Integration Diagram Template: Inbound and Outbound ERP Interfaces
This integration diagram template gives ERP owners a structured way to show every inbound and outbound interface in one document: PLM, EDI, CRM, MES, warehouse, BI and the integration layer between them. Fill in the system names, review the sample interfaces and export a document ready for architecture review.
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ERP Integration Diagram Template: Inbound and Outbound Interfaces
Integration overview
Company: Harlow Metal Products Core system: Infor SyteLine (on-prem) Integration layer: Integration server with REST and file adapters Owner: IT manager Date: 2026-11-01
Direction key: Inbound means data enters Infor SyteLine (on-prem). Outbound means data leaves Infor SyteLine (on-prem).
Context diagram (text)
[ PLM with released BOMs and drawings ] --releases items, BOMs, ECOs--> [ Integration server with REST and file adapters ] --> [ Infor SyteLine (on-prem) ] [ EDI VAN with X12 850, 855, 856, 810 ] --customer orders, ASNs in/out--> [ Integration server with REST and file adapters ] <--> [ Infor SyteLine (on-prem) ] [ CRM and quoting tool ] --quotes, customers--> [ Integration server with REST and file adapters ] --> [ Infor SyteLine (on-prem) ] [ Infor SyteLine (on-prem) ] --work orders, routings--> [ Integration server with REST and file adapters ] --> [ Shop floor data collection terminals ] [ Shop floor data collection terminals ] --labour, quantities, scrap--> [ Integration server with REST and file adapters ] --> [ Infor SyteLine (on-prem) ] [ Barcode warehouse app ] <--pick, receipt, move transactions--> [ Integration server with REST and file adapters ] <--> [ Infor SyteLine (on-prem) ] [ Infor SyteLine (on-prem) ] --read-only extracts--> [ Reporting database and dashboards ]
Inbound interfaces (data into the ERP)
| ID | Source | Method | Data | Frequency | Owner | Error handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IN-01 | PLM with released BOMs and drawings | REST or file | Item master, BOM, revision, ECO | On release | Engineering | Reject queue with email |
| IN-02 | EDI VAN with X12 850, 855, 856, 810 | EDI X12 850 via VAN | Customer purchase orders | Every 15 min | Customer service | Translator error report |
| IN-03 | CRM and quoting tool | REST API | Customers, quotes, contacts | Near real time | Sales ops | Retry then alert |
| IN-04 | Shop floor data collection terminals | API or staging table | Job labour, quantity complete, scrap | Every 5 min | Production | Hold in staging, review |
| IN-05 | Barcode warehouse app | API | Receipts, picks, bin moves | Real time | Warehouse | Retry, reconcile nightly |
Outbound interfaces (data out of the ERP)
| ID | Target | Method | Data | Frequency | Owner | Error handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OUT-01 | EDI VAN with X12 850, 855, 856, 810 | EDI X12 855, 856, 810 | Acknowledgements, ship notices, invoices | On event | Customer service | Resend from log |
| OUT-02 | Shop floor data collection terminals | API or file | Released work orders, routings, BOM | On release | Planning | Alert, manual push |
| OUT-03 | Barcode warehouse app | API | Pick lists, expected receipts | Real time | Warehouse | Retry queue |
| OUT-04 | Reporting database and dashboards | Read-only database view | Orders, inventory, WIP, costs | Nightly | Finance / IT | Job failure alert |
| OUT-05 | Suppliers via EDI VAN with X12 850, 855, 856, 810 | EDI X12 850 | Purchase orders | On approval | Purchasing | Resend, confirm by email |
Review notes
For every interface record: authentication method, who is paged when it fails, how a failed message is replayed, whether the interface writes to the ERP or only reads, and what happens during ERP upgrades or downtime. Mark any interface that depends on a custom table, a database trigger or a person with specific knowledge as a risk.
Approvals
The context diagram is rendered as text, so it exports cleanly to Word and PDF. Redraw it in your own diagramming tool if you need boxes and lines. Method names are examples. Replace them with the real adapters, APIs and message formats in your landscape, and add a row for each additional interface.
Review your interface map
An optional session to check an interface map and identify where a private AI layer could read ERP data safely.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the template
Replace each system field with the real product name and deployment, then edit the interface rows. Start with the context diagram to agree the boundaries, then list every interface in the inbound and outbound tables, one row each. Share it with the owners of each system to check method, frequency and error handling. The result becomes your baseline before an upgrade, a migration or any AI project that reads ERP data.
- One row per interface and per direction
- Name an owner for each row
- Record how each failure is detected and replayed
Inbound and outbound, explained
In software and business integration diagrams, inbound means data entering a system and outbound means data leaving it, always from the point of view of the system in the centre. For a manufacturer that is usually the ERP. Inbound examples are customer orders from EDI, released BOMs from PLM and shop floor transactions from MES. Outbound examples are work orders to MES, ship notices and invoices to customers, and extracts to BI. Keeping the viewpoint consistent avoids arguments about which side owns a failed message.
API, EDI, MES and file interfaces
Real plants mix methods. REST and SOAP APIs suit near real-time exchanges. EDI X12 or EDIFACT handles customer and supplier documents such as 850 orders, 855 acknowledgements, 856 ship notices and 810 invoices. MES and shop floor systems often use API calls, staging tables or files. Older interfaces may use flat files or database links. A good diagram labels the method because each has different failure modes, security needs and upgrade impact.
Risks to flag and what to do next
Mark interfaces that rely on custom tables, triggers, undocumented scripts or a single person's knowledge. Check which interfaces write to the ERP and which are read-only. During upgrades, those with direct database access are the first to break. Once the map is complete, use it to plan monitoring, to define test cases and to decide where an AI or analytics layer may safely read data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an integration diagram?
It is a picture or document showing how systems exchange data: which systems, which direction, by what method, how often and who owns each link. In an ERP context it covers EDI, APIs, MES, PLM, warehouse and reporting connections.
What is the difference between inbound and outbound interfaces?
Inbound interfaces bring data into the system you are describing. Outbound interfaces send data out of it. Choose one system as the centre, usually the ERP, and keep that viewpoint across the whole diagram.
Do I need a drawing tool as well?
Not to get started. The template creates a text context diagram plus structured interface tables, which are often more useful for reviews. If your organisation wants boxes and arrows, redraw it in a diagramming tool using the tables as the source.
How detailed should each interface row be?
Include source, target, method, data, frequency, owner and error handling at minimum. Add authentication, volumes and replay steps for critical flows. The aim is that someone new can understand how an order or work order moves between systems.
Netray adds a private, read-only AI layer on top of existing ERP interfaces, often on-prem, so teams can ask questions of live data without adding more point-to-point integrations. Use this map to decide what that layer should read.
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