Digitization project with
Fresh Food Services

FFS Fresh Food Services GmbH & Co KG from Bochum is a specialized food wholesaler for the out-of-home market. The company is a partner for bakeries, hotels and restaurants, communal catering and care, convenience stores and transport catering, butchers, snack bars and catering. With a wide range of products from fresh, frozen and dry products to specially created snack concepts. With eight own brands and its own logistics, FFS ensures a comprehensive supply for businesses and canteen kitchens.
basecom was commissioned to replace an outdated system landscape and lay the foundations for a modern digital product world. The main objective was to replace the existing Magento 1 system with a future-proof solution. The first step (MVP) was to create a digital "shop window" based on Pimcore. This serves as a structured product presentation for customers without initially integrating a direct ordering function. basecom is providing FFS with strategic support in order to create the basis for a later B2B online store and the consolidation of digital and analog publication channels.

FFS's IT landscape was characterized by historically grown, fragmented structures. A Magento 1 system was used as a rudimentary product data management system, while the primary data was maintained in an outdated AS400 ERP system. This constellation led to inefficient processes and inadequate data quality.

There was also a particular focus on the exceptionally intensive consulting phase.
For over six months, requirements were analyzed in scoping workshops and various system architectures were compared. The aim was to find a solution that would offer measurable added value despite the heterogeneous customer structure and complex pricing logic. As FFS operates in a purely B2B environment, security aspects and the usability of the data for various distribution channels such as print catalogs and trade fairs also had to be taken into account.

Strategic consulting and system selection

The project phase was preceded by a comprehensive consulting phase. basecom conducted detailed scoping workshops for e-commerce and PIM, analyzed the existing architecture and designed a future-proof target structure. Through a system-agnostic selection study with SWOT analyses and evaluation matrices, Pimcore Enterprise PaaS was identified as the ideal technological basis. An essential part of the consulting was the product owner enablement in order to anchor the agile processes according to Scrum methodology sustainably at FFS. This methodical support ensured the targeted implementation of the project despite complex requirements and scope adjustments.

Central data management and data quality

Pimcore Enterprise was implemented as the central PIM/DAM system. An important aspect of the solution is the use of Pimcore's data quality features. These ensure that product descriptions are complete and meet precise quality criteria before they are displayed in the front end. By consolidating the data from the AS400 system in Pimcore, a single source of truth was created. This clean database enables FFS to efficiently use product data not only for the digital shop window, but also for automated PDF catalogs and exports for InDesign (multi-channel publishing).

Process automation for sales

Significant added value was created through the development of a specialized sales tool. A feature was integrated that allows sales employees to generate individual quotation PDFs directly from the system. By uploading simple CSV files with article numbers and customer-specific prices, attractive documents can be created in no time at all. This step digitizes what was previously a purely manual process and leads to considerable time savings in sales. The shop window itself was implemented as a headless frontend with Next.js and offers an optimized search through integrated synonym logics.

Scalable infrastructure through Pimcore PaaS

FFS uses Pimcore Enterprise in the PaaS edition. It is hosted as a platform-as-a-service solution from Pimcore. This approach combines the advantages of the Enterprise license with a highly scalable and secure cloud infrastructure. This eliminates additional server management work for FFS, while automated updates and the highest security standards are included directly in the service. This modern infrastructure forms the stable foundation for the planned further expansion of the platform into a fully comprehensive B2B store. Pimcore PaaS uses the cloud infrastructure from upsun.

The project with FFS Fresh Food Services demonstrates how a thorough consulting phase and modern cloud technologies can successfully replace outdated system structures. The digital shop window has created an efficient tool for sales and customer communication. The introduction of Pimcore as a central data instance has noticeably increased data quality and automated manual processes. Together with the FFS team, we have created a platform that equips the company for sustainable digital growth in the future.

FFS Fresh Food Services GmbH & Co KG, headquartered in Bochum, is a nationally active specialist wholesaler for the out-of-home market. The company employs over 200 people at seven locations and supplies customersfrom the restaurant, hotel and communal catering sectors. In addition to trading in branded products, FFS carries seven own brands and offers specialized consulting solutions for individual catering concepts.