--- title: "Gühring case study: B2B platform for 20 countries | ECOPLAN" description: "ECOPLAN has supported Gühring" url: "https://www.ecoplan.com/en/references/guehring.php" --- # Gühring: B2B shop and customer portal for 20 countries, integrated with SAP ECOPLAN has supported the B2B platform of Gühring, one of the world's leading manufacturers of precision tools for metal cutting, since 2016. A single central solution runs 30 websites for 20 countries with around 250,000 products and variants, integrated with the different SAP systems of the sales organizations. [View Gühring shop](https://webshop.guehring.de/) ![Multishop for 20 countries, integrated with SAP](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/agentur/hero-guehring-en.svg) Multishop for 20 countries, integrated with SAP 20 Countries where the platform runs 30 Country and brand websites on one platform 250,000 Products and variants 36% less download volume thanks to usage statistics ## Key facts at a glance ### Customer Gühring KG, Albstadt-Ebingen ### Industry Tool industry, rotating precision tools ### Website www.guehring.com ### ECOPLAN customer since 2016 ### Scope 30 websites, 20 countries, two to three languages per website ### Products Around 250,000 products and variants, up to 40 downloads per product ### Solutions B2B web shop, customer portal with document portal and contracts, PunchOut via OCI and cXML, order automation via tool dispensing machines ### ERP SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP Business One, depending on the sales organization ### Other systems PIM, product configurator ### Rollout Germany in a few months, further countries in some cases in a few weeks ## About Gühring Gühring KG, headquartered in Albstadt-Ebingen, develops, manufactures, and sells rotating precision tools for metal cutting. Around 7,000 employees work at more than 70 production sites in 48 countries. Customers include companies from the automotive, aerospace, and mechanical engineering industries, tool specialty dealers and industrial distributors, as well as smaller manufacturing and metalworking businesses. ![Solid carbide special drill during machining with flying chips](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/referenzen/projektstories/weblication/wThumbnails/32b25fa84f68aeeg4d30151e12adf834.webp) Solid carbide special drill during machining with flying chips ## Starting situation Gühring already had an online shop, but it was technically outdated and little used by customers. The company was looking for a partner that understands the processes and structures of an internationally operating industrial company and can reliably integrate the different SAP systems of the sales organizations. The decision in 2016 went to ECOPLAN, because of its many years of experience in industrial B2B and above all its SAP expertise. ## Approach and rollout ECOPLAN first implemented the platform for Germany, with go-live after a few months. Further countries and sales organizations followed, some within a few weeks. All websites run in a shared instance. Central standards apply to all countries, while local specifics such as languages, product ranges, and terms are modeled per sales organization. ## Integration Different SAP systems are in use in Gühring's sales organizations: SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP Business One. ECOPLAN integrates all of them with the same platform. Prices and availabilities come at runtime from the SAP system responsible in each case. The B2B shopping cart, a one-page checkout, bundles all the information SAP needs for the order simulation, including shipping costs, shipping carriers, and individual customer terms. Product data is delivered by a PIM system via API, and the existing product configurator is also integrated. ![B2B cart as one-page checkout with shipping costs, shipping carrier and customer terms, connected to SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA and SAP Business One; PIM system and product configurator supply product data](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/agentur/guehring-integration-warenkorb-sap-pim-konfigurator-en.svg) B2B cart as one-page checkout with shipping costs, shipping carrier and customer terms, connected to SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA and SAP Business One; PIM system and product configurator supply product data ## What was not easy The biggest challenge is the volume of data. Around 250,000 products and variants must be kept up to date from PIM and ERP, be quickly searchable, and be displayed with good performance. To achieve this, ECOPLAN has above all continuously optimized the indexing of the product data over the years. To help customers quickly find the right product among this variety of variants, ECOPLAN integrated the specialized search solution Zoovu. Gühring wanted to be able to control specifically which products appear at the top of the search results, for example to show new products preferentially. In addition, there are up to 40 downloads per product: technical data sheets, design information, and CAD files in numerous formats. ECOPLAN developed a cross-country statistic that shows which downloads in which format are actually used, because user behavior differs from country to country. On this basis, the data volume was reduced by 36%. ## Special features of the solution Contracts Order automation PunchOut Document portal Contracts ### Contracts in the customer portal **Fixed purchase quantities in exchange for better prices and availability.