Cencora Integration Setup Guide

This guide explains how to connect your Cencora account (supplier / distributor relationship) to Helm, enabling automated order and purchase-order import, real-time inventory and lot/expiry synchronisation, centralised fulfilment, and streamlined invoicing so you can manage Cencora flows alongside your other sales channels from one place.

Last updated 4 months ago

What is Cencora

Cencora is a global healthcare services and distribution company that partners with pharmaceutical, OTC and medical-supply manufacturers and suppliers. Integration with Cencora typically supports B2B ordering, fulfilment, invoicing and supply-chain services — including purchase orders, ASN/fulfilment notifications, returns/chargebacks, and temperature-sensitive logistics. Connecting Cencora to Helm centralises these flows so inventory, orders, shipments and financial documents remain synchronised across your systems.

PROS ✅

CONS ❌

Direct access to a large, healthcare-focused distribution network and wholesale channels.

Onboarding and compliance are often strict — expect identity checks, trading terms, and contractual SLAs.

Centralised handling of PO intake, order fulfilment, ASN/ship notices and invoicing from inside Helm.

Pharmaceutical and medical products require extra product data (lot numbers, expiry dates, certifications) and specialised workflows.

Robust support for lot/expiration tracking, batch management and temperature/handling flags when configured correctly.

EDI, ASN, serialization and invoice formats are usually required — additional mapping/configuration work may be needed.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1 — Start the Cencora integration in Helm

  1. Log in to your Helm account.

  2. Navigate to Settings → Sales Channels (or Integrations → Sales Channels if applicable).

  3. Click Add New Channel, search for Cencora (or Cencora / Distributor) and select Add / Install.

Note:

You must have an approved supplier/distributor account or commercial agreement with Cencora before live orders and invoicing will be accepted.

Step 2 — Obtain and enter your credentials & connection details

Cencora may offer API, EDI or secure FTP endpoints depending on your account. In Helm, populate the integration fields with the credentials and partner IDs supplied by Cencora:

  • Active – Toggle Is Active to enable the channel.

  • Name – Give the channel a clear label (e.g. Cencora — US Distribution).

  • API URL / Endpoint – Enter the endpoint provided by Cencora for your connection (API, EDI gateway or SFTP host).

  • API Key / Token – Paste the API key, access token, or EDI credentials (trading partner ID, ISA/GS IDs) supplied during onboarding.

  • Transmission Type – Select how documents will flow (API / EDI / SFTP).

  • Selected Channel / Business Unit – If multiple Cencora business units or regions exist, choose the correct one (e.g. US, EU, specialty).

Ensure credentials and trading IDs are copied exactly as supplied. You may also receive schemas for PO/ASN/invoice formats — keep those handy for mapping.

Optional configuration tabs include:

Adjust these parameters in accordance with your business protocols.

  • Credentials – Choose any additional configuration settings to tailor the integration to your operational requirements.

  • Settings – Select the warehouse from which goods will be despatched for this integration and select any additional settings you may require.

  • Stock Control – Enable Auto Sync Stock to maintain inventory parity.

  • Brand – Configure your Company Information for this sales channel; by default, details from General Settings will be used.

  • Commercial Invoice – Set up Commercial Invoice Information specific to this channel, or retain those from General Settings.

  • Despatch Emails – Decide whether Helm should transmit order despatch emails with carrier tracking information; configure as required.

  • Feedback Emails – Elect to send order feedback emails; configure accordingly.

🔐 Always use the credentials and trading partner IDs supplied by Cencora and follow any attribute/EDI templates they provide.

Step 3 — Save, test and activate

  1. Click Submit (or Save) to persist your credentials and settings.

  2. Run the test flows your Cencora onboarding team requests: PO import, PO ack, sample ASN, invoice transmission, and stock update tests.

  3. Confirm sample orders import correctly, ASN/ship notices transmit, and invoice formats meet accounting requirements.

If you see authentication or permission errors, confirm:

  • Your Cencora trading account and routing agreement are active.

  • The API/EDI credentials and partner IDs are current and correctly entered.

  • Document formats (PO/ASN/Invoice) match the schemas Cencora expects.

On successful validation Helm will mark the channel as active and live transactional flows will begin.

Completion

Once connected and tested, your Cencora channel will be manageable from Helm: purchase orders will import automatically, order acknowledgements and ASNs will synchronise, lot and expiry data will flow with despatches, invoices will reconcile, and inventory will remain aligned to reduce stock mismatches. Keep a close line to your Cencora onboarding or account manager for the first few weeks to refine your settings.