How to use Claude with ProShop ERP
Short answer
To use Claude with ProShop, expose a small set of read-only ProShop API tools through a Model Context Protocol server and connect it to Claude. For stricter data residency, run Claude through a cloud provider such as AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex, or use a private open-weight model on your own hardware.
Shops on ProShop tend to have rich written records: nonconformance narratives, inspection notes, routing instructions, customer flow-down text. Claude is good at reading long, messy text and reasoning across it, which makes it a natural fit for questions like what changed on this part between revisions or which of these jobs share the same recurring defect.
The connection point is the Model Context Protocol. Instead of pasting data into a chat, you run a small server that offers named tools such as find work order or get NCR history, and Claude calls them when needed. The server holds credentials, so the model never sees a ProShop password.
The other half of the decision is where the model runs. Claude is available through Anthropic directly and, depending on region and plan, through cloud marketplaces. Which route is acceptable depends on your contracts and on how sensitive the content of your records is.
What teams use it for
Recurring defect analysis
Ask Claude to read NCR narratives for a part family over a year and group them by root cause wording, with links to the underlying records.
Revision change review
Provide notes and routing for two part revisions and ask for a plain list of what changed that affects setup, tooling or inspection.
Audit preparation
Before an AS9100 or customer audit, have Claude check a sample of traveler and inspection records against a checklist you supply and flag gaps.
Flow-down clause extraction
Feed a customer PO terms document and have Claude list required certs, record retention and sub-tier controls so the buyer can verify each is set up.
Work instruction drafting
Draft first-pass setup notes from a routing and similar completed jobs, for a programmer or lead to review before release.
ProShop ERP integration surface
- ProShop's API is the natural backend for an MCP server. Current releases are GraphQL based with token authentication; confirm endpoint, schema and limits with ProShop for your version.
- The MCP server translates a few GraphQL queries into stable tools, so changes in the schema are handled in one place instead of in prompts.
- Records most useful to Claude are free-text heavy: NCRs, inspection comments, work order notes, quote notes and part descriptions.
- Exports and reports remain a fallback when you only need to analyse a batch offline.
- File attachments such as drawings and certs may be reachable through the system, but treat them as the most sensitive content and decide deliberately whether they go to a model.
How it works
- 1
Decide the hosting route
Options include Anthropic's API under your commercial terms, Claude through AWS Bedrock or Google Vertex AI in a region you select, or a private model. Match to your contract and data class.
- 2
Build the MCP server
Use an official MCP SDK to expose read-only tools, with typed inputs and trimmed outputs.
- 3
Authenticate to ProShop
Give the server a least-privilege API user; keep the token in a secret store and never pass it to the model.
- 4
Choose the transport
Local stdio suits one analyst on a laptop. A remote HTTP server with sign-in suits a team and lets you enforce per-user access.
- 5
Connect Claude
Register the server in the Claude client or in your own application built on the API, and write instructions requiring citations to record IDs.
- 6
Review and expand
Check outputs against records for a few weeks before adding more tools or any write capability.
Example flows
Quarterly defect review
Trigger: Quality manager asks Claude about a part family
- Claude calls a tool to list NCRs for the part numbers.
- It reads each narrative and groups them by cause.
- It returns clusters with NCR numbers, so each claim can be checked.
Result: A review draft in minutes, with every cluster traceable to specific records.
Audit sample check
Trigger: Auditor visit scheduled for next week
- Claude pulls a sample of closed work orders.
- For each it checks that signoffs, inspection entries and certs are present.
- It lists exceptions for the quality team to chase.
Result: Gaps are found before the auditor finds them.
Keeping data on-prem
Claude itself is not downloadable, so a strictly air-gapped deployment cannot use it. What you can do is keep the MCP server and all ProShop credentials inside your network, route model calls through a cloud region you have approved, and exclude the most sensitive record types from the tools. If contracts forbid sending content to any external model service, the same MCP server design works with an open-weight model hosted on your own GPUs, because MCP is a standard that other clients can speak. ProShop being vendor-hosted means the ERP side is already external, so draw a clear map of each data flow.
Security checklist
- Read-only tools first; no write tools until accuracy is proven.
- Per-user sign-in on remote MCP servers, with logging of tool calls.
- Pick regions and plans whose retention and training terms you have read; verify current terms.
- Exclude drawings and controlled attachments from tool outputs unless cleared.
- Short-lived tokens, rotation, and alerts for unusual query volume.
Ways to get it done
Open-source or community MCP server if one exists
Effort: Hours to days, plus security review.
Quick trial if it covers your needs; review the code and the permissions it requests.
Build your own MCP server
Effort: One to three weeks for a useful read-only set.
Teams with a developer who want exact control over tools and logging.
Partner build with Netray
Effort: Weeks, depending on scope.
Shops needing a private model option, audit trails and a managed rollout.
Pitfalls
- !Giving the server broad credentials because it is faster during testing.
- !Returning full records instead of selected fields, which wastes context and leaks data.
- !Assuming a community connector is vetted; read it before connecting real data.
- !No citation requirement, so summaries cannot be checked.
- !Ignoring contract flow-downs that restrict where technical data may be processed.
Frequently asked questions
Does ProShop have a native Claude integration?
Do not assume so. Check ProShop's current integrations and the Claude connector directory, as availability changes. The dependable path is an MCP server you control, calling the ProShop API with a restricted user and exposing a small set of read-only tools.
What is MCP and why use it here?
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for giving AI applications tools and data. Using it means your ProShop tools are written once and can work with Claude and with other MCP-capable clients, instead of being tied to a single vendor's plugin format.
Can we keep ProShop data out of Anthropic's systems?
If you use Claude, the content you send in prompts and tool results is processed by the chosen service. You can limit exposure by restricting tool outputs and choosing a cloud region and plan with suitable terms. For zero external processing, use an on-prem open-weight model instead.
Which is better, Bedrock or the direct API?
Neither is universally better. Bedrock or Vertex may fit if your company already has cloud agreements, regions and logging there. The direct API may have newer features sooner. Choose based on contracts, region needs and operational familiarity, and check current availability.
Can Claude write back to ProShop?
It can if you build write tools, but start read-only. If you add writes, make them narrow, such as appending a note, require user confirmation, and log them. Avoid autonomous changes to quantities, costs or quality dispositions.
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