interface/API – the point at which two systems exchange data. Xentral provides interfaces to shops, marketplaces, shipping providers and accounting software.
Canadian e-commerce platform for online shops.
Shopify is one of the world's largest e-commerce platforms. It offers hosted online shops with a simple interface. The Shopify–Xentral integration synchronises orders, products and stock automatically.
Software as a Service – subscription-based software.
SaaS (Software as a Service) refers to software delivered via the internet and paid for on a subscription basis. Advantages: no installation, automatic updates, scalable. Xentral is a SaaS ERP.
A system's ability to grow with increasing demand.
Scalability describes how well a system handles growing requirements. A scalable ERP processes 100 or 10,000 orders per day without performance degradation. Cloud systems like Xentral are inherently well-suited to scaling.
Parcel tracking from dispatch to delivery.
Tracking allows a shipment to be followed from dispatch to delivery. Every parcel receives a tracking number. Xentral stores tracking numbers and can receive status updates from the carrier (e.g. "delivered", "undeliverable").
Total Cost of Ownership – all costs over the usage period.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) captures all costs over the period of use: licence costs, implementation, training, maintenance, integration. Important when comparing ERP systems, as low licence fees can carry high follow-on costs.
Value added tax on goods and services.
Value added tax (VAT / Umsatzsteuer) is the tax on supplies of goods and services. Standard rate in Germany: 19%, reduced rate: 7%. In Austria: 20% and 10% respectively. Xentral calculates taxes automatically based on configured tax rates and generates the VAT return.
Product variant (size, colour, material).
A variant is a specific version of a product: colour, size, material. In Xentral, each variant has its own SKU and stock tracking but belongs to the same parent product. Important for accurate display in shops and on marketplaces.
Carrier company that transports and delivers parcels.
Shipping carriers transport parcels from sender to recipient. Major providers in the DACH region: DHL, DPD, GLS, Hermes, UPS, Austrian Post. Xentral prints shipping labels and transmits tracking numbers automatically.
Shipping label with delivery information and barcode.
A shipping label contains sender, recipient, tracking barcode and routing information. It is generated by the ERP system and affixed to the parcel. Xentral creates labels for all major carriers and prints them directly or as a PDF.
System for managing goods flows within a business.
Warenwirtschaft (inventory management system) refers to systems for controlling the purchasing, storage and sale of goods. Core functions: product management, stock management, purchasing, sales, stocktaking. Modern inventory systems are often part of an ERP system.
German cloud ERP for SMEs.
weclapp is a German cloud ERP system considered an alternative to Xentral. It focuses on inventory management, CRM and project management. Strengths: affordable entry point, broad feature set. Weaknesses: less e-commerce-focused than Xentral.
Warehouse Management System – warehouse management software.
A WMS (Warehouse Management System) is specialised software for warehouse management. Functions: goods receipt, storage location management, picking, stocktaking. Xentral includes WMS functionality but can also be integrated with external WMS systems.
Automatic notification triggered by events.
A webhook is an automatic HTTP request triggered by specific events. Example: Shopify sends a webhook to Xentral when a new order is placed. Webhooks enable real-time integrations without constant polling.
WordPress plugin for online shops.
WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that turns a blog into an online shop. Very popular with small to medium-sized shops. The WooCommerce–Xentral integration enables automated data synchronisation.
Defined sequence of process steps.
A workflow is a defined sequence of steps for completing a task. Example: order workflow (receipt → review → picking → dispatch). Xentral Flows enable the automation of workflows.
Cloud-based ERP system for e-commerce and retail.
Xentral is a German cloud ERP system developed specifically for e-commerce companies and retailers. It combines inventory management, warehouse management, accounting and shop integrations in a single platform. Xentral was founded in 2008 and has over 2,000 customers in the DACH region.
No-code automation tool built into Xentral.
Xentral Flows is the integrated automation feature of Xentral. It allows the creation of if-then rules without programming. A flow consists of a trigger, conditions and actions. Typical use cases: automatic order approval, stock alerts, email notifications.
Marketplace for pre-built Xentral integrations.
Xentral Connect is the official app marketplace of Xentral. It offers pre-built integrations with shop systems (Shopify, WooCommerce), marketplaces (Amazon, eBay), shipping providers and accounting software. Apps are developed by Xentral and its partners.
Entry-level Xentral package for small businesses.
Xentral Starter is the most affordable licence model from Xentral, suitable for businesses with up to 1,000 orders per month. Includes basic modules for inventory management, warehouse management and accounting. Limited to 2 users and basic automations.
Mid-tier licence model for growing businesses.
Xentral Business targets medium-sized e-commerce companies with higher order volumes. It offers more automation options, enhanced reporting features and more user licences than Starter. Typical for businesses processing 1,000–10,000 orders per month.
Enterprise package for large businesses.
Xentral Pro is the most comprehensive licence model with all available features. It includes extended API limits, priority support, more automations and unlimited users. For businesses with high order volumes and complex requirements.
Official learning platform and training portal from Xentral.
The Xentral Academy offers training, tutorials and certifications for Xentral users and partners. Content ranges from introductory courses to advanced topics such as API development and automation. Certified partners must pass Academy exams.
Online forum for Xentral users and developers.
The Xentral Community is the official forum where users can ask questions, share experiences and receive help from Xentral experts. Topics include best practices, troubleshooting and feature requests. Active participation is rewarded with community badges.
Selling more items than are in stock.
An oversell occurs when more items are sold than are available. Common in multi-channel retail without real-time stock synchronisation. Leads to cancellations and poor reviews. Xentral with up-to-date stock reconciliation prevents overselling.
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