B2B shop with link-up to AVIS and catalogue database Mediabase for ABUS
Through a company of the ABUS Group, ABUS Security Center, silver.solutions GmbH came to our attention, who had already successfully implemented their web shop. Despite a tight schedule and a growing list of requirements, silver.solutions managed to implement our web shop in time and in keeping with our budget. Through “persistent” project management and timely implementation of the requirements of ABUS, we were able to open the web shop at short notice. Thanks to modern technologies and other resources, additional project expenses were also kept to a minimum despite physical distance so that we were able to complete the project in time and budget.
Wolfram Schäfer, IT manager/organisation ABUS August Bremicker Söhne KG
The ABUS web shop is currently being further developed by silver.solutions as new ideas for optimisation are driven forward with the help of ABUS customers and ABUS employees and because we are planning to raise the web shop added value in the B2B area for both sides.
Overview
The goal of the project was to set up an online shop for speciality retailers, initially targeted at the German market. In the initial project stage, the product group “mobile security” was to be made available in the shop, offering around 1200 products. In a subsequent step, further product groups were to be gradually added to the shop. The goal is to eventually offer around 21,000 products. The website was not initially supposed to be relaunched. However, the B2B shop was to be designed in such a way that certain parts of it would be usable by export customers at a later point in time. To ensure maximum cost efficiency when setting up the shop, design and a number of core functions were to be taken over from the shop project of ABUS Security Center, which is part of the ABUS Group.
The solution in detail
We are using the eCommerce solution silver.basic as well as a specially developed web service that establishes a connection to the client’s ERP system. The web service for the distribution system AVIS that ABUS uses was provided by BMU. The area “products & shop” is designed in such a way that it can be used by end customers in the future with limited functionality. The product specifications for the online shop are sourced from the catalogue system Mediabase. In addition to marketing texts, the catalogue system also contains logos, icons, product images and technical data about the products.
Mediabase also provides additional PDFs and XML files that are imported into the shop at night. Whether new XML files are available for import is checked several times a day. Customer-specific prices and information about availability are retrieved from the distribution system at runtime.
The CMS by Ibexa allows the maintenance of additional marketing texts and other information.
Sets and parts lists are a special feature of the ABUS product programme. Both types of product consist of several individual items but have one overall price. Availability and prices for the individual items of a parts list are sourced from AVIS.
A UVP price list is imported every night and displayed with each product. At the same time, customer-specific prices will be sourced from the distribution system at run-time. This is fully based on the internal AVIS pricing to ensure that special prices and conditions are taken into consideration and postage and packaging is determined.
To order catalogue products quickly, the shop has a “quick order” function. The inventory can be accessed via various search functions. We use the powerful search engine included in the Ibexa platform. It searches full text as well as item numbers and EAN.
In addition to the product area itself, the shop also has the “My ABUS” area. Under “My ABUS”, speciality dealers can configure their access, and view orders and outstanding items. The sales tools “sales history”, “top sellers” and “promotions” are also available. To make it easier for traders to order items, shopping baskets can be saved and orders placed later.
For the area “mobile security” in particular, a VeloConnect interface was implemented. VeloConnect is an open standard for B2B communication in the two-wheel sector which many retailers use. The interface allows the direct transfer of orders from the retailer’s ERP via the online shop to AVIS.
The result
The new ABUS B2B shop allows traders to gain even more up-to-date information about the product range, check availabilities and see their individual conditions. After only a short period of time, a significant share of the turnover was generated through the shop. The VeloConnect interface makes things easier for retailers and facilitates order processing for ABUS.
