SAP Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based platform that enables businesses to tailor their customer experience journey across various touchpoints, ensuring a seamless omnichannel shopping experience. 

It is a complete commerce solution offered by SAP, a German business software MNC with over 230 million cloud users. As a part of the broader SAP Customer Experience suite of tools, Sap Commerce Cloud is your universal ticket to increased customer loyalty, improved conversion rates, and elevated revenue.

If you want to explore and harness the power of this tool, you’re at the right place! In this complete guide, we will delve into this Swiss Army knife of eCommerce solutions in detail to help you begin. Let’s start!

What Is SAP Commerce Cloud?

SAP Commerce Cloud, earlier known as SAP Hybris Commerce, is a cloud-based eCommerce platform that enables businesses to deliver personalized, omnichannel shopping experiences across multiple touchpoints. 

It is a cloud-native, microservices-based platform that leverages the power of SAP Cloud Platform and SAP S/4HANA. SAP Commerce Cloud is part of the SAP Customer Experience portfolio, which also includes SAP Marketing Cloud, SAP Sales Cloud, SAP Service Cloud, and SAP Customer Data Platform. 

History of SAP Commerce Cloud

SAP Commerce Cloud was formed through the acquisition of Hybris by SAP followed by several updates. Let’s have a quick look at the history of this SAP eCommerce tool-

1972: SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) was founded in Germany as a business management software company.

1997: Hybris was founded in Zurich, Switzerland by five friends who wanted to create a flexible e-commerce platform.

2005: Hybris launched its first major product, hybris 3.0, which offered a modular and scalable architecture for online shops. It continued to expand its global presence in the coming years.

2011: Hybris introduced its multichannel commerce solution, which enabled businesses to deliver consistent and seamless experiences across different channels and devices.

2013: SAP acquired Hybris and renamed it to SAP Hybris Commerce while integrating it with its cloud portfolio by leveraging its in-memory database technology called SAP HANA. 

2016: Subsequent cloud versions of the SAP Hybris Commerce Cloud platform were launched, offering even more flexible and cost-effective ways to deploy and manage e-commerce applications in the cloud.

2018: SAP Hybris Commerce was rebranded as SAP Commerce Cloud and became part of the SAP Customer Experience suite, also called SAP C/4HANA suite. This move aimed to provide a comprehensive and integrated solution for customer engagement and commerce.

2019: SAP Customer Experience released SAP Commerce Cloud in the public cloud, which enabled customers to benefit from faster innovation cycles, lower operational costs, and greater scalability.

2020: SAP Commerce Cloud added new features and capabilities, such as subscription billing and revenue management, marketplace management, Spartacus storefront, and cloud portal.

2021 and beyond: SAP Commerce Cloud continued to evolve and improve its performance, security, and usability, as well as integrate with other SAP and third-party solutions using APIs, microservices, and cloud-native technologies.

SAP Commerce Cloud Features and Pricing

SAP Commerce Cloud is proving to be an empowering tool, fueling businesses to bolster customer loyalty, boost conversions, and elevate daily revenue. This is because the SAP eCommerce platform provides a comprehensive set of features that cover the entire eCommerce lifecycle, from product discovery to order fulfillment. Some of the key features are:

• Product Content Management – SAP Commerce Cloud empowers you to deftly handle and enrich product catalogs and details, breaking barriers of languages and currencies, hence creating a global footprint.

• Commerce Management – SAP Commerce Cloud helps you effortlessly configure and manage all the beats of your business melody, such as pricing models, exciting promotions, efficient order processing, secure payments, and reliable fulfillment – all across different channels and regions.

• Customer Experience Management – Engaging storefronts and personalized content can strike the right chord with your diverse customer base. SAP Commerce Cloud enables you to curate and control captivating and custom-built experiences based on different customer segments and personas – effectively putting a smile on every visitor’s face.

• Context-driven Services – Ever wished you could read your customers’ minds? Well, SAP Commerce Cloud almost lets you do that. It harnesses the power of real-time customer insights and personalization, enabling you to deliver timely and relevant offers plus recommendations. 

• Integration and Extensibility – Connecting the dots between different business solutions is no longer a puzzle when you have SAP Commerce Cloud by your side. It efficiently integrates with other SAP services and third-party solutions, leveraging APIs, microservices, and cloud-native technologies, thus opening the doors to endless possibilities and opportunities.

• Advanced analytics- Measure and optimize eCommerce performance with dashboards, reports, KPIs, benchmarks, A/B testing, heatmaps, funnels, and recommendations.

