Upgrading Ecommerce System for a Slovenian Telecommunication Provider

Client

The client is a Slovenian market-leading telecommunications operator providing fixed and mobile communications services.

Need

The client needed to migrate from an on-premise SAP Commerce system to the cloud to ensure long-term scalability and enhance system performance. With SAP ending support for on-premise SAP Commerce in 2026, staying on the legacy system would have meant handling maintenance independently, missing critical updates, and exposing the platform to security vulnerabilities.

“For us, it was crucial to build a scalable infrastructure that could support our long-term growth while keeping maintenance in expert hands. We needed specialists who could ensure a smooth and risk-free migration, optimizing our system in the process,” — Simon, Innovation Director at the telecom company.

Beyond the migration, the client aimed for a more advanced and future-proof system, one that could not only handle increasing demand but also introduce new capabilities, improved performance, and greater flexibility to support their growing business.

Solution

The client’s telecom ecommerce platform serves as a central hub for online sales, customer management, and digital service provisioning, handling high transaction volumes while ensuring a seamless experience for users.

To take the platform to the next level, Expert Soft leveraged telecom ecommerce development expertise and executed a multi-stage migration to SAP Commerce Cloud. This transformation involved several key steps.

Step 1: SAP Commerce and Java upgrade

The first challenge was upgrading SAP Commerce (Hybris) from 6.6 to 2011, a critical step to align with SAP’s latest standards. Simultaneously, we migrated the platform to Java 18, ensuring compatibility, security, and long-term maintainability. Addressing legacy dependencies and stabilizing the transition was crucial to minimize downtime and ensure a seamless upgrade.

Step 2: Code refactoring

To guarantee a smooth and disruption-free migration, we conducted an extensive code review and refactoring process, ensuring system stability while strictly adhering to SAP’s migration guidelines. Leveraging SonarQube, we performed an in-depth analysis to detect inefficiencies, potential bottlenecks, and hidden vulnerabilities that could pose risks during the transition.

With precision and industry best practices, we systematically refactored the codebase, reorganizing classes and methods to enhance maintainability and eliminate inefficiencies. This approach not only ensured compliance with SAP’s cloud migration requirements but also strengthened the overall resilience, security, and quality of the platform.

Additionally, we integrated Kibana to provide real-time system monitoring and faster log searches, further reinforcing platform stability and operational efficiency.

Besides integrating tools for system monitoring, we also introduced Smart Edit — a content management system for SAP Commerce Cloud for streamlined and user-friendly content modifications.

Challenges

Slow product pages

Customers expected instant access to product details and smooth category navigation, but the platform struggled to keep up. Slow-loading product details pages (PDPs) and category pages made browsing frustrating.

To speed up the PDPs, we adapted caching and optimized Solr indexing, cutting load time by 8x. Flexible Search queries were also optimized for faster data retrieval.

On category pages, the problem was with faceted search filters. Our team reorganized Solr storage, splitting big documents into smaller ones for faster search results and easier navigation.

Authentication issues

Authentication issues caused users to get stuck in endless login and logout loops due to conflicts between Keycloak authentication and the client’s custom header.

Expert Soft adjusted the authentication logic so that Keycloak’s auto-login and back-channel logout features are in sync with the existing system. The team also provided smooth integration with the Composable Storefront, eliminating security conflicts and providing a stable, single sign-on experience without any interruptions.

Pricing engine migration

The client’s pricing engine wasn’t built for telecom-specific purchase models, creating pricing inconsistencies and inefficiencies. Their system originally ran on the B2C Accelerator, but with the shift to the Telco Accelerator, the pricing structure needed a complete overhaul to align with the new architecture.

To bridge the gap, we piloted the migration of the Price Engine, transitioning it to a service-layer-based mechanism tailored to telecom needs. This transformation introduced a new approach to price retrieval and allowed the system to handle varying purchase models, such as Binding Orders, Standalone Orders, and Loyalty Purchases, more efficiently.

Document signing implementation

Without a way to include a digital signature, customers had to print, sign, and manually upload buying documents, adding extra steps and slowing orders. This was a cumbersome process that took customers to an office or involved manual paperwork.

To simplify this, Expert Soft incorporated an electronic signature solution that allows customers to electronically sign documents as part of the checkout. Customers can now finalize purchases from home or visiting an office, which makes the entire process more efficient and user-friendly.

Outdated banner system

The client’s banner system relied on an outdated structure with unnecessary CMS components, making content management inefficient. Every update required time-consuming adjustments, delaying marketing campaigns and adding unnecessary performance overhead. The system’s complexity also added to performance overhead, impacting the platform’s responsiveness.

To resolve this, Expert Soft refactored the banner system, removing redundant CMS components and optimizing the way banners were stored and managed. This reorganization boosted performance, made updates easier, and simplified content management, enabling the client to update banners in an efficient and timely manner.

Deployment of SAP Portal

The client needed to deploy SAP Portal as part of a broader system upgrade, ensuring integration with existing infrastructure. The goal was to establish a centralized access point for key business operations and improve platform accessibility.

Within the integration, we ensured seamless operation within the new ecommerce ecosystem, improving system usability and accessibility and allowing the client to better manage workflows within the new infrastructure.

Technologies

SAP Commerce Cloud, Solr, Keycloak, SonarQube, Smart Edit.