MEZ Crafts Germany GmbH

B2B Shop for Yarn and Wool with PWA Storefront

MEZ Crafts is a wholesale distributor for yarn, wool, knitting needles and crafting supplies. Business customers – from specialty retailers to online shops – order through the B2B shop, which is designed for quick ordering and efficient replenishment.

When we took over the project, the IT landscape had grown organically over the years: a multi-tenant Magento shop, various Drupal websites, a SAP integration and a PIM system based on Censhare. Our brief: consolidate everything, modernize and build a future-proof foundation.

🔄 Consolidation: Magento and Drupal onto Shopware 6

The starting point was typical for organizations that have grown over time: multiple systems that had evolved independently. A multi-tenant Magento shop for B2B sales and various Drupal sites for brand content. The systems were difficult to maintain, data was redundant and further development was expensive. Learn more about system modernization and migration.

The entire shop and content landscape was consolidated into a unified Shopware 6 system. The various tenants from the Magento shop were migrated into a clean Shopware structure, and the Drupal content was integrated. Instead of multiple systems with overlapping functionality, there is now a single platform that is maintained centrally.

📱 PWA Storefront with Offline Capability

The B2B shop was equipped with a Progressive Web App (PWA) as its storefront. For wholesale, this wasn't a technical gimmick – sales representatives and buyers regularly work in environments with poor or no internet connectivity: at trade fairs, in warehouses, on the road.

The PWA enables offline usage. Product catalogs and shopping carts remain available without a connection. Changes are synchronized once connectivity is restored.

Quick Order Form – A key feature for B2B customers. Retailers regularly order the same products in varying quantities. The quick order form allows entering article numbers directly, adjusting quantities and assembling an entire cart in seconds – without navigating through categories and product pages.

🔗 SAP Integration: Prices, Stock Levels, Orders

In the first phase, the shop was connected to the existing SAP system. The ERP integration covered synchronization of prices, stock levels and orders. Customer-specific prices from SAP were reflected in real time in the shop, and orders were automatically transferred to SAP.

🗂️ PIM Integration: Censhare HCMS

Product data – descriptions, attributes, images – was managed in the PIM system Censhare and synchronized to the shop via the Censhare HCMS interface. A typical system integration where the shop serves as a sales channel while the PIM retains data authority.

⚙️ Needs-Based System Optimization

After the successful initial migration and stable operation, a comprehensive needs-based optimization of the entire system landscape followed. Not all at once, but step by step – driven by actual business requirements. The result: a leaner architecture with fewer systems, lower maintenance overhead and recurring cost savings in the high five-figure range per year.

SAP → JTL – The ERP system was migrated from SAP to JTL. The switch was driven by changing requirements and cost structure. We supported the transition and built new integrations between JTL and Shopware – prices, stock levels, orders, customer data.

Censhare → JTL – The PIM system Censhare was completely replaced. Product data management and synchronization now run through JTL. This significantly reduces system complexity – one fewer system to maintain, license and operate.

Asset Management via ResourceSpace – ResourceSpace was introduced as the Digital Asset Management solution for product images and media. Separating product data (JTL) from media management (ResourceSpace) creates clear responsibilities.

AWS → Managed Hosting – The entire infrastructure was migrated from AWS to managed hosting. Instead of managing cloud infrastructure with growing complexity, there is now a hosting partner handling servers, updates and availability – at predictable costs.

📡 EDI Integration for Retail

A key step was implementing an EDI solution that had previously been handled through SAP and Lobster. With the switch to JTL, electronic data interchange with trading partners had to be rebuilt from scratch. Learn more about EDI integration.

The EDI integration handles standardized message exchange with major trading partners via AS2 protocol. For a deeper look at the technical details, see our blog post on EDI integration with JTL.

Incoming Orders (ORDERS) – Orders from trading partners are automatically received, validated and created as orders in JTL. No manual data entry, no transcription errors.

Invoices (INVOIC) – Invoice data is automatically transmitted to trading partners in EDI format. The integration ensures that invoice data exactly matches orders and deliveries.

Dispatch Advices (DESADV) – Trading partners automatically receive structured shipping information with details on packages, quantities and tracking.

Price Catalogs (PRICAT) – Current price lists and article data are transmitted electronically to trading partners. Assortment changes, new articles and price adjustments reach partners without manual effort.

Sales Reports (SLSRPT) – Sales figures from trading partners flow back and enable data-driven replenishment planning.

📊 Project at a Glance