• Subscription Billing and Revenue Management – Tap into the trend of subscription-based models with SAP Commerce Cloud. Offering flexible subscription models and efficient management of recurring billing, invoicing, and revenue recognition becomes effortless.

• Order Management- Manage orders across different channels and sources with real-time visibility, tracking, status updates, cancellations, returns, refunds, and exchanges.

• Marketplace Management – Fancy creating your own thriving online marketplace? SAP Commerce Cloud makes it possible! It allows you to create and manage online platforms for eager sellers and enthusiastic buyers, enabling dynamic pricing, smart commissioning, and streamlined fulfillment all in one place.

• Marketing support- Create and execute marketing campaigns with targeted offers, promotions, banners, emails, newsletters, landing pages, surveys, and loyalty programs. 

• Spartacus Storefront – Building modern and dynamic web apps is a breeze with the Spartacus Storefront. Spartacus takes the ‘headless commerce’ approach, offering you a library of adaptable storefront components, ensuring your storefront is always in style and up to speed.

• Cloud Portal – The SAP Commerce Cloud Portal keeps you in the driver’s seat of your commerce applications, environments, and resources in the cloud. The cloud portal makes the monitoring and management of your e-commerce fortress a walk in the park!

• Search and Navigation- Provide fast and accurate search results with advanced filtering, sorting, faceting, spell-checking, synonym handling, and merchandising rules.

• Shopping Cart and Checkout- Enable a seamless and secure checkout process with flexible payment options, shipping methods, tax calculations, coupons, vouchers, gift cards, loyalty points, and cross-sell/up-sell opportunities.

• Customer Service tools- Provide customer support via phone, email, chatbot, or self-service portal with access to order history, invoices, delivery status, return requests, FAQs, and feedback forms.

The exact features and SAP Commerce Cloud pricing depend on the edition and add-ons you select, and you can request a personalized price quote on the official site.

Industry applications of SAP Commerce Cloud

SAP Commerce Cloud can be used by businesses across various industries to address their specific eCommerce challenges and opportunities. Some of the industries that can benefit from SAP Commerce Cloud are:

• Retail- Provide omnichannel shopping experiences that connect online and offline channels with features such as buy online pick up in store (BOPIS), click-and-collect, ship-from-store, endless aisle, store locator, and inventory visibility.

• Chemical- Streamline and simplify complex B2B eCommerce processes with features such as contract pricing, bulk ordering, request for quote (RFQ), order approval, credit limit, and hazardous material handling.

• Industrial equipment- Enhance customer satisfaction and retention with features such as product configuration, spare parts catalog, service scheduling, warranty management, and predictive maintenance.

• Consumer goods- Increase brand awareness and loyalty with features such as product storytelling, social media integration, ratings and reviews, influencer marketing, and gamification.

• Information Technology- Accelerate digital transformation and innovation with features such as cloud services catalog, subscription management, usage-based billing, API management, and developer portal.

• Medical- Improve patient outcomes and compliance with features such as medical device catalog, prescription management, patient education, health records integration, and telemedicine.

Why Use SAP Commerce Cloud?

SAP Commerce Cloud offers a treasure trove of benefits – ranging from scalability to cost-efficiency – all designed to elevate your eCommerce game. Let’s dive into some of the key benefits below-

• Scalability- Gone are the days of fretting over traffic peaks or changing customer demands. With SAP Commerce Cloud, you can now scale up or down like a pro, ensuring your e-commerce store continues to deliver top-notch performance and availability, no matter what curveball comes your way.

• Flexibility- Say hello to the incredible flexibility SAP Commerce Cloud has to offer. It lets your business customize and extend eCommerce capabilities with a modular, composable architecture designed to support agile development and innovation. Now that’s what I call true creative freedom!

• Security- With the digital landscape evolving like never before, security is paramount. Fret not, SAP Commerce Cloud comes with enterprise-grade security and compliance features such as encryption, authentication, authorization, auditing, and data protection. Rest easy, knowing your customers’ data is in good hands.

• Cost-efficiency- Who doesn’t appreciate cost savings, right? Well, the good news is that SAP Commerce Cloud noticeably reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO). Say goodbye to upfront investments, hardware maintenance, software updates, and licensing fees, and welcome a more cost-effective e-commerce solution.

• Speed-to-market- Time is of the essence in the digital world, and SAP Commerce Cloud helps you launch new eCommerce initiatives faster and more easily. Expect pre-built accelerators, templates, best practices, and integrations. Gone are the days when time stands between your business and success!

