In half our early-access deployments, the extraction worked well before the ERP integration was even attempted. The bottleneck wasn't the document AI. It was getting the ERP team to say yes.
Why ERP teams are cautious
ERP administrators carry a lot of responsibility. If a bad data import wipes out a month of AP records, that's their problem. If an outbound API call creates a security incident, that's also their problem. When you come to them with a new tool that wants to post data into the ERP, their default is no until they understand the risk.
This is rational. The right approach is to work with that caution, not around it.
What actually works
Start with the lowest-risk integration path, not the most convenient one for you. If your ERP supports a file-based import (CSV drop into a watched folder, for instance), propose that first. It requires no API credentials, no open ports, no real-time connection. A file import can be inspected before it runs. ERP admins almost always say yes to file-based imports.
Bring the ERP team a document they already understand: a sample import file showing exactly what Parseloom would produce for a real invoice. Not a spec sheet. Not a diagram. An actual CSV with column headers that match their import format and real invoice data. You want them to see that the output is familiar, not scary.
If you need a real-time API integration eventually, make the file-based approach the first step. Run it for a month. Let them see that the data quality is good and nothing breaks. Then propose moving to the API connector. By that point you have a track record.
Integration patterns by ERP type
For SAP and NetSuite, native API connectors exist and are the cleanest long-term path, but require IT involvement from the start. For QuickBooks and Xero, the OAuth-based API is relatively easy to configure and AP managers can often self-serve. For older on-premise ERP versions, file-based import is usually the only practical option, and that's fine.
We wrote a more detailed guide to each of these patterns in our integration documentation.
One thing that slows things down more than anything
Waiting until after you've sold the AP team on the extraction value to involve the ERP team. They find out about it late, feel like a rubber stamp, and dig in. Loop them in early, even at the proof-of-concept stage. They'll feel like collaborators instead of gatekeepers, and the integration will go faster.