Building on the success of Shopware 5, Veolia set out to expand its digitalization and automation efforts. A core objective of the project was to streamline operations and reduce manual workloads for both customers and internal teams by seamlessly integrating the company’s complex and extensive processes into Shopware 6. To achieve maximum efficiency, these systems needed to facilitate a smooth and continuous flow of data.
In addition, due to strict waste management regulations, the implementation had to meet all compliance and operational requirements.
We faced multiple challenges in this project. First, we needed a future-proof system that complied with strict security and data protection regulations while ensuring long-term scalability. At the same time, competitive pressure remains a crucial factor, even in the waste management industry. To stay ahead, we must continuously innovate and outperform the competition - a goal we can achieve with Shopware.
Without a suitable solution, not only would our administrative workload and staffing demands have increased, but we also risked losing customers to competitors as the market becomes increasingly digital-first.
Veolia chose Shopware 6 primarily for its API-first infrastructure, which allowed seamless integration of essential internal tools into the new portal. This ensured a smooth, continuous exchange of operational data, optimizing workflows and efficiency. Beyond its technical flexibility, Shopware 6 also offered cutting-edge features such as Shopware Composable Frontends, enabling a modern, high-performance frontend experience. By selecting the Beyond plan, Veolia gained access to the full suite of Shopware capabilities, including Composable Frontends for advanced frontend development and B2B Components, empowering customers to manage access and permissions with ease.
Key Shopware features utilized:
Scalable headless architecture with Shopware Composable Frontends: Veolia's ecommerce platform leverages Shopware 6 and Shopware Composable Frontends to create a high-performance, scalable, and flexible headless architecture. This approach ensures an optimized frontend experience tailored to specific business requirements, providing Veolia with a future-proof and adaptable solution.
B2B Components: The implementation of Shopware B2B Components was key to efficiently managing user accounts, sub-accounts, and permission structures. This significantly minimized the need for custom development, accelerating deployment while maintaining flexibility. Additional B2B functionalities will be introduced in future expansion phases.
Hosting: By hosting on an auto-scaling Amazon Cloud infrastructure, Veolia benefits from optimized performance and operational flexibility, ensuring seamless scalability and high reliability, even during peak demand periods.
Building on their successful partnership, Veolia and sitegeist collaborated once again to bring this project to life. Their journey began in 2018 when sitegeist developed Veolia’s existing customer portal using Shopware 5 Enterprise Edition.
In subsequent phases, the portal was expanded for end customers and redesigned with a mobile-first approach, making it even more accessible. Consumers could now conveniently order waste disposal containers online via shop.veolia.de. The platform allows customers to choose from various waste types and select the appropriate container or Big Bag for bulk waste, garden debris, or construction materials, with delivery to their home or business location. Additionally, resources like the "Waste Dictionary" help users find the right disposal solution for their needs.
For the Shopware 6 relaunch, Veolia leveraged a headless architecture, enabling a fully decoupled frontend and backend. This gave developers the flexibility to craft a tailor-made solution that meets the unique needs of Veolia’s customers. The headless approach also reduced time-to-market while ensuring the agility to quickly adapt to new requirements and implement changes efficiently.
By selecting the Beyond Plan, Veolia’s developers gained access to the full suite of Shopware tools, enabling them to tailor the platform to the company’s specific market needs. This included Shopware B2B Components, which enhanced the portal with essential B2B functionalities, allowing customers to:
Add employees to the company’s main account
Create sub-accounts within the company structure
Assign customized permissions based on employee roles
Additionally, various internal systems were seamlessly integrated into the portal, supporting a more digitized and centralized operation. The migration significantly reduced manual workload for both Veolia’s customers and internal teams while enhancing the overall user experience.
The new portal provides Veolia’s customers with a modern, efficient platform for fully digitizing business processes related to container and bin pickup and delivery. It also offers comprehensive management features, including contract visibility, transport order tracking, and flexible control over locations and user permissions.
Key features of the customer portal:
Seamless online ordering & management: Existing customers can now easily manage container and bin deliveries and pickups online, eliminating manual processes and streamlining operations for faster execution.
Comprehensive order & contract overview: The portal provides a complete overview of current and past orders, spanning multiple years. Customers can also access business contracts and generate customized annual or monthly reports for better financial and operational insights.
Advanced access & permission management: Built on Shopware B2B Components, the portal features a robust access control system, allowing customers to create additional user accounts and assign custom permissions based on roles and responsibilities within their organization.
Digital document management: Customers can access invoices, credit notes, and other critical business documents anytime, reducing administrative workload and increasing transparency and efficiency.
Just-in-time notifications: For large customers managing hundreds of locations with frequent waste collection needs, just-in-time updates are essential. The portal enables users to customize notifications, ensuring they stay informed about status changes and operational updates exactly when needed.
Rather than a traditional migration, this project was a complete digital transformation aimed at streamlining and modernizing Veolia’s business processes. Instead of simply transitioning from Shopware 5 to Shopware 6, we rebuilt the platform from the ground up to create a future-proof and highly efficient solution. The previous Shopware 5 system served only as a functional blueprint, but every other aspect - interfaces, hosting, software architecture, technologies, and UX/UI design - was completely reimagined. This approach allowed us to develop a scalable, high-performance platform tailored to Veolia’s evolving needs and the expectations of its customers.
KPIs:
Migrating to Shopware 6 has significantly accelerated the digitalization and automation of our business processes, delivering tangible benefits for both customers and internal operations.
End customers now have access to a more intuitive and user-friendly self-service portal, allowing them to efficiently manage their orders, invoices, credit notes, and contracts in one place. Features like the automated notification system, which provides real-time updates via email or SMS for transport order status changes, have improved customer satisfaction and streamlined operational efficiency.
For Veolia, the new solution has led to a significant reduction in administrative workload, freeing up resources while enhancing service quality and responsiveness.
Investing in Shopware 6 has proven to be a strategic step forward, enabling us to meet the evolving demands of online business while laying a solid foundation for continued digitalization and process optimization.
"Rebuilding our platform from the ground up allowed us to optimize and accelerate internal processes, lighten the workload for our employees, and continue delivering exceptional service that keeps our customers engaged."
The redevelopment of Veolia’s existing customer portal on Shopware 6 was successfully completed within 10 months, from initial concept to go-live. A dedicated team of five developers and one project manager led the project, and the platform is now undergoing continuous improvements and expansions.
By leveraging Shopware 6, Veolia has implemented a scalable and flexible headless architecture. The Shopware Composable Frontends provide a high-performance, adaptable framework, ensuring an optimal user experience and a future-proof ecommerce platform tailored to Veolia’s evolving needs. Additionally, the auto-scaling Amazon Cloud infrastructure enhances operational flexibility and performance, ensuring seamless functionality even during peak traffic periods.
The successful migration of Veolia’s self-service portal to Shopware 6 showcases sitegeist’s expertise in developing complex B2B ecommerce solutions. With customized strategies and a deep understanding of our unique requirements, sitegeist has been instrumental in enhancing our digital business processes and laying the foundation for long-term success.
The platform will continue to evolve, with further digitalization of key processes and expanded capabilities. The next major step includes launching a new customer shop and integrating additional stores for specialized products, enhancing the overall digital ecosystem.
