Prior to the project, MEGA was using two different systems for B2B communication that were no longer fit for the future. By implementing B2B communication using SAP PI, the new solution is not only easier to use and maintain, it is also open for further expansions. Additional customer and supplier systems have already been connected.
MEGA is a wholesaler specialised on trades with more than 100 locations in Germany. The group’s more than 56,000 customers primarily include painters, floor layers and plasterers. Around one in ten customers is also a member of the cooperative and therefore a shareholder in MEGA eG. This makes MEGA the largest independent trading company in the industry. It offers specialist trades a comprehensive range of products: Paints and plasters, floor and wall coverings, thermal insulation systems, dry construction materials, machines and tools as well as banking and insurance services from the in-house bank MKB Mittelstandskreditbank AG.
“We got to know PIKON as a result of recommendation by our system house cormeta. The pragmatic approach and ability to implement what we wanted with optimal value for money really impressed us.”
Jens Hungershausen, Head of IT Department
MEGA eG
Before our joint project, MEGA eG used the communications platforms Business Connector for exchange with the Elster tax data platform via http, a transport and a premium service provider via IDOC RFC on the one hand, and the Seeburger server for information transfer in EDIFACT format via AS400 on the other hand.
Both purely technical updates and adaptations of legacy developments were necessary to guarantee future reliability in the form of manufacturer support for both systems. After analysing the options to implement additional interfaces in the future, the decision was made to convert all existing interfaces to SAP PI and to no longer pursue the two previous solutions.
By analysing the existing interfaces and documentation, it was quickly possible to understand the necessary mapping steps for the PI connection of the ERP system (via IDOC/RFC), the customer and supplier systems (IDOC XML orders, as well as EDIFACT invoices) and to implement them accordingly on the new platform. In addition to processing in the ERP, an invoice scanning solution was also supplied with the necessary data, resulting in the previous Seeburger server interfaces being replaced by SAP PI with Seeburger add-on and the first live launch taking place.
Since Business Connector and SAP PI are even more similar and the interfaces there were mainly IDOCs or at least SAP standards (ELSTER), these could also be migrated without any significant problems and both HR and ERP were successfully integrated into the new communication strategy.
Due to this initial conversion being such a positive experience, other customers, suppliers and partners followed, who can now connect their processes to MEGA eG by EDI on the basis of our project and others are already being planned.
All the set goals were achieved thanks to this solution:
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