Software AG Case Studies Apollo-Optik Sees Clear Benefits with SOA

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	Apollo-Optik Sees Clear Benefits with SOA Software AG

Apollo-Optik Sees Clear Benefits with SOA

Software AG

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
Applicable Industries	Retail
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Sales & Marketing
Use Cases	Inventory Management Supply Chain Visibility
Services	Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services Data Science Services Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	Apollo-Optik, Germany's largest retail chain for optical products, was facing challenges in serving its customers with high-quality products and on-time delivery. The company's IT landscape was complex and consisted of several different back-end systems, leading to redundancy in data and functionality. For instance, retrieving all data on a customer required calling upon many relevant functions in different systems. This inefficiency prompted Apollo-Optik to transition to a more efficient Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and implement re-usable services across all systems. The company aimed to provide the highest level of quality in customized eyeglasses on time, every time, and needed a solution that could help achieve this goal. Read More
About Customer	Apollo-Optik is Germany's largest retail chain for optical products, with 700 stores across the country. The company offers a wide selection of eyeglasses, contact lenses, and fashionable frames. Apollo-Optik's goal is to provide customers with the best possible optical products and services. The company operates in a highly competitive environment dominated by small and medium-sized businesses. To differentiate itself, Apollo-Optik operates by the motto “far more than glasses,” aiming to provide the highest level of quality in customized eyeglasses on time, every time. To accomplish this, Apollo-Optik relies on several different back-end systems and corresponding business processes. Read More
Solution	Apollo-Optik partnered with Software AG to develop an architecture concept that met all the requirements. Using webMethods, Software AG's leading SOA and Business Process Management (BPM) suite, a pre-configured, virtual SOA platform for service development, testing, and production was created and implemented. The SOA platform consisted of hosting or provision and control of services, monitoring the runtime environment, integration of one service into the company’s IT, and data storage. The company first looked at improving its order-quality service. The service checks lens thickness as soon as an optician enters an order, retrieving this information via the Internet from headquarters using webMethods EntireX. The service is hosted and controlled by webMethods Integration Server and has access to a number of “internal services.” These include communication with databases containing information on all frames as well as lens types carried by Apollo-Optik and a Java-based “logical service.” Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms

Applicable Industries

Retail

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Inventory Management

Supply Chain Visibility

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services

Data Science Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

Apollo-Optik, Germany's largest retail chain for optical products, was facing challenges in serving its customers with high-quality products and on-time delivery. The company's IT landscape was complex and consisted of several different back-end systems, leading to redundancy in data and functionality. For instance, retrieving all data on a customer required calling upon many relevant functions in different systems. This inefficiency prompted Apollo-Optik to transition to a more efficient Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and implement re-usable services across all systems. The company aimed to provide the highest level of quality in customized eyeglasses on time, every time, and needed a solution that could help achieve this goal.

About Customer

Apollo-Optik is Germany's largest retail chain for optical products, with 700 stores across the country. The company offers a wide selection of eyeglasses, contact lenses, and fashionable frames. Apollo-Optik's goal is to provide customers with the best possible optical products and services. The company operates in a highly competitive environment dominated by small and medium-sized businesses. To differentiate itself, Apollo-Optik operates by the motto “far more than glasses,” aiming to provide the highest level of quality in customized eyeglasses on time, every time. To accomplish this, Apollo-Optik relies on several different back-end systems and corresponding business processes.

Solution

Apollo-Optik partnered with Software AG to develop an architecture concept that met all the requirements. Using webMethods, Software AG's leading SOA and Business Process Management (BPM) suite, a pre-configured, virtual SOA platform for service development, testing, and production was created and implemented. The SOA platform consisted of hosting or provision and control of services, monitoring the runtime environment, integration of one service into the company’s IT, and data storage. The company first looked at improving its order-quality service. The service checks lens thickness as soon as an optician enters an order, retrieving this information via the Internet from headquarters using webMethods EntireX. The service is hosted and controlled by webMethods Integration Server and has access to a number of “internal services.” These include communication with databases containing information on all frames as well as lens types carried by Apollo-Optik and a Java-based “logical service.”

Impact #1	The implementation of the SOA platform and the order-quality service led to tangible savings from fewer lens rejections.
Impact #2	The company saw improved customer satisfaction and an enhanced image for the Apollo-Optik brand.
Impact #3	The SOA platform is scalable and will support ongoing enhancements.

Impact #1

The implementation of the SOA platform and the order-quality service led to tangible savings from fewer lens rejections.

Impact #2

The company saw improved customer satisfaction and an enhanced image for the Apollo-Optik brand.

Impact #3

The SOA platform is scalable and will support ongoing enhancements.

Benefit #1	The service coordinates tens of thousands of requests from POS systems every day from the hundreds of store locations. Each request is answered in less than two seconds.

Benefit #1

The service coordinates tens of thousands of requests from POS systems every day from the hundreds of store locations. Each request is answered in less than two seconds.

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Overview

Apollo-Optik Sees Clear Benefits with SOA

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit