Relaunch B2B website builder and workshop search pages from WM SE

WM SE is one of the largest vehicle parts distributors in Europe. As a wholesale company, Osnabrück-based WM SE not only supplies its customers and partner workshops with spare parts, but also provides them with extensive services in the areas of online marketing and brand support. An important component of this digital service offering is the website builder for concept or brand customers of the company. WM SE offers partners of its workshop brands and concepts autoPRO, AUTOteam, AUTOteam plus, AUTOFIT, LACKPROFI plus and TRUCKFIT the opportunity to create and maintain their own Internet presence based on the website construction kit. The partner workshops of WM SE can thus present themselves with a professional website that corresponds to the respective brand identity of the different WM workshop brands or workshop concepts.

At the end of 2018, WM SE commissioned basecom to relaunch its website builder, the associated website packages of its brand partners, and the search and info pages for its workshop brands and workshop concepts. The extensive project includes on the one hand the development of a digital offering for WM SE’s business customers, and on the other hand the development of corresponding digital touchpoints for the customers of WM SE’s workshop partners. The project thus aims to improve the B2B service offering while supporting the digital presence of WM brands and communication towards end customers.

In the course of the project, the website construction kit(autofit-premium.de/ autopro-basis.de) was further developed into a digital product of its own. Currently, 386 customer websites and 53 premium websites are operated on the basis of the modular system. In the future, the website builder will also be offered to brand and concept partners in Austria and the Netherlands.

In this web project with WM SE, the challenge was primarily the size and complexity of the project. In addition to the individual development of the Werkastatt modular system, the website templates, the search pages and numerous backend functions, the smooth relaunch of the existing website packages of the brand partners had to be ensured.

Custom development based on the PHP framework Symfony

The website builder and the various workshop search pages for WM SE’s workshop brands and concepts were developed as individual web solutions based on the PHP framework Symfony. By their very nature, the solutions developed as part of the project are aimed at different target groups and can be divided accordingly into two sub-areas.

1. individual development of web solutions with the target group B2B customers or brand and concept partners:

WM SE customers are automatically imported into the system and can log into the system via an interface. The content maintenance of the website is facilitated by predefined templates. At the same time, it is ensured that the website corresponds to the design of the respective workshop brand or concept, so that a uniform and professional Internet presence of the different brands and concepts is guaranteed. Through a preview function, the customer has the opportunity to view changes to his page before he puts it online. Depending on the website package the customer has booked, different functions are available to him.

Via the administration backend, employees from WM headquarters can make settings such as changing packages, storing individual domains or blocking customers from the customers’ website packages

WM SE sales staff can use their personalized access to edit their customers’ websites and provide them with optimum support.

2. individual development of web solutions that support WM SE’s brand and concept partners in the B2C sector:

The customers’ workshop pages are played out automatically depending on the brand or concept and the selected website package. At the same time, the websites are automatically integrated into the workshop search pages so that they can be easily found by end customers looking for a workshop near them.

Own domains are deposited by WM employees. Workshop operators who do not have their own domain receive a SLUG domain (e.g.: www.autoteam-plus.de/kroecher-ole) so that they can also be present online quickly and easily.

Integrated workshop brands and workshop concepts:

Workshop marks:

• The workshop brands – www.die-werkstattmarken.de
• AUTOFIT – www.autofit.com
• autoPRO – www.autopro.de
• AUTOteam plus – www.autoteam-plus.de

Workshop concepts:

• AUTOteam – www.autoteam.de
• LACKPROFI plus – www.lackprofi-plus.de
• TRUCKFIT – www.truckfit.de

We look back on a demanding and complex project, the result of which is absolutely impressive.

Facts & Figures (as of 15.05.2020):

Total active customer websites: 386
AUTOFIT: 181
autoPRO: 106
AUTOteam plus: 87
LACKPROFI plus: 12
Active premium websites: 53

WM SE is Germany’s largest retailer of automotive parts and accessories, tools, workshop equipment and workshop concepts, with annual sales of over EUR 2 billion. The company employs more than 6,700 people at its headquarters in Osnabrück and its numerous branches in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the USA.

basecom has been a strategic partner for digitalization since the end of 2018, especially in the area of communication processes between employees and customers. In a close agile collaboration between the stakeholders, digital solutions are designed (UX & UI), technically implemented (Symfony platform), experience is gained in operation, and this in turn is incorporated into the agile development process.