External objects are similar to custom objects but they map to data that’s stored outside

Salesforce. Salesforce Connect uses external data sources to access data that’s stored outside your

Salesforce organization1. This way, UC can comply with data residency requirements and avoid

datastorage issues.

Salesforce Connect allows Salesforce to seamlessly integrate with data that is external to the

Salesforce platform, which in this case is the legacy CRM and ERP applications. External objects

provide a real-time view of this external data,allowing UC to view and report on it as if it were stored

natively in Salesforce, without actually storing it in Salesforce.

Reference: Salesforce B2B Commerce Implementation Guide - Salesforce Connect for External Data

Salesforce Connect allows for the integration of external data in real-time without storing it in

Salesforce, using external objects which function like standard Salesforce objects. This would meet

UC’s need to view and report on Invoice, Order, and Inventory data on-demand, adhering to data

residency requirements. Salesforce Connect is designed for such scenarios, offering a solution that

avoids data storage within Salesforce while providing access to external data as if it were native. This

is in line with Salesforce's best practices for external data integration.