AUTOMATION, ERP INTEGRATION, AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT IN E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SHOPIFY, BIGCOMMERC, AND SALLA

Abstract

The rapid growth of e-commerce platforms has increased the demand for strong digital tools to handle inventory complexity and related operational results. In particular, automation and enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration are broadly seen as key factors that enable better inventory visibility, coordination, and scalability. However, most existing research looks at these technologies separately, providing limited understanding of how their combined setup influences inventory management in platform-based environments. This dissertation explores the differences in automation, ERP integration, and inventory management practices across various e-commerce platforms, and investigates how these capabilities impact inventory-related operational results. The study uses a qualitative multiple-case design, adopting an interpretivist and inductive approach with secondary evidence. Three platforms (Shopify, BigCommerce, and Salla) are analysed through academic literature, industry reports, and platform documentation. Thematic analysis is applied to identify common patterns and differences across cases. The findings indicate that inventory results are less influenced by automation or ERP integration alone. Instead, they rely on how these features are configured, aligned, and governed within the specific architecture and ecosystem of each platform. Platforms with more cohesive automation and system integration tend to enhance inventory visibility and synchronisation. Conversely, platforms that focus on simplicity and ease of use usually prioritise operational convenience over sophisticated optimisation as complexity grows. The analysis further suggests that the depth and reliability of ERPenabled synchronisation might have a more significant impact on inventory performance than just the extent of automation features. This study advances the literature on digital supply chains and platform ecosystems by viewing automation, ERP integration, and inventory management as interconnected capabilities instead of separate technologies. Practically, it emphasises the need to align capability development with the system's readiness for integration and the maturity level of merchants. These insights apply to both well-established international e-commerce platforms and newer ones.