In the interview with Klaus Weßendorf and Andreas Hilbers from deltashops
Since the founding of deltacity.NET in 1997, Klaus Weßendorf has been an internet pioneer of the first commercial hour. With his expertise and his podcast series, such as Coffee2Know and Wessis digitalk, he has made a name for himself throughout the DACH region. Together with Andreas Hilbers, a renowned Shopware and PIM expert, he has been managing the subsidiary deltashops GmbH & Co. KG for over 20 years, which specializes in successful e-commerce solutions.
In our upcoming interview, we talk to Klaus Weßendorf and Andreas Hilbers about their pragmatic approaches to e-commerce with the core deltaPIM as well as the use of Shopware. deltashops does not focus on the sale of their self-developed PIM, but on the implementation and continuous support of their systems, which leads to quick and efficient use.
In the interview, you will learn how deltashops offers tailored solutions for their customers by developing over 100 interfaces to various portals and applications, why it is worth using Shopware as shop software and how the flexibility of deltaPIM meets the specific requirements of their customers.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Mr. Weßendorf, since the founding of deltacity.NET in 1997, you have been a pioneer in the internet business. What were the biggest challenges and milestones in the early years of commercial internet?
Klaus Weßendorf: Good question, because at that speed it feels more like 80 than 27 years. At the beginning, the “free mentality” was certainly very challenging when trying to build commercial structures. Today, they are accepted as “bait” offers or trade “use of data against time and data”.
Back then, the data highways were more like small country roads and the only thing you could do with your mobile was make calls or send SMS.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: You and Mr. Hilbers have been managing deltashops GmbH & Co. KG for over 20 years. How has the e-commerce sector changed during this time and which trends do you currently see as particularly relevant?
Klaus Weßendorf: The answer won’t surprise you: the use of AI will reorganize a lot. In particular, the changing Google search will probably turn the entire SEO market upside down.
In recent years, there has also been a huge trend away from native programming towards a huge selection of plugins – with all the opportunities and risks. While quick and cheap solutions with many plugins mean, on the other hand, significantly more effort when updating new software versions or operating systems on web servers. Security risks are also increasing.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Mr. Hilbers, you have made a name for yourself as a Shopware and PIM expert. Why did you choose Shopware as shop software and what advantages does it offer your customers?
Andreas Hilbers: For us, there were several criteria that led us to choose Shopware. On the one hand, we wanted to work with software that, at least in its core, adheres to the open-source standard and gives us as an agency a degree of independence. Additionally, Shopware offers an open interface – a crucial factor for us, as it guarantees a high degree of flexibility regarding integration with other systems. And from the perspective of our customers, the user-friendly admin area with its numerous design options via the Experience Worlds was an important decision point.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: deltashops places strong emphasis on its in-house developed deltaPIM solution. What makes deltaPIM unique and how does it support companies in their Product Information Management?
Andreas Hilbers: We developed deltaPIM together with some of our customers. This means we were directly involved in the day-to-day business of various companies and experienced their requirements on a daily basis. The result is a highly flexible system that is easy to use and thus quickly gains acceptance within companies. Over time, we have received a lot of feedback and some improvement suggestions from our customers. So, we don’t just provide our users with a piece of software; instead, we continuously develop deltaPIM in line with our customers’ requirements. This allows us to create tailored solutions for a wide range of challenges.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: A major advantage of deltashops is the rapid implementation and ongoing support of the solutions. Can you explain the process from the initial concept to the first use of the deltaPIM solution?
Klaus Weßendorf: First, we discuss the customer’s goals with them and almost simultaneously analyze their data. This allows us to quickly estimate how quickly and with what effort the goals can be achieved.
The initial “populating” of deltaPIM is usually done by us – in parallel with the development of the first interfaces for updates.
This means that after just a few weeks, the customer already has access to deltaPIM, can get used to the “new world,” and learns that it’s not “rocket science.”
After that, we take care of further interfaces such as inventory levels, prices, or customer groups, as well as the distribution of data in the customer’s own shop or on portals. For automation, the “return path” is particularly interesting – i.e., transferring orders from various portals back into the customer’s ERP system.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Your PIM solutions are known for their flexibility. How do you ensure that customer-specific feature requests are implemented quickly and efficiently?
Klaus Weßendorf: Since we have developed and continue to develop the PIM ourselves, unlike with third-party software, we have a good overview of what is possible and what isn’t – or what is easy to implement and what requires immense effort. If customer requests are also relevant to other customers, we immediately incorporate them as a new feature in the next version.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: You have developed over 100 interfaces to various portals and applications. How do you approach the individual implementation of such integrations, and what advantages does this offer your customers?
Andreas Hilbers: When creating interfaces, we first analyze the current state: which data is available in what format and where should it be transported via the interface. Thanks to the numerous interfaces we have already implemented, we can often fall back on existing software during implementation or adapt it individually. In very special cases, however, we can also develop the interface from scratch – that’s our daily business and what sets us apart from many other providers. So we adapt to the customer’s existing systems and create individual solutions for them.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: How does deltaPIM help improve efficiency and accuracy in managing product information?
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Mr. Weßendorf, alongside your professional activities, you volunteer and are known for your podcast series. How does this commitment influence your work, and which topics are particularly important to you?
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Finally, what visions and goals do you have for the future of deltashops? What new developments can your customers expect?
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Thank you for this extensive and sustainable interview about your work and especially about your podcast. Thank you!
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: How does deltaPIM help improve efficiency and accuracy in managing product information?
Andreas Hilbers: The fundamental advantage of a PIM is the centralized management of data. This means that item data can be created, enriched, and transferred to various channels in deltaPIM. This also applies to translations, images, data sheets, videos, and more. This centralized maintenance minimizes effort within the company and reduces error susceptibility to a minimum.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Mr. Weßendorf, alongside your professional activities, you volunteer and are known for your podcast series. How does this commitment influence your work, and which topics are particularly important to you?
Klaus Weßendorf: Podcasts always go “beyond the horizon” – including topics that may not seem directly related to e-commerce at first glance. I find the perspective on adjacent focal points important, and – much more significantly – the people behind them and what drives them.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Finally, what visions and goals do you have for the future of deltashops? What new developments can your customers expect?
Klaus Weßendorf: As already mentioned, we can look forward to how the use of AI will shake up the market in the coming weeks and months. In the area of marketing texts for the individual portals and new image landscapes, a lot is already happening, and with the new translation options into other languages, many will now be able to think much more internationally about their business.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Thank you for this extensive and sustainable interview about your work and especially about your podcast. Thank you!