Before implementing Spryker, PFERD faced significant challenges with its outdated SAP shop system. The legacy platform had grown increasingly complex and obsolete, resulting in a subpar customer experience and journey. This system primarily served as an internal sales tool for subsidiaries not integrated into their SAP ERP landscape, allowing for efficient order placement but needing more modern customer-focused functionalities. SAP presented its new, updated solution as this system had reached its end of life. PFERD initiated a software evaluation, with SAP as a high-priority option due to familiarity with the vendor. However, PFERD had business objectives that inspired them to also consider alternative platforms.

Among these objectives, the company aimed to consolidate its separate website and shop systems into a single solution, enhancing data management efficiency. Objectives also included improving B2B functionalities, creating a unified customer interaction portal, increasing efficiency, boosting revenue, and targeting distributors and industrial customers.

Furthermore, PFERD sought to implement notable new functionalities that their customers had come to expect. This included visibility of customer-specific net prices, product availability, quick order functionality, role-based permissions, enriched product data, optimized search, and a synchronization interface that allowed rapid updates, which would significantly improve the previous system's infrequent adjustments.

PFERD conducted a thorough software evaluation of multiple vendors to ensure they partnered with one that would meet all of their business objectives. Although SAP was initially a preferred choice due to familiarity and existing relationships, PFERD embarked on a new direction by selecting Spryker, a cloud-based solution. The decision was motivated by Spryker’s state-of-the-art, flexible, and modular platform with certain out-of-the-box functionalities requiring minimal customization. The cost-effectiveness of Spryker’s all-in-one solution further reinforced this choice, as it provided the best economic value while maintaining the lowest total cost of ownership compared to other options.

This transition to Spryker introduced several key functionalities that were previously absent but now add substantial value to the shop. Notably, customers can now view their discounted net prices, enhancing transparency and pricing competitiveness. Additionally, improved product availability visibility, quick order functionality, enriched product data with multimedia content, optimized search capabilities, and an efficient synchronization interface between PIM and SAP/ERP systems have all significantly contributed to streamlining operations and providing a superior shopping experience.

Notably, the synchronization interface has drastically reduced the time required for updates, enabling PFERD to make changes within a mere 48 hours, a vast improvement compared to the previous adjustment timelines of 2 to 3 months. These enhancements have collectively transformed PFERD’s e-commerce capabilities and positioned them for continued growth and success.

The implementation of Spryker led to the creation of a 360-degree customer interaction portal, empowering customers to access a comprehensive array of features. This portal enables customers to manage their orders, track delivery status, access tracking links for transportation, view delivery notes, generate quotations, update customer master data, and access customer individual pricing with discounts and product availability information. Introducing these features significantly enhanced efficiency and reduced the need for direct engagement with PFERD’s employees, benefiting both the company and its customers.

Thanks to AWS, Spryker was able to fulfill the customer’s needs when they needed it to make it a success. The composability on AWS is crucial to deliver the highest level of flexibility for customer requests. It allows the customer to select the best-of-breed components they need, which will work seamlessly and reliably straight away, thanks to Spryker being a truly composable platform and the high levels of service AWS has. Due to AWS, the onboarding takes from as little as 4 hours to 1–2 days, compared to months previously. With the Spryker Cloud Commerce OS solution, built on AWS, Spryker can scale computational and storage resources to accommodate the customer’s goals.