Real-time vs batch ERP sync: what is the difference?
March 20, 2026 · 5 min read · OpusGo team
Batch sync updates the store on a schedule - hourly or nightly - so between runs the website serves stale stock and prices. Real-time (event-driven) sync propagates each ERP change within seconds. For inventory, pricing and order status, real-time is the standard; batch remains acceptable for slow-moving content like product descriptions.
Each dot is a sync event. Batch leaves long windows where the store and ERP disagree; event-driven sync updates the moment data changes.
What batch really costs
A nightly job means the store can be up to 24 hours wrong. Concretely: stock that sold through a sales rep at 2pm is still sellable online until tomorrow; the price increase finance posted this morning quotes the old number all day. Every one of those gaps becomes a credit note, an apology call, or both.
How event-driven sync works
Instead of polling on a schedule, the integration subscribes to change events - an item's stock moves, a price list updates, an order posts - and applies each change within seconds. The store stops having an opinion about the data; it reflects the ERP continuously.
Where batch is still fine
Long descriptions, images, attribute-heavy catalog rebuilds and analytics extracts do not need second-level freshness. A sane architecture is hybrid: events for the commercial truth (stock, price, credit, status), scheduled jobs for heavy content.
Key takeaways
- Batch = a stale window; oversells live in that window
- Event-driven sync propagates changes in seconds
- Commercial data needs events; content can batch
- Ask vendors for worst-case staleness, in minutes
Frequently asked questions
Is hourly batch good enough for B2B?+
For stock and pricing, usually not - an hour is plenty of time to oversell a fast mover or quote a stale contract price.
Does real-time sync overload the ERP?+
No - event-driven integration is lighter than polling, because work happens only when something actually changes.
What worst-case staleness should I accept?+
Seconds to a low number of minutes for stock, pricing and order status. Anything quoted in hours is batch with better marketing.