La Guaca Auto Parts has reported a 600% increase in online orders after integrating its X-Cart online store with its proprietary ERP system. The Costa Rican retailer said the project also automated data synchronisation across its digital and back-office operations.
Using Codeless Platforms' BPA Platform, La Guaca connected the systems and automated the flow of product information, inventory availability, pricing updates, customer data and sales orders. The set-up now synchronises more than 36,000 products.
La Guaca is one of the largest names in Costa Rica's auto parts market, with 18 branches and more than 750 employees. Its in-house ERP system supported core operations, but its online sales channel was limited because key website data was disconnected from the ERP.
That made it harder to keep product listings, stock levels and prices current online, constraining eCommerce growth and leaving online sales underdeveloped.
"The integration between X-Cart, our proprietary ERP, and BPA Platform enabled us to scale eCommerce in ways that were previously impossible while strengthening our omnichannel customer experience," said Marcial Fallas, Brand Experience Coordinator at La Guaca Auto Parts.
"Since implementing the solution, we've seen online order volumes grow by over 600%. What was once a very limited eCommerce capability has become a major and scalable revenue stream. Overall, the improvements have significantly enhanced the experience for our customers, whether they're interacting with us online or through our branch network."
Operational changes
The integration was built around the retailer's day-to-day operating model. Inventory and pricing data are updated every five minutes, while products and supporting metadata are synchronised daily.
The system now processes about 12,000 inventory and pricing updates each day, improving the speed and accuracy of information available to staff and customers on the website.
"We've been able to digitally enable more than 36,576 products and support fulfilment across all 18 of our branches, which has transformed how we operate. Pricing and inventory are now faster and far more accurate, and that's had a direct impact on both our internal efficiency and the customer experience," said Fallas.
"Integration schedules were aligned to operational demands, including inventory and pricing updates every five minutes and daily synchronisation of products and supporting metadata, resulting in approximately 12,000+ inventory and pricing updates processed each day.
This replaced our disconnected processes with an integrated digital commerce ecosystem capable of supporting ongoing scale."
Complex workflow
A central part of the project involved La Guaca's proprietary proforma ordering process. Before a customer completes checkout, cart data is sent in real time to the ERP system, where a proforma is created to reserve inventory, confirm pricing and discounts, estimate pickup availability by branch and validate fulfilment scenarios that may involve stock transfers between branches.
This was one of the more technically difficult parts of the integration because it required real-time validation within a broader system built around scheduled synchronisation. The workflow combines API-driven processes for the proforma stage with recurring data updates handled through the BPA Platform.
"We were facing a complex challenge integrating X-Cart with our proprietary ERP, especially without any off-the-shelf connectors to rely on. This made it difficult for us to maintain accurate inventory, pricing and product information online. As a result, eCommerce growth was constrained and online sales represented an underdeveloped channel," said Fallas.
"One of the biggest challenges for us was handling complex, real-time proforma validation workflows, which added another layer of technical difficulty. At the same time, we needed to ensure whatever we built could scale to support our long-term omnichannel growth ambitions."
The process continues after payment authorisation. A confirmed proforma is converted into a final ERP order, while unconfirmed reservations expire automatically after 20 minutes.
"Following payment authorisation, the proforma is confirmed and converted into a final ERP order. If not confirmed, inventory reservations automatically expire after twenty minutes."
Sector-specific data
Beyond order processing, the project also had to address several issues specific to automotive retail. These included handling vehicle fitment and compatibility relationships, structuring make, model and year data, normalising product categories and supporting fulfilment rules across multiple branches.
These requirements matter in auto parts retail because customers need to know whether a product fits a specific vehicle before ordering, and because stock may be held across several locations rather than in one central warehouse. The new integration supports those dependencies across La Guaca's branch network.
La Guaca said the result has been a broader digital sales operation more closely linked to its physical store estate. The retailer serves an estimated 60% of Costa Rica's auto parts market, according to company figures, and its branch network remains central to fulfilment and customer collection.
The case also illustrates a wider issue for retailers running proprietary back-office software. Where no standard connector exists between older internal systems and eCommerce platforms, companies often have to build custom workflows to keep data aligned across channels.
For La Guaca, the result was a sharp increase in online order volumes, alongside tighter control over stock, pricing and fulfilment logic across its 18 branches.