Creation of a Shopware 6 online store for Zimmer + Rohde

Shopware B2B store creation incl. product configurator and Microsoft Dynamics Navision connection

Zimmer + Rohde GmbH from Oberursel commissioned eWorks, a Frankfurt-based Shopware e-commerce agency, to develop a B2B store for high-quality home textiles in sophisticated designs in July 2021. Zimmer + Rohde is a modern textile publisher for luxurious covers, curtains and wallcovers and wanted to have a professional online store created to digitize sales and boost online sales. The aim was to develop an online store on the then brand-new Shopware 6 platform that could map all individual customer needs and meet high standards. As well as a second store for the subsidiary brand "ADO Goldkante" with identical functionality but an independent web design. Zimmer + Rohde approached various Shopware partners for this. eWorks, a Shopware development agency specializing in innovative e-commerce solutions, was chosen from the online store agencies approached due to its outstanding programming expertise and numerous certified Shopware developers.

The first project phase did not begin with the usual question of the most suitable store platform, as this had already been decided: Zimmer + Rohde wanted to use Shopware for the online store, partly because the innovative "Saleschannel" concept allows several sub-shops to be realized on the same technological basis. The time saved as a result benefited the tight schedule, because the definition and programming of the numerous Shopware-Navision interfaces could be started immediately - store interfaces almost always prove to be critical paths for almost all store projects. And because Navision (also known as "Microsoft Dynamics NAV" or now "Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central") as an ERP system was virtually the data technology backbone of Zimmer + Rohde GmbH, countless Shopware-Navision interfaces had to be programmed and tightly integrated into the Shopware store. Although some Navision connections can also be set up as third-party plug-ins in the online store, the brand new Shopware version meant that individual programming was required. Together with the Navision developers from Zimmer + Rohde, the Shopware programmers from eWorks identified the required Navision functionalities, integrated them into the Shopware store via SOAP web services and thus ported the Navision business logic into the web store. Caching concepts based on PHP and Symfony, which build on each other, technically decouple Navision and Shopware and guarantee the scalability of the store performance even with high user numbers: neither an overloaded online store should pull down the merchandise management system - nor vice versa, the merchandise management system should pull down the online store. The highlight is the bidirectionality of the developed Shopware-Navision connection: almost all data such as orders, customers, addresses, articles, prices etc. are exchanged in both directions - so that the Shopware backend hardly needs to be accessed during store operation, process errors can be avoided and time can be saved. In this first project phase, the brand designs from Zimmer + Rohde and ADO Goldkante were also implemented in the mobile-optimized Shopware front end on the basis of fixed page type templates. For all undefined design aspects of the online store, eWorks independently created web design elements that are consistent with the corporate design and create an all-round coherent overall experience.

The second project phase was dedicated to the implementation of various B2B features in the form of individually programmed Shopware plugins. First, the entire Shopware store was access-protected for the purpose of "private sales", i.e. store customers are only granted access to the store after activation in Navision. A flexible pricing model with configurable discounts was then implemented, which can display price and customer groups as well as individual prices down to item and customer level and is also fed from Navision. A flexible assortment control and targeted customer approach was also programmed from Navision. Last but not least, a special interface for sales representatives was developed to facilitate the management of B2B clients - including the creation and / or import of existing customers. As always, for cost and efficiency reasons, Shopware plugins from Shopware or third-party providers were used where available and suitable - and everything else was supplemented by individual Shopware programming with PHP and Symfony. Particular hopes were pinned on the "Shopware B2B plugin", which offered promising B2B functions in the current version 4.4.x. Unfortunately, however, it turned out that these functions were not available. Unfortunately, however, it turned out that these functions were not sufficiently tailored to the specific requirements of a B2B project: for example, it was necessary to analyze and optimize performance problems in relation to SQL database queries. As functionality, flexibility and robustness are fundamental requirements for any eCommerce solution, the required B2B functionalities were ultimately programmed individually: customized, secure, robust and scalable.

In the third and final project phase, front-end highlights were implemented, such as individually programmed filter functions that enable store customers to easily filter the extensive category listings in order to find their way around the extensive range of products more quickly. Or a product configurator, also individually programmed, so that B2B customers can order made-to-measure fabric cuts - including fully automated processing by the meter. Or a likewise individually programmed garment configurator that enables the creation of individual garments. (Although a product configurator online store is now also available off the shelf in some cases thanks to specialized third-party providers, individual client requirements of a technical and, above all, content/specialist nature nevertheless often favour tailor-made individual programming with Shopware, PHP, Symfony, JavaScript, etc.) All specialist logic was not permanently programmed in PHP, but stored in a configurable manner so that the store operator can maintain it himself in the future and, if necessary, adapt or expand it and retain full control over the price and length calculation.

In terms of technology, the eWorks Shopware developers were able to draw on the full potential for this project in order to create a unique shopping experience: in the backend, a brand-new Shopware 6 in the Shopware Enterprise Edition (now "Shopware Beyond") serves as the eCommerce platform, PHP as the programming language and Symfony as the programming framework for individually programmed Shopware plugins, interfaces and other business processes. In the frontend, "Twig" is used as the template engine typical for Shopware, as well as JavaScript and "Vue.js" for the dynamic GUI (user interface). And data management is handled by MySQL 8 as a relational database system in combination with "Elasticsearch" as a powerful search engine and "RabbitMQ" as open source message broker software. On this powerful eCommerce platform, a separate online store for the sister brand "ADO Goldkante" could be realized directly afterwards as a Shopware subshop ("Saleschannel") and use all functionalities and interfaces - without incurring additional costs. And additional saleschannels can be added at any time if required in the future. Thanks to the combination of state-of-the-art technology and individually programmed Shopware plugins, it was possible to create an online store that not "only" meets all of the client's requirements, but is also expandable and future-proof despite its individuality.

Both Shopware stores saw the light of day in January 2022 after just a few months of software development. And after the going live is before the going live, because since the store opening, eWorks has continuously supported its client as a Shopware agency: consulting & development, Shopware plugin programming, Navision interface development, web design implementation, performance optimization, security updates - everything that professional Shopware support entails. For example, a sales channel for the US business was added at the beginning of 2024 - with exciting unit conversions from meters to inches and much more. And the two subshops "Zimmer + Rohde" and "ADO Goldkante" were merged into a combined saleschannel and their customer bases - despite existing overlaps - were merged without overlapping, i.e. cleverly merged with each other. Boredom is certainly not an option ;-) The eWorks Shopware team loves programming challenges - and if you would also like to have a Shopware store created or need a Shopware 6 migration for your existing Shopware 5 store, then contact us and find out more about our Shopware support!