Hermann Meyer digitalises complex trade on one platform

In technical retail, different customer groups, locations, pricing logics and regulatory requirements come together. Many companies solve this using multiple systems - and thus increase complexity.

The existing online shop of Hermann Meyer KG was taken over together with Netresearch, reorganised structurally and further developed technically on the basis of OroCommerce. The basis for this was an upstream analysis and the definition of a target architecture in which functional requirements and technical implementation were brought together.

The platform can now be accessed at www.meyer-shop.com (B2C) and b2b.meyer-shop.com (B2B) and displays a range of around 15,000 products for over 50,000 users with complex, customer-specific pricing logic.

The central challenge was to map B2B and B2C business in one solution. Commercial and private customers have very different requirements. Instead of separate systems, both models were implemented on a common platform - functionally separate, technically united. The separation takes place within OroCommerce via different websites, each with their own feature sets and content on a shared database.

The logics were technically modelled and transferred into clear process rules. Content, prices and functions are context-dependent. Users are automatically assigned and can switch between areas as required.

Several warehouse and store locations have been brought together in a standardised logic. The multi-warehouse logic takes into account a customer's preferred shop as well as cross-location stocks for online availability. Items can still be ordered as long as they are available. At the same time, unavailable products are prevented from reaching the checkout. This logic increases planning reliability, especially for short-term material requirements.

A typical B2B bottleneck is access to invoices from external systems. These are automatically imported from the ERP and made available in the customer account, including metadata such as reference numbers and dates. Customers can access them themselves at any time. What was previously done by email or telephone becomes a transparent self-service process.

The integration of existing systems was clearly structured. Central data flows between OroCommerce, ERP and PIM were defined and implemented via XML-based interfaces (e.g. for products, categories, prices and stocks). Payment methods and further processing are clearly regulated.

The ERP acts as the leading system for customer, price and order data, while the PIM provides the central product database. Both systems are continuously synchronised with the commerce platform.

Interfaces, responsibilities and transfer points have been defined so that all systems work along the same process logic. The transfer of orders to the ERP is also rule-based, depending on the defined payment status and types.

Another component is the digital mapping of product-specific specifications. Certain items may only be ordered with valid proof. Customers store the required documents directly in the shop. These are checked and taken into account by the system. Only then is ordering authorised. The entire process takes place within the platform and replaces manual checks outside the system. Regulatory requirements are thus digitally integrated without creating additional complexity in the ordering process.

In addition to operational processes, the platform enables structured content management. Campaigns can be prepared and played out on a time-controlled basis. Content is played out in a differentiated manner depending on the target group, industry, website or localisation.

Conclusion: Integrating complexity instead of avoiding it

The Oro Commerce platform bundles complex requirements into a consistent structure. Processes interlock instead of running side by side. The shop digitally maps real processes and thus creates the basis for scalable growth and less operational friction.

The project also shows how even complex replatforming projects can be implemented during ongoing operations - including system changes and minimal downtime during go-live.

The decisive factor here is not only the technical implementation, but also the upstream conceptual work consisting of analysis, structuring and process design.