Case Study: World’s First Online Shop for Test Dusts (TÜV NORD Group / DMT Group)
The Customer:
DMT GmbH & Co. KG, an internationally active engineering and consulting company of TÜV NORD GROUP.
The B2B Challenge: Shopware Development in a Regulated Corporate Environment
Digitalizing sales for mid-sized structures or corporate subsidiaries is far more than simply creating an online shop. We understand the specific hurdles that complex projects bring and provide the necessary consulting, implementation and long-term support.
Pain Points We Were Able to Solve for Our Customer:
Complex IT Compliance & Security: Creating an online shop means integrating it into existing corporate IT security policies. We developed the shop so that it meets the security and data-protection requirements of the corporate IT department.
Accelerating Processes Around SAP Legacy Systems: Rigid, manual processes around customer creation (e.g. processing times of several days before shipping approval) often prevent rapid growth. We implement interfaces that break through these barriers and automate processes in real time.
Regulatory Requirements: Whether strict compliance requirements or the necessary involvement of the works council in new digital sales channels – we mediate between technology, legal and HR.
B2B Logic in Detail: We map highly complex scenarios – from individual approval for invoice payment through to worldwide hazardous-goods shipping with automated customs documentation.
The Shopware B2B Solution: Technical Excellence & SAP Automation:
Highly Complex Shipping Logic: Development of a tailor-made calculation matrix that precisely calculates shipping costs for every destination country worldwide based on the smallest weight units (gram level). The customer sees the final price immediately, which drastically reduces sales inquiries.
Hazardous-Goods Management: Integration of logic to identify and label hazardous goods within the ordering process. This supports correct shipment labeling in accordance with international transport regulations and proper documentation for customs and logistics providers.
Global Scalability: The system automatically identifies country-specific shipping restrictions and controls product availability based on the delivery address.
China-Optimized Gateway: Integration of special technical gateways to reliably pass through the “Great Firewall” and ensure high-performance shop availability in mainland China.
Modern Payment & Risk Management: Integration of modern payment methods such as PayPal. This enabled immediate payment processing and made time-consuming manual credit checks unnecessary – a decisive factor for fast shipping.
Implementation of a Hybrid Logic: Standard payment methods for all verified customers, while classic invoice payment is activated only after individual manual approval by DMT employees in the backend.
Security & Hosting: Provision of a high-performance server system fully integrated into the corporate security structure. This included implementing the standards specified by corporate IT for data protection and IT security.
Compliance: Active support and implementation of requirements from internal corporate bodies (e.g. the works council) to ensure a smooth system rollout.
Closed B2B System: Implementation of strict access control. Prices and ordering functions are visible only after successful manual approval by a shop manager (closed-shop principle).
Automated Data Transfer: Monthly export of customer data and transactions into the central SAP system for consolidation of group accounting.
The Result:
Massive Time Savings: By eliminating manual review processes and integrating payments directly, delivery capability was significantly accelerated.
Legal Certainty: A system that met the requirements of corporate compliance and data protection.
Global Pioneering Role: Successful establishment of the world’s first shop for test dusts as a lean digital solution within a complex corporate group.
Global Reach: The shop operates as a central, secure platform for the worldwide distribution of highly specialized test media while complying with applicable security standards.
Drastic Process Acceleration: Previously, shipping had to wait for manual customer creation in the SAP system – a process step that took several days on average. Today, payment processing takes place directly in the shop, shipping starts immediately, and SAP synchronization is decoupled via a monthly export.
Scalability: The team can now process several times as many orders without having to increase back-office capacity.
Strategic Expansion: From Product Sales to a Digital Ticketing System
The trust in HQ GmbH’s technical expertise led, after the success of the test-dust shop to a direct follow-up assignment: digitalizing DMT’s training and seminar business.
Shopware: Scaling Through Digital Ticketing
Building on the existing infrastructure, we developed a subshop/sales channel for booking tickets for specialist training courses.
Complex Participant Management: Mapping group bookings, real-time availability checks and automated document delivery (participation confirmations/tickets).
Synergy Effects: Use of the already established SAP interfaces and payment gateways for consistent accounting in the services sector as well.
Conclusion of the Collaboration: Growing Together Over Decades
The success story with the DMT Group (TÜV NORD GROUP) is the best example of the philosophy of HQ GmbH. What began many years ago as classic hosting for a small server in a single division has developed over time into a deep, strategic partnership.
Today, we are responsible for highly complex e-commerce architectures that set global standards in process automation. This development shows: As an experienced Shopware agency we are not merely a project implementer, but a long-term partner who understands, protects and continuously develops its customers’ IT infrastructure.
The Milestones of Our Partnership:
From Hosting to a High-End Shop: Our collaboration developed from supporting a single server to operating highly available TYPO3 cluster systems and ultimately to implementing the world’s first online shop for test dusts.
Trust Through Consistency: Successful handling of the most complex corporate requirements (works council, IT security, SAP).
Scalable Innovation: Continuous expansion of the digital business model, for example through integrated training ticketing.
A Fun Fact About Our Roots:
That this journey would last more than 20 years was decided before the year 2000 by a hard-drive failure at around 8 p.m. Even back then, our understanding of service was: the problem gets solved immediately. After replacing the hard drive and restoring the backups overnight, we reported completion shortly after midnight. The customer’s reaction the next morning – “I have never experienced such fast and perfect service” – laid the foundation for everything we have achieved together to this day.
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Mathias Goldhan
Mathias Goldhan laid the foundation for today’s digital agency in 1994 and has been leading HQ GmbH strategically and operationally since 2005. With more than three decades of experience in software development and systems architecture, he advises medium-sized businesses and brands on the digitalization of business-critical processes. He is the strategic mind behind HQ GmbH’s positioning among the Top 100 owner-managed digital agencies (iBusiness/BVDW).
As a recognized SaaS pioneer and specialist in high-performance hosting, he designs highly available cluster infrastructures and leads the technical rescue of stalled large-scale e-commerce projects. He contributes his expertise in resilient systems and API-based B2B automation internationally between the company’s headquarters in Thuringia and its branch in Spain.