** Gühring can plan production better. In the customer portal, customers see open contract quantities and statistics. ![Contracts in the customer portal: call-off status per product group](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/agentur/guehring-besonderheit-kontrakte-en.svg) Contracts in the customer portal: call-off status per product group Order automation ### Order automation via tool dispensers **Withdrawals automatically become reorders.** Withdrawals at tool dispensers at the customer's site trigger reorders through configurable order rules. ![Order automation: a withdrawal at the tool dispenser triggers a reorder](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/agentur/guehring-besonderheit-bestellautomation-en.svg) Order automation: a withdrawal at the tool dispenser triggers a reorder PunchOut ### PunchOut via OCI and cXML **Order directly from the customer's procurement system.** The cart in the shop is transferred to the customer's procurement system via OCI or cXML. ![PunchOut: the cart is transferred to the customer procurement system via OCI and cXML](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/agentur/guehring-besonderheit-punchout-en.svg) PunchOut: the cart is transferred to the customer procurement system via OCI and cXML Document portal ### Document portal **Orders, delivery notes and invoices in the portal.** Customers access their documents in the portal themselves. ![Document portal: orders, delivery notes and invoices in the customer portal](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/agentur/guehring-besonderheit-belegportal-en.svg) Document portal: orders, delivery notes and invoices in the customer portal ## Result With ECOPLAN, Gühring has replaced an outdated, little-used shop with a central B2B platform that now serves 30 country and brand websites in 20 countries. New countries can be integrated within a few weeks. ## Continued development since 2016 Since the launch, ECOPLAN has continuously expanded the platform together with Gühring: further countries and sales organizations, customer portal and document portal, contract processing, the integration of the configurator, and PunchOut via OCI and cXML. New platform features are used on an ongoing basis, and further countries are in planning. ## Customer voice ![Lisa Metzger, E-Commerce Manager](/wAssets-ecoplan/img/agentur/weblication/wThumbnails/portrait-lisa-metzger-guehring-bf10462f-6e4e3d30@ll.jpg) Lisa Metzger > ECOPLAN understands how an international industrial company ticks. Today we bring new countries live in a few weeks. Lisa Metzger, E-Commerce Manager, Gühring KG ### Related topics [B2B web shop](/en/b2b-commerce/b2b-webshop.php) [Customer portal](/en/b2b-commerce/customer-portal.php) [PunchOut](/en/b2b-commerce/punchout-integration.php) [Order automation](/en/b2b-commerce/order-automation.php) [SAP integration](/en/integration/) [Tools](/en/industries/tools.php) Project inquiry ## Are you planning a similar project? Tell us about your requirements, processes, and system landscape. **Simply fill out the form. We will get back to you within 2 business days.** If you would rather talk directly, book an appointment with us. You will receive an initial expert assessment, in 30 minutes by video conference. [Book a call directly](/en/contact/book-a-call.php) ## FAQ – Frequently asked questions ### How large can a B2B platform for an international tool manufacturer become? Gühring's platform comprises 30 websites in 20 countries with two to three languages each, around 250,000 products and variants, and up to 40 downloads per product. ECOPLAN has supported it since 2016. ### How quickly can a B2B platform be rolled out in additional countries? At Gühring, Germany went live after a few months. Further countries and sales organizations followed, in some cases within a few weeks. ### Which solutions run at Gühring? B2B web shop, customer portal with document portal and contracts, PunchOut via OCI and cXML, and order automation via tool dispensing machines, integrated with SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP Business One. ### How does ECOPLAN integrate the different SAP systems at Gühring? ECOPLAN integrates SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP Business One with the same platform. Prices and availabilities come at runtime from the SAP system responsible in each case. The one-page checkout bundles all the information SAP needs for the order simulation, including shipping costs, shipping carriers, and individual customer terms. ### How does the Gühring platform handle 250,000 products and many downloads? ECOPLAN has continuously optimized the indexing of the product data over the years and integrated the search solution Zoovu, which Gühring uses to specifically control search results, for example for new products. A cross-country statistic shows which of the up to 40 downloads per product are used. On this basis, the data volume was reduced by 36%. ### What are contracts in the Gühring customer portal? Customers agree on fixed purchase quantities for a period and receive better prices and availability in return. This allows Gühring to plan production better. In the customer portal, customers see open contract quantities and statistics.