Why Go For An SAP Implementation Expert?

SAP Commerce Cloud is a powerful and versatile eCommerce platform that can help businesses achieve their eCommerce goals. However, implementing SAP Commerce Cloud can be a complex and challenging task that requires a lot of expertise, experience, and resources. Therefore, it is advisable to use an SAP implementation support agency like Spadoom, which can help businesses with the following aspects:

• Strategy- An SAP implementation expert agency can help you define your eCommerce vision, goals, roadmap, budget, and timeline, as well as identify the best practices, solutions, and partners for your specific needs.

• Design- They can help you design your eCommerce architecture, data model, user interface, user experience, branding, and content strategy. They will also ensure that their eCommerce solution is aligned with their business processes and customer expectations.

• Development- An SAP implementation expert can help you develop your eCommerce solution using the latest technologies, tools, frameworks, and methodologies. An expert will also verify that your eCommerce solution is secure, scalable, reliable, and high-performing.

• Testing- They can also test your eCommerce solution using various testing techniques, such as unit testing, integration testing, functional testing, performance testing, usability testing, security testing, and accessibility testing. Moreover, an expert will ensure that your eCommerce solution meets the quality standards and requirements.

• Deployment- An expert agency can help you deploy your eCommerce solution using the best deployment strategies, such as continuous integration (CI), continuous delivery (CD), continuous deployment (CD), blue-green deployment, and canary deployment. They ensure that your eCommerce solution is monitored, maintained, and updated regularly.

• Support- Moreover, an SAP implementation expert can help businesses support their eCommerce solution by providing ongoing technical support, training, documentation, and troubleshooting. They will also make sure that your eCommerce solution is optimized, enhanced, and upgraded according to the changing customer needs and market trends.

At Spadoom, we understand the needs of various industries to perfect their digital experience. As an SAP Gold partner, we bring to the table years of industry experience and a customer-centric approach designed to help you unlock the full potential of your business. 

With our tailor-made services, expect nothing less than the best SAP Commerce Cloud execution that boosts your customer loyalty, heightens your conversion rates, and enhances your revenue.

Summing Up

SAP Commerce Cloud stands as a testament to the evolution of eCommerce solutions, offering businesses a comprehensive platform to deliver unparalleled customer experiences. As a part of the SAP Customer Experience suite, it provides a holistic approach to managing customer interactions, ensuring a seamless journey from discovery to purchase. With its cloud-native architecture, businesses can scale effortlessly, ensuring they remain agile in the ever-evolving digital landscape. 

Whether you’re a retailer aiming for omnichannel excellence or an industry-specific business looking for tailored solutions, SAP Commerce Cloud has got you covered. And with experts like Spadoom by your side, implementing this robust platform becomes a seamless endeavor, ensuring you reap the maximum benefits.

FAQs

What are the benefits of SAP Commerce Cloud?

SAP Commerce Cloud advantages include seamless integration with other SAP and third-party solutions, comprehensive and flexible eCommerce capabilities that cover the entire customer journey, cloud-native and microservices-based architecture, and personalized and omnichannel shopping experiences.

How can I extend and customize SAP Commerce Cloud to meet my specific business needs?

SAP Commerce Cloud provides various customization options, such as the Spartacus storefront framework for creating modern web apps using Angular, Kyma runtime for developing microservices in any language or framework, and Commerce Cloud SDK for building custom applications in Java or Node.js.

How can I learn more about SAP Commerce Cloud and get started with it?

You can learn more about SAP Commerce Cloud by visiting the official website, reading the documentation, watching the videos, or joining the community. You can also request a free trial or a demo to get hands-on experience with the platform.

SAP Commerce Cloud v/s Hybris: Are SAP Commerce and Hybris the same?

SAP Commerce and Hybris are not the same, but they are closely related. Hybris was a cloud-based e-commerce platform solution that was acquired by SAP in 2013. SAP renamed it to SAP Hybris and later rebranded SAP Hybris as SAP Commerce Cloud in 2018.

What is SAP Commerce Cloud?

SAP Commerce Cloud is a set of e-commerce and product CMS solutions that help businesses to create a cost and time-efficient customer experience across different channels and devices. 

What is SAP Upscale Commerce?

It is a cloud-based e-commerce solution for small to medium-sized businesses that sell directly to consumers. It allows them to easily create and manage their online storefronts, mobile apps, and personalized experiences. It is a part of the SAP CX portfolio but not the same as SAP Commerce Cloud.