Vileda – Central Digital Platform for B2B and B2C with the SAP Commerce Cloud

Uniform Customer Experience Worldwide

A central digital platform with uniform customer experience for B2B and B2C customers across all locations and brands worldwide – that was the big challenge for Vileda, a brand of Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions GmbH.

Vileda’s customers are as diverse as the products themselves. The company offers solutions for private customers (B2C) and business customers (B2B). Therefore, it was important to Vileda to create a digital platform that is fit for the future, one that makes both groups equally happy. In addition, the commerce solution was supposed to fit seamlessly into the existing infrastructure and assist all countries with their specific brands and special features, and accompany everyone securely into the future.

Today, the platform is used in approx. 30 countries, including China, Russia, and the Middle East. Different languages, currencies, and cultures are brought together in a uniform presence, which is housed on a central platform based on SAP Commerce Cloud.

Highlights at a glance

One for the world

More than 35 countries around the world converge on a digital platform that forms the central basis for a uniform international presence.

B2B & B2C

Both B2B and B2C customers can be served equally well. Here, the target groups’ most important needs are considered and fulfilled.

Multi-brand

A balance between the brands and the country and brand-specific requirements has been achieved.

Vileda: Leading brand provider with well-known brands

Who isn’t familiar with the Vileda Ultramat mop or the Vileda Turbo? The successful company Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions GmbH is behind these products.

Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions is a leading global supplier of cleaning systems, household and laundry care products, and it has its own sales network in more than 35 countries. The company offers sophisticated solutions that make the work of millions of people around the globe a little easier. Its portfolio includes brands such as Vileda®, O’Cedar®, Oates, Gimi®, Gala®, Wettex®, and Marigold®. In 2019, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions recorded sales of more than EUR 975 million and employed over 3,000 people.

Uniform customer experience – worldwide

The goal: The customer experience should be perfect – worldwide. For B2C: When customers buy, things have to move quickly and easily. Therefore, it was clear for Vileda: Customers should find products easily and if necessary, obtain additional information about the products and their use. And marketing wanted an appealing and responsive website to match the company. Especially B2B customers are supplied in the professional area with industry and product-specific information.

With the new platform, Freudenberg ensures that brands are positioned adequately and that they can be recognized and found. Justice is done to the specific requirements behind each country and brand.

A central team controls guidance on the corporate level: Design specifications, layout, features, and functions. These can be rolled out centrally within SAP Commerce Cloud. If necessary, country-specific features can be adapted directly by the country in question. Each country maintains its own content, for this is where the knowledge of specific requirements on-site resides.

Sandip Chowdhury

Global Director e-Commerce, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions

”In the past, we had huge limitations to place rich content and our user experience was outdated across digital channels. With SAP Commerce Cloud, we have now built processes that can take our engaging brand and commercial content to our global customer base at scale and with agility. Our content is also helping us to convert and achieve our business results. For example, our Vileda UK webstore sales have surpassed our sales in one of the largest UK online retailers.“

Monika von Düring

Senior Corporate Director Processes & Systems, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions

”We wanted a global solution that fits into our coherent, comprehensive strategy. A central platform as framework, one that is open in all directions and can be expanded. SAP Commerce Cloud (formerly SAP Hybris) suited our needs best.“

B2B and B2C on the SAP Commerce Cloud

Two worlds, one platform

With the new platform, Freudenberg has succeeded in confronting the biggest challenge in branded consumer goods (BCG): positioning the brands and creating a good relationship between shop, content, and positioning. SAP Commerce Cloud is a new solution that offers precisely this.

The brand world of Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions offers products for B2C and B2B alike. Today the professional area (B2B) has a uniform content management system (CMS) with centrally managed, high-quality content. The previous CMS was not fit for the future and was replaced. The consumer area (B2C) shines with a state-of-the-art shop that has perfected the balance between brand presentation and content and that can be rolled out in the more than 30 countries in which the company is active.

Relevant information made easy to access for B2B

It’s important to assist B2B customers who are trying to make decisions and to provide them with relevant information.

How are products used correctly? How can you select the right product for your industry? All of these questions are answered in the Vileda Professional area. Here, in addition to detailed information about the special products, there are also virtual, industry-specific rooms. Customers can see examples of where which product can be used. The linking and placement of products in virtual rooms was implemented with SAP Commerce Cloud’s Inspiration Cockpit.

Maintenance of the content for particular industries, services or requirements is done with SAP Commerce Cloud’s content management system (CMS).

Multi-brand shop for B2C: Clean and modern

The modern shop in the consumer area is also based on SAP Commerce Cloud and offers the customer a clean shopping experience. Here, the brands have their own place and customers get precisely the information they need.

The central platform ensures that the presence is uniform in all countries where the shop is rolled out, even if the shop isn’t operated by the company itself.

In the back end, SAP Commerce Cloud provides the functions that are needed to make the shop environment international. Various payment service providers are integrated for smooth payment transaction. SAP Commerce Cloud is connected directly to the SAP ERP via middleware, which ensures the fastest possible order processing. A RESTful API provides the automatic transfer of inventory and order information to the shop. Customer inquiries can be processed directly thanks to the connection to SAP Sales Cloud.

Monika von Düring

Senior Corporate Director Processes & Systems, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions

”In valantic we have found a partner who advises us well over the years, both technically and strategically, and who implements our requirements with expertise and friendly cooperation.“

Vidya Nair

IT Manager Web Presence and e-Commerce, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions

”As our partner, valantic has given us the boost we needed: Their B2B and B2C expertise was deep – technically and strategically.“

Innovating Together

“Innovating together” – for Vileda and Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions, the solution had to be integrated and enable end-to-end processes. In addition, the platform’s future capabilities are an essential driver, as is expandability, for the product worlds of Vileda and thus Freudenberg continue to grow – in new countries, but also in different technical directions. The project name “Trinity” reflects the three-in-one nature of the areas e-commerce, marketing, and IT. Synergies should be used ideally across departments.

The field of tension between appealing content and successful shop that works well and remains stable could be resolved. SAP Commerce Cloud supports brand management, shop, and content management system in one and smooths the path toward a successful future.

Technologies used

SAP Commerce Cloud
Inspiration Cockpit for implementation of virtual rooms
Integration of various payment service providers
Connection of SAP Sales Cloud for customer inquiries (ticketing)
SAP ERP connection via middleware
Provision of a RESTful API for automatic transfer of inventory and order information
Next step: Connection of a digital asset management system for central management of media

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Your Contact

Alexandra Maidl

Director Customer Engagement
valantic Customer Engagement & Commerce

+49 621 391770