To evaluate a government cashiering system's ERP integration, judge it on four things: whether the connection is pre-built or custom-built for your environment, how deep the data flow goes (lookup-only versus full bidirectional posting), who maintains it after an ERP upgrade, and how many agencies already run that exact integration in production. Vague vendor claims fail all four.

‍

‍

What does "integration" actually mean when a vendor says it?

‍

Integration is the most overloaded word in a cashiering RFP. One vendor's "Oracle integration" is a nightly file export that Oracle can import; another's is real-time, bidirectional posting with full general-ledger coding. Both get described the same way in a sales deck. The job of an evaluation is to force the distinction into the open — with specifics, not adjectives — before you commit. The framework below is vendor-agnostic; any government buyer can apply it to any cashiering vendor.

‍

‍

Pre-built or custom integration — what's the difference?

‍

Pre-built integrations are already developed and tested against a specific system. They typically require only configuration, not development. Ask:

‍

• How many government agencies are using this specific integration today?
• What versions of the target system are supported?
• What's included — lookups only, or full bidirectional posting?

‍

‍

Custom integrations are built during implementation for your specific environment. They offer flexibility but take longer and may have less production hardening. Ask:

‍

• Who does the development work — you, the vendor, or a third party?
• What's the timeline and cost for custom integration development?
• Who supports it long-term if the integration breaks after an ERP upgrade?

‍

The difference between "we can integrate with Oracle" and "we have multiple production deployments on Oracle Cloud Financials" is the difference between you being a pilot and you being a proven case. Ask specifically about experience with your particular system — not just the vendor name, but the exact version and module you run.

‍

‍

How deep does the integration actually go?

‍

Some integrations only scratch the surface. Dig into what data actually flows in each direction. A useful way to grade depth is to map each capability to a Basic / Good / Excellent tier:

‍

‍

‍

A vendor might claim "Oracle integration" but only mean they can export a file Oracle imports overnight — Basic tier. That is very different from real-time, bidirectional data flow where a payment posts to the general ledger within seconds with the correct GL coding. Decide which tier your agency actually needs before you score vendors, so a Basic integration doesn't get credited as if it were Excellent.

‍

‍

Who maintains the integration after an ERP upgrade?

‍

Integrations break when either system is upgraded — and ERPs upgrade on their own schedule, not yours. Before signing, pin down ownership:

‍

• Who tests compatibility when the ERP releases updates?
• What's the typical response time if an integration stops working?
• Is integration support included in the base subscription, or is it an add-on?

‍

If basic ERP posting is a separate paid module, that's a cost — and a support-ownership question — you want surfaced during evaluation, not after go-live.

‍

‍

What are the integration red flags?

‍

Watch for these warning signs when evaluating a vendor's integration claims:

‍

• "We can integrate with anything." Integration takes real work. Vendors who claim universal compatibility without specifics usually mean "we can export a CSV file."
• No reference customers on your specific system. If they have never done your ERP and version combination, you are the pilot.
• Integration is a separate module or add-on. Core integrations shouldn't be nickel-and-dimed. If basic ERP posting costs extra, ask what is actually included in the base price.
• Vague timelines for integration setup. "It depends" is reasonable; a complete inability to estimate suggests they haven't done it before.
• You're responsible for integration maintenance. Some vendors configure the initial connection and then hand you the keys. Understand who handles ongoing support before you sign.

‍

‍

What should I ask a cashiering vendor about ERP integration?

‍

Use these 13 questions to get real answers instead of sales adjectives. Send them in writing as part of the RFP so the responses are on the record.

‍

Experience

‍

1. How many government agencies are using your integration with [specific ERP/system]?

2. Can you provide references using our exact system and version?

3. When was your integration with [system] last updated?

‍

Capability

‍

4. Is this integration pre-built or custom?

5. What data flows in each direction? (Show me a data flow diagram.)

6. Is the integration real-time or batch? If batch, what's the frequency?

7. How do voids, adjustments, and refunds sync between systems?

‍

Implementation

‍

8. What's the typical timeline to complete this integration?

9. Who does the integration work — your team, our team, or a third party?

10. What access and credentials do you need from our systems?

‍

Support

‍

11. What happens when our ERP vendor releases an update?

12. Who do we call if the integration stops working?

13. Is integration support included in our subscription?

‍

‍

How does Teller score on this framework?

‍

Applied to the framework above, Teller Government Cashiering by Can/Am answers as a pre-built, deep-integration vendor: it runs 96 production integrations across major government ERPs (including 43 joint Workday deployments), with real-time bidirectional posting and GL coding available on supported systems, and integration support included in the subscription rather than sold as an add-on. Its integrations operate at scale across 85 active government clients — including Santa Clara County, CA (1.9 million population, roughly 500,000 customers processed during tax season).

‍

Want the mechanics first — how the connection actually works, and whether you need real-time or batch? See How Does Government Cashiering Integrate With an ERP?. To see which systems Teller connects to, see Integrations. For a plain-language answer on your own ERP, see [How does Teller integrate with our existing ERP?.