Formerly known as SAP Hybris, SAP Commerce Cloud is the e-commerce platform provided by SAP SE for companies with complex management requirements and high sales volumes. The solution is one of the core components of the SAP CX (Customer Experience) suite, SAP's tool for managing customer relationships across every touchpoint.
Designed for B2B, B2C and B2B2C markets, SAP CC aims to simplify sales and purchasing processes and enable the centralised management of all sales channels, improving user satisfaction through a tailored digital experience.
SAP Commerce Cloud: out-of-the-box modules
SAP commerce cloud is based on a particularly modular system particolarmente flexible, which allows us to work with the modules integrated into the platform or customise them, creating a product tailored to the needs of the Shop and the client.
We provide a brief overview of the out-of-the-box modules (those that are ready to use, for non-specialists):
- Product Content Management (PCM) – focuses on product presentation and the processing of related information. This module also allows us to manage multiple catalogues in one place, improving product organisation and ensuring complete content consistency across all sales channels, whether digital or physical;
- Customer Experience Management – as the name suggests, it focuses on the user's needs or preferences. It therefore covers promotions, product recommendations and all the activities that make the shopping experience personal and unique;
- Order Management – the order and stock module, which can be managed centrally in this case as well. It allows us to view and track the sale at every stage, from order placement through to delivery.
SAP Hybris: a couple more concepts
There is another tool available to SAP specialists that we have not yet covered: a ready-to-use web implementation template, Accelerator.
In short, to speed up the e-commerce development process, SAP provides us directly within the platform with a ready-made solution for B2B or B2C, capable of engaging users in the digital experience based on their browsing data.
There is a second concept to bear in mind in order to fully understand the benefits of working with an e-commerce platform such as the one described in this article: omnichannel. SAP Commerce Cloud is, in fact, an omnichannel platform.
What does this involve? The coordinated management of touchpoints between the company and the consumer provides the latter with a unified shopping experience across all sales channels. In other words, whichever shop the customer chooses (web, app or even a physical store), they will find consistent and coherent information throughout (products, offers, prices, etc.).
2022 Gartner Magic QuadrantAdvantages and disadvantages of SAP Commerce Cloud
SAP Hybris is not for everyone.
A necessary point, which we made clear from the outset, is that the platform is designed to address the challenges faced by companies with high sales volumes and highly complex management requirements. The cost of the system is therefore proportionate to what it offers and is based on a user licence and a variable fee.
Is this a limitation of Hybris?
The decision to focus on such a demanding target audience has undoubtedly driven SAP to create a high-quality product, whose main strengths lie in the 5 out-of-the-box modules we discussed earlier, as well as its extensive customisation options and the excellent support provided by SAP itself. Above all, however, the convenience of a product that can already integrate with all the other solutions in the SAP CX suite makes SAP Commerce Cloud a leading solution in the e-commerce sector.
That said, let us return to the point made at the beginning of this paragraph: SAP Hybris is not suitable for everyone. It is therefore the supplier’s expertise that enables them to choose a development system with sustainable costs for the client. While SAP Commerce Cloud can handle large volumes of requests, other platforms are better suited to creating e-commerce solutions with less complex management requirements.
Listening to our partners’ requirements so that we can provide tailored solutions is the first step we take when developing a successful e-commerce platform.
Now that we have provided some information on how the platform works, let us take a closer look at the responsibilities of an SAP Developer.
One of the latest projects our SAP Team has worked on involves a multinational company specialising in industrial chemicals. Here is an overview of the work they are carrying out, and have carried out, during this engagement:
- Application Maintenance – includes routine e-commerce maintenance and updates (from minor bug fixes to the development of small enhancements);
- Implementation of major enhancements – whether already available in SAP Commerce Cloud or custom-developed to meet the specific needs of the eShop and the business;
- Support for the overall website redesign (currently under way);
- Rollout of the platform across different countries.
The e-commerce market
The pandemic also contributed to an initial surge in online sales, followed by a period of consolidation as the new sales conditions proved sustainable even with the return to normality.
For some time, therefore, many players have embarked on a path of digital transformation, which has led them both to convert traditional sales channels into e-commerce platforms and to reach markets that have traditionally been less accessible.
It is also important to remember that the reorganisation of digital experiences has been significantly influenced by the trend in recent years towards placing the consumer, their needs and expectations, at the heart of the business.
At HRM, through our established partnership with Adobe and our new Salesforce Commerce Cloud Academies, we place considerable emphasis on training professionals who are well prepared and ready to enter the market in which they will work.
Are you considering becoming an e-commerce developer and looking for a professional development path in a stimulating environment?
Discover our Academy services and join HRM.
