How to add WhatsApp to ProShop ERP
Short answer
ProShop is a cloud ERP, so WhatsApp connects through its API and the WhatsApp Business Platform rather than a database link. A small middleware service reads ProShop events (PO changes, work order status, shipping), sends approved template messages, and writes replies back as notes or status updates.
Job shops and contract manufacturers on ProShop live in a world of short-notice customer questions: where is my order, did the material ship, can you confirm the delivery date. The answers are all in ProShop work orders, customer POs and packing records, but the person asking is usually on a phone, and in many markets that phone conversation happens on WhatsApp.
ProShop has no native WhatsApp channel that we can point to for every version, so the practical route is to build a thin integration: ProShop data out through its API, WhatsApp Business Platform messages in and out, and a rules layer in the middle that decides who can be told what.
What teams use it for
Customer order status on request
A buyer messages a part number or customer PO and gets the current work order stage, promised ship date and any open NCR hold, read from ProShop.
Shipment notices with tracking
When a shipment is recorded against a customer PO, a template message carries the carrier, tracking number and packing list reference.
Supplier PO confirmations
Outside processing vendors (anodize, heat treat, plating) get a template message on a new PO and reply YES or a revised date, which is logged against the PO line.
Quote approval pings
A customer-facing contact receives a short message when a quote is ready, with a link to the quote PDF and a reply option to accept or ask for changes.
Internal late-job alerts
Production managers get a message when a work order operation is flagged late or a hold is placed, instead of waiting for the next stand-up.
ProShop ERP integration surface
- ProShop exposes an API (GraphQL in current releases, with REST-style endpoints on some versions) authenticated with a token or API key tied to a user; confirm the exact endpoint and scopes with your ProShop admin or support contact.
- Key objects you will read: work orders and their operations, parts and routings, customer POs, purchase orders, quotes, shipping records and NCRs. Field names vary by version, so map them in a config file, not in code.
- ProShop is hosted by the vendor, so there is no direct database access to rely on; plan for API polling on an interval, or webhooks/notifications if your tenant has them enabled.
- Contact data (buyer phone numbers) is often thin in ERP records. Expect to add a mobile-number and WhatsApp opt-in field on the customer contact, or hold the opt-in table in the middleware.
- Report exports and scheduled data pulls are a fallback for read-only status messages when API access is limited on your plan.
How it works
- 1
Get API access and a service account
Ask ProShop for API credentials scoped to a dedicated integration user with read access to work orders, POs and shipping, and write access only to the notes field if you want replies logged.
- 2
Register a WhatsApp Business number
Use the WhatsApp Business Platform Cloud API directly or through a business solution provider. Verify the business, add a display name, and create message templates for each flow.
- 3
Build the middleware
A small service (Node, Python or .NET) polls ProShop, tracks the last-seen state per work order and PO, and decides what has changed. It keeps a table of contacts, opt-ins and message history.
- 4
Map events to templates
Outside the 24-hour customer service window only approved templates can be sent. Map each ProShop change (shipped, hold placed, PO issued) to one template with named variables.
- 5
Handle inbound replies
Receive the WhatsApp webhook, match the sender to a contact, parse simple intents (status, confirm, revise date), and either answer from ProShop or write a note against the right record.
- 6
Add review for anything that writes
Status answers can be automatic. Anything that changes a due date or confirms a PO line should go to a person in ProShop to approve before it is applied.
Example flows
Shipment alert to a customer buyer
Trigger: A shipping record is saved against a customer PO in ProShop.
- Middleware sees the new shipment on its next poll.
- It looks up the buyer contact and checks the opt-in flag.
- It sends the shipment template with PO number, carrier and tracking.
- The delivery receipt status is stored with the shipment.
Result: The buyer knows the parts are on the truck without emailing the sales desk.
Outside processing confirmation
Trigger: A purchase order for an outside operation is released.
- Middleware sends the vendor a template with PO number and requested date.
- The vendor replies with a date or a question.
- A confirmed date is queued as a pending change for the buyer in ProShop.
- The buyer approves, and the PO line date is updated.
Result: Vendor promise dates are captured the same day instead of sitting in a text thread.
Keeping data on-prem
ProShop itself is vendor-hosted, so the on-prem question is about the middleware and any AI you add. Run the integration service and its contact and message tables inside your own network or private cloud, with outbound-only access to the ProShop API and to the WhatsApp Cloud API. If you want WhatsApp users to ask free-text questions, route the question to an open-weight model served locally with vLLM or Ollama, fed only the ProShop fields the sender is allowed to see, so customer and part data is not sent to a public model. Note that WhatsApp message content itself transits Meta infrastructure, which matters for ITAR or CUI work: keep drawings, controlled part numbers and technical data out of WhatsApp entirely.
Security checklist
- Never put controlled technical data, drawings or export-controlled part descriptions into WhatsApp messages. Send neutral status only and link to an authenticated portal.
- Scope the ProShop integration user to the minimum objects and keep the API token in a secrets store, rotated on a schedule.
- Verify the sender against the contact table before answering any status query, and rate limit by number.
- Honor opt-in and opt-out per WhatsApp policy and keep a log of every message sent and its template for audit.
Ways to get it done
Off-the-shelf WhatsApp automation tool with ProShop CSV or API triggers
Effort: Days to a couple of weeks, plus template approval time.
Fine for simple one-way shipment notices if your volume is low and no controlled data is involved.
Build the middleware in-house
Effort: Roughly three to six weeks for status, shipment and PO flows with testing.
Good if you have a developer who is comfortable with GraphQL and webhooks and wants full control of the rules.
Work with a partner such as Netray
Effort: Typically a few weeks for a scoped pilot on one or two flows.
Suits shops that want inbound free-text questions answered by a private model with review on writes.
Pitfalls
- !Sending a message outside the 24-hour window without an approved template, which fails silently or gets rejected.
- !Using a personal buyer number with no recorded opt-in, which risks the number being flagged.
- !Polling too aggressively and hitting ProShop API limits; poll by changed-since time, not full lists.
- !Auto-confirming vendor dates without a human check, which can move a customer promise date by accident.
- !Treating WhatsApp as a record system. Always write the outcome back to ProShop.
Frequently asked questions
Does ProShop have a built-in WhatsApp integration?
We are not aware of a native WhatsApp channel across all ProShop versions, so check with your ProShop contact. The dependable route is the WhatsApp Business Platform plus ProShop API calls through a small middleware service that you or a partner own.
Can customers ask about order status in free text?
Yes, once the sender is matched to a known contact. The middleware reads the work order or customer PO from ProShop and replies inside the 24-hour window. A language model can interpret the question, but the answer should be assembled from ProShop fields, not generated freely.
Is WhatsApp acceptable for ITAR or CMMC work?
Treat it as unsuitable for controlled technical data. Messages pass through Meta systems. Use it for neutral notices such as shipped or delayed, and keep drawings, specifications and CUI inside controlled systems. Your compliance officer should confirm the policy.
Do we need a WhatsApp provider or can we use the Cloud API directly?
You can use the Cloud API directly if you have a developer and a verified Meta business account. A business solution provider adds dashboards, support and sometimes template tooling, at a per-message or monthly cost. Both work with a ProShop middleware.
How do replies end up in ProShop?
The middleware writes them back through the ProShop API as a note or a pending change on the relevant record, depending on what your API access permits. Anything that alters dates, quantities or prices should wait for a person to approve.
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