Batch or real-time
Batch processing and real-time integration on one platform
Some business data moves best in scheduled volumes; some cannot wait. ECOM supports both batch processing and real-time integration, so each flow runs in the way the business process, partner and system require, with the same maps, partner settings, security and monitoring.
At a glance
- Scheduled EDI processing
- Bulk transaction processing
- File-based integration
- Periodic ERP synchronization
- API-driven integration
- Event-triggered workflows
What is batch and real-time integration?
Batch integration collects documents or records and processes them together, on a schedule or in a partner's transmission window. Real-time integration processes each transaction as it happens, usually through an API call or an event. Most enterprises need both. EDI with many partners often runs in batches, while order status lookups, inventory checks and some partner APIs need an immediate response.
How they compare
Two processing models, one integration platform
Batch and real-time flows differ in how they are triggered and how quickly results are needed, not in where they run. Both use the same platform, maps and monitoring.
Batch
Collect, then process together
On a schedule or a partner window
- Files and documents collected
- Scheduled run starts
- Translate and validate in bulk
- Deliver to ERP and partners
- Scheduled EDI processing
- High-volume transformation
- Periodic ERP synchronization
- File-based exchange
Real-time
Process each transaction as it happens
On demand, per request or event
- API call or event
- Validate and route
- Target system responds
- Status visible
- API-driven integration
- Event-triggered workflows
- On-demand lookups
- Operational visibility
One platform for both: the same maps, partner settings, security and monitoring apply to batch and real-time flows.
Outcomes
What you can expect
The right model for each flow
High-volume, scheduled exchanges and time-sensitive transactions each run in the model that suits them.
One set of maps and rules
Translation, validation and partner settings are shared, so the same document is handled consistently in either model.
Fewer moving parts
Batch and real-time integration on one platform means one place to monitor, secure and support.
Approach
How ECOM delivers it
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Scheduled EDI processing
Partner documents collected and processed on schedules or in partner transmission windows.
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Bulk transaction processing
Large volumes of orders, invoices or records translated, validated and delivered together.
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File-based integration
Files exchanged with partners and applications and processed as they arrive or on a schedule.
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Periodic ERP synchronization
Master data, inventory and status synchronized with the ERP at agreed intervals.
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API-driven integration
Transactions exchanged through REST or SOAP services as applications request them.
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Event-triggered workflows
Integration flows started by business events, such as an order being created or a shipment being confirmed.
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Validation and routing in flight
Each transaction checked against partner and business rules and routed to the right system as it passes through.
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Operational visibility
Business and technical teams follow batch and real-time transactions and their exceptions with PRISM-SCV.
Choosing a model
How to decide between batch and real time
The choice belongs to the business process, the partner and the systems involved, and it can be different for each flow.
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What the partner supports
Many trading partners send and expect EDI in batches. Others offer APIs for transactions that need an immediate answer.
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What the process needs
An order confirmation a customer is waiting for needs a different model from a nightly price update.
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What the systems allow
Some ERPs and legacy applications only accept data in files or batches; modern applications often expose APIs.
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Volume and cost
Very high volumes are often cheaper and more reliable to process in batches; real time is reserved for where speed matters.
Processing time
What determines how fast data moves
ECOM does not promise zero latency or instantaneous processing. Actual timing depends on several factors, which are agreed during design.
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Integration architecture
How flows are designed, scheduled and scaled determines how quickly they process data.
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Network conditions
Connections between partners, networks and systems add their own delays.
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Partner and target systems
A partner's schedule, or how quickly an ERP accepts data, often sets the pace.
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Service agreements
Processing expectations for managed services are defined in each customer's agreement.
Scenarios
Common scenarios
Retail EDI plus partner APIs
Batch EDI with most retailers, and APIs with the marketplaces and partners that offer them.
Nightly synchronization plus live status
Master data synchronized overnight, with order and shipment status available on demand.
Modernizing batch interfaces
Move selected batch interfaces to APIs where the business needs faster updates, and leave the rest as batch.
Compare
Batch and real-time at a glance
| Criteria | Batch | Real-time |
|---|---|---|
| How it runs | Collects data and processes it together | Processes each transaction as it happens |
| Typical trigger | A schedule, a file arriving or a partner's transmission window | An API call or a business event |
| Good for | High volumes, EDI with many partners, periodic synchronization | Lookups, confirmations and transactions that need an immediate answer |
| Typical interfaces | EDI over AS2, SFTP or VAN; files; database staging | REST and SOAP APIs, messaging and events |
| Handling errors | Failed items are flagged and reprocessed without holding up the rest of the batch | The caller receives an error response and the transaction is flagged for follow-up |
Frequently asked questions
Is real-time EDI possible?
Often, yes. Protocols such as AS2 can send each document as soon as it is created, and APIs can carry the same business data. Whether a flow can run in real time also depends on the partner and the systems on both sides.
Does ECOM support both batch and real-time processing?
Yes. ECOM supports scheduled batch processing and real-time, API-driven and event-triggered integration on the same platform.
How fast is real-time integration?
It depends on the integration architecture, network conditions, partner and target systems and the service agreement. ECOM agrees realistic expectations during design rather than promising instantaneous processing.
Can we move existing batch interfaces to real time?
Yes, where the partner and systems support it. ECOM helps decide which interfaces benefit from real time and which are better left as batch.
Discuss your batch and real-time flows
Tell us which flows you run today and which need to be faster. An ECOM specialist will recommend the right model for each.