What is batch sync?
Batch sync moves data on a schedule — every 15 minutes, hourly, or overnight. Between runs, the two systems can disagree: an order placed just after a batch completes will not appear in NetSuite until the next run. Batch is simple to build and easy on system load, which is why many older integrations use it.
What is real-time sync?
Real-time (event-driven) sync reacts to changes as they happen. When a record is created or updated, the integration pushes it immediately, so the systems stay continuously consistent. It requires event-driven architecture — the integration has to listen for changes rather than sweep for them — but it eliminates the stale-data windows batch leaves behind.
The trade-offs
Neither model is universally right; the cost of stale data decides it.
- Accuracy: real-time keeps systems consistent; batch lags between runs.
- Overselling risk: real-time inventory prevents it; batch inventory invites it.
- Complexity: real-time needs event handling; batch is simpler to build.
- Load: batch concentrates work into scheduled bursts; real-time spreads it out.
When to choose which
Use real-time for anything where lag causes real cost: inventory that is sold across multiple channels, order capture, and fulfillment status. Batch can be acceptable for slow-changing reference data — a nightly refresh of a product catalog, for instance — where a few hours of lag is harmless.
In8Sync DirectConnect syncs event-driven and in real time from inside NetSuite, so inventory and orders stay accurate across every channel without waiting for a scheduled run.