The aim of the expansion was to link the previously separate enterprise resource planning and web store systems and thus create a seamless exchange of data.

In order to ensure a smooth coupling, a number of things have to be clarified in advance, such as how the web store customers are to be managed, who is to maintain the web store prices and which inventories are to be kept. „There is no generally applicable template for this,“ says Martin Speidel, texware/CS project manager at update texware GmbH, „the processes of the individual alternatives are too different for that.“

At Frottana, there should be as little manual effort as possible. Shopware is connected to the existing ERP system texware/CS via various import and export interfaces, each of which has been adapted or expanded. For example, information such as in-stock quantities is transferred from texware/CS to the online store via the interfaces, while Shopware transfers order data to texware/CS. The ERP remains the leading system.

„Article data, orders, stock levels and customer data are now exchanged automatically between texware/CS and Shopware. This not only spares us double maintenance effort. The entire handling and administration of order processes becomes faster and more efficient. Errors, for example, which can occur during the manual entry and transfer of order data, are avoided“, David Stephan , IT manager at Frottana sums up.

However, the webshop connection alone was not enough. Special plug-ins had to be written for the connection to third-party systems, such as that of the shipping service provider, in order to enable the texware/CS user to operate the shipping service provider‘s software from texware/CS as one system. The package label is created from the delivery note release in texware/CS via the Web API interface at the shipping service provider and transferred back to texware/CS along with the tracking number. Depending on the requirements, the customer can then be informed about the shipment either by mail from the shipping service provider, from texware/CS or from the web store, as the data is passed through to the store.

Shopware provides standardized modules for connecting to payment service providers so that, for example, a new payment service provider can be activated with just a few clicks.

The implementation of the „Expansion of the Webshops“ project was carried out in close cooperation between cross-departmental teams at Frottana and the texware/CS team Martin Speidel and Frank Wittrock. „The communication with everyone involved was very constructive and solution-oriented. Whenever questions arose, a solution was found in a very short time,“ David Stephan praises.

In addition, a B2B web store with secure access for specialized trade customers has been in operation for several months. At Frottana, the interaction between merchandise management and the web store ensures a professional and economically efficient workflow for the online business. In this way, true to the principle of „first create the basis, then scale“, further increases in online business can also be handled without any problems.