BlueBioTech International has been producing and selling natural food supplements for over 20 years. The company from Schleswig-Holstein is one of the pioneers in research and development in this field. The Dr. Peter Hartig® brand, under which BlueBioTech International sells its products via the HSE teleshopping channel and its own online store, is well known. And when it comes to eCommerce, that’s where we come in. Take a look at Dr. Peter Hartig’s webshop – and you’ll see: This is a huge area of responsibility for an eCommerce specialist like om3. In our first project for BlueBioTech International, we created a link between Shopware and Microsoft Navision, the leading ERP software for medium-sized companies. Now a new project was on the agenda, in which we created a link between Shopify, Plenty and PayPal with Business Central. This involved the use of eCommerce middleware for the integration of various IT systems on the BlueBioTech online store platform.
Middleware explained simply
Middleware is software that fulfills an intermediary function between different systems and applications. It is also referred to as a hidden translation layer on which the middleware forwards data and functions of these applications. eCommerce middleware such as for BlueBioTech connects several applications with each other so that users can dynamically execute typical web store applications in their web browser, such as submitting forms or obtaining information, and allow this browser to interact with their own user profile. Middleware providers serve databases or news portals, for example. The world of eCommerce has long been unimaginable without these solutions, which bring together supposedly contradictory elements. Their range of functions is very broad. Middleware supports real-time communication, the management of transactions in the web store, secure authentication and other areas required for the operation of an online store.
What all counts as middleware?
As already mentioned, middleware is special mediation software between applications and networks – for example, message queues, web servers or API gateways. You may be wondering where to classify an API in this context. Application Programming Interfaces or programming interfaces allow independent applications to communicate with each other. However, an API is not really application server integration middleware, even if it can actually perform middleware functions. The FastAPI middleware capabilities, for example, are widely known and appreciated. Incidentally, a database is not middleware either. It stores and manages data, but does not offer linking functions. Now we don’t want to make it unnecessarily exciting and reveal which eCommerce middleware we have chosen for our customer BlueBioTech: It is Alumio, which was our choice as a convinced as Alumio partner.
The advantages of Alumio eCommerce Middleware
Alumio’s middleware is more suitable than any other for making store systems absolutely capable of integration. This solution can be used to connect eCommerce with a highly complex cosmos of applications such as ERP systems, EDI, CRM, PIM and now also AI. All the signs really point to integration. Nothing is left out. A polyphonic orchestra of possibilities listens to the conductor on the podium with the help of Alumio. As a cloud-native low-code platform, this middleware first of all saves time by automating manual processes. From marketing planning to various marketing measures and digital sales through to financial calculations, Alumio enables the smooth processes of an online store in which the various sub-segments form a unit in which nothing gets stuck or causes difficulties. This is good for the operator and the basic prerequisite for customers to become interested, make purchases and remain loyal to the brand.
How om3 implemented this middleware project
Requirements analysis
We already knew BlueBioTech as a customer from our first joint project. So this time it was about implementing middleware. In a requirements analysis, we first determined the technical and functional needs of our webshop customer. Specifically, the aim was to determine which individual systems were to be integrated via the eCommerce middleware. This involved outlining which tasks the middleware had to perform as an integrator.
Technology selection
Based on the findings of the requirements analysis, we selected the middleware that we considered to be the most promising solution. As already mentioned, the software from Alumnio convinced us in this particular case. Of course, we did not make this selection based on a gut feeling, but according to the requirements we had identified, i.e. in terms of performance, scalability and compatibility with the customer’s existing systems, among other things.
Architectural planning and mapping determination
Our task now was to develop the design of the integration architecture, including the communication paths between the middleware and the systems involved. This step makes it clear that the use of commerce middleware, for all its universal integration capability, is never a simple solution like fitting a building block into a predefined form. Middleware is always individual – a bit like a bridge, which cannot be manufactured at random and then spanned across a river at random. Fine tuning is what counts here. At this crucial point in our project, we also defined the conceptual mapping of the data formats between the systems. This ensures that the data is transferred and interpreted correctly by the application server integration middleware.
Implementation and customization of the middleware
The course was now set for configuring and adapting the Alumio middleware. This was based on the specific business requirements of the Dr. Peter Hartig webshop, such as data routing and protocol conversion.
The test phase
The moment of truth: now it would become clear whether the middleware integration we had designed would pass the practical test. Trial phases are the be-all and end-all in our industry. This is the only way to identify and eliminate potential problems in advance. We carried out several functional tests and subjected the middleware to a series of stress tests in realistic processes. This important project phase lasted until every point of criticism had been eliminated and it was certain that the middleware would function smoothly in the everyday life of an online store and connect all systems as desired.
Deployment
Once the final tests had been completed satisfactorily, we set about introducing the middleware into the real production environment. If necessary, data or processes are also migrated in the process. This measure is again very customer-specific and is handled individually in different ways.
Monitoring and maintenance
Even after the successful implementation of eCommerce middleware for BlueBioTech International, we continued to support the customer with our digital expertise. This primarily concerned two areas during ongoing operations: setting up monitoring tools to monitor the middleware and ongoing maintenance to ensure consistently high stability and performance.
Are you interested in using the advantages of middleware in your company? Feel free to contact us!
Interested in food supplements? Click here to go to the BlueBioTech webshop
