How we transformed and fully automated two critical business processes
Viele Unternehmen stehen vor derselben Herausforderung: geschäftskritische Systeme, die extern betrieben werden, unzuverlässig sind oder kaum dokumentiert wurden. Genau diese Ausgangssituation traf auch auf unseren Kunden zu – mit direkten Auswirkungen auf tägliche Abläufe, Partnerkommunikation und operative Sicherheit.
We took over the project to eliminate these dependencies, make processes more stable, and give the client full technical control. The result: a robust, transparent, and fully automated system ecosystem that handles several key tasks daily – without manual intervention.
Initial situation: The customer's challenges
The customer operated two systems that were essential for daily operations:
- Price list generation (PDF & CSV)
- DPD shipping label creation via Webomat
Both systems suffered from the same problems:
1. Lack of transparency & external dependency
Hosting, codebase and automation logic were provided by third-party vendors – without clear insight into functionality or data structures.
2. Unreliable processes
Regular errors led to outdated price lists or blocked shipping orders.
3. No documentation
Maintenance, adjustments, or expansions were hardly possible.
4. Limited flexibility
Even small changes – such as text modifications in price lists – had to be commissioned via external developers.
5. Operational risk in day-to-day business
Outdated prices or missing labels impaired customer communication, internal processes, and delivery reliability.
Our approach: Analysis, Migration, Automation
To create reliable systems in the long term, we have built the solution holistically – technically, structurally and organizationally.
1. Reverse Engineering & Systems Analysis
We reconstructed all scripts, cron jobs, processes and data transformations, identified vulnerabilities and made the entire functionality transparent.
2. Migration to the customer infrastructure
All systems were fully migrated to the customer’s hosting environment.
These included:
- Key and rights management
- Setting up new server routines
- Optimization of data processing
- Disabling external hosting dependencies
3. Full automation
Price list process
- Hourly generation of all price lists during business hours
- Output in PDF and CSV formats
- Central storage
- Flexible adaptability according to target group/campaign
DPD label process
- Real-time conversion of shipping data into the DPD-compatible Webomat format
- Automatic generation of valid labels within seconds
- Stable background process without manual intervention
4. Introduction of flexible parameter control
The internal team can now:
- Adjust text
- Change formatting
- Target groups vary
- Create new pricing options
… entirely without external developers.
5. End-to-End Testing & Validation
Joint testing phase with live data, edge case scenarios and acceptance of all automations.
6. Complete documentation
We have created a technical guide and an easy-to-understand user manual so that the system can be further developed independently in the future.
The result: Modern infrastructure, maximum reliability
✅ Independent infrastructure
Everything runs internally – more transparent, faster, more stable.
✅ Flawless operation
Price lists and shipping labels function reliably and without interruptions.
✅ Independence from third-party providers
No hidden processes, no external code, no dependencies.
✅ Instantly customizable
Internal teams can change content and parameters themselves.
✅ Full documentation
Each function is clearly described, easy to understand, and maintainable in the long term.
✅ Long-term operational reliability
The systems provide daily updated data and support smooth order processing.
Technology stack
- PlentyONE Backend
- Python / WeasyPrint
- PowerShell
- DPD Webomat
- CSV processing
Conclusion
By modernizing and automating these two critical systems, our client has not only eliminated outages and dependencies, but also created a sustainable foundation for future growth.
The new processes are transparent, secure, flexible – and above all: completely under the company’s control.
