Fleurop: A modern architecture for reliable floral greetings

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TL;DR

The challenge

Compared to online retailers with central warehousing, the ordering process at Fleurop is far more complex because of its extensive partnership network of florists. The outdated, monolithic structure of the SAP-based inventory system was no longer able to handle the corresponding requirements.

Our approach

By switching to a modern software architecture based on self-contained systems, we upgraded the system landscape step by step. The establishment of prototypes and priority-based planning also facilitated important decision-making processes.

The result

Faster, more flexible, more secure! In addition to increased sales at Fleurop, the significantly improved ordering process ensures greater satisfaction among partners and customers. INNOQ also supported the introduction of new work methods and processes within the company.

The challenge: E-commerce for advanced users

Most online stores stick to a standard ordering process, because they usually have access to a central warehouse, which allows them to predict precisely which goods are available and when. Fleurop primarily sells its flowers via a huge partnership network of florists. In Germany alone, the company works with more than 4,000 partners with different product ranges, hours of operation, certificates, and local infrastructures. This makes it very challenging to identify which partners can deliver which bouquets and flowers at the desired time.

Fleurop previously used to rely on an SAP system to map these dependencies. However, this system was designed to map standard e-commerce use cases and did not meet the special needs of flower delivery. In order to adapt the system to these requirements, the in-house developers had to make extensive adjustments. Consequently, every change in the online store automatically resulted in manual adjustment of the SAP system. A new, comprehensive architecture solution was needed. Luckily, the company received significant support from INNOQ.

The approach: From “big picture” to “step by step”

Workshops are one of the most important tools for INNOQ at the start of every collaboration. This is a strategic decision, because the consultants want to know as much as possible about the company before they determine the most appropriate technology and start the actual development work. Initially, a joint workshop with Fleurop’s management focused on the big picture. INNOQ asked questions such as: What is it about? How does it work in detail? What is the current technological status? What are the challenges, needs, and goals?

At the same time, we also discussed the software architecture, current trends, organizational structures, and processes. This approach ultimately allowed us to determine the primary goal for the collaborative project, which could now be realized step by step. It was important to everyone involved that all opinions were considered equally and that decision-making was based on partnership. To ensure that we can make informed decisions, INNOQ always presented various technological options and highlighted the pros and cons as well as the resulting ramifications.

The architectural approach: Flexibility instead of bottleneck

The previous monolithic structure with SAP as the central model had increasingly turned into a bottleneck situation that stifled the speed of development. In the quest for a suitable and, above all, future-proof architectural concept, the decision was finally cast in favor of self-contained systems. The main benefit of this approach is that several small software systems, each mapping a specific use case, create a logical overall picture. The small, independent systems can be developed and rolled out more rapidly. This way, the new system meets the requirements of the complex ordering process at Fleurop with very few dependencies, high flexibility, and simple scaling.

The implementation: Prototypes and priorities

INNOQ provided immense support in upgrading the entire IT landscape at Fleurop as part of a precisely timed, iterative change process. Rigid roadmaps were quickly replaced with priority-based planning to make it easier to respond more rapidly and flexibly to new challenges. This also allowed major changes to be broken down into small, manageable stages.

To give Fleurop even more confidence in making the right decisions, INNOQ repeatedly tested planned features with prototypes and UX questionnaires – first internally and then with selected florists. To do this, the consultants traveled to the stores and conducted the tests directly on site. This way, the developers were able to demonstrate what was technologically feasible while simultaneously solving complex issues step by step.

The newly implemented online store, which was developed by a highly specialized service provider, also benefits from the new system landscape, in which all features and data are linked together. The search function is more detailed, the delivery data is more reliable, and the interaction between the brick and mortar flower retail and e-commerce is smoother.

Applied technologies