Osram Transforms Traditional B2B Sales Strategy With Seeburger

Osram, based in Munich, is a global high-tech company with a history dating back more than 110 years. Primarily focused on semiconductor-based technologies, our products are used in highly diverse applications ranging from virtual reality to autonomous driving and from smartphones to networked, intelligent lighting solutions in buildings and cities. In automotive lighting, the company is the global market and technology leader.

Osram is currently transitioning from a B2B component business to a project and solution business. The former B2B component business was marked by established products with long lifecycles, long-term customer relationships, and distribution through distributors and sales agents. Data exchange for the B2B component business followed rigid rules and regulations and the development of application interfaces was prefaced by long lead times.

The journey from LED to digital solutions and corresponding projects, however, requires a permanently changing product portfolio focusing on ever-new customer relationships based on detailed market data. To support these processes, modern API technologies for business integration become necessary. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are essential for the success of Osram’s next-generation sales (NGS) project.

The first part of the NGS project is the implementation of the cloud-based Salesforce solution. Via APIs and the central integration platform Seeburger Business Integration Suite (BIS), Osram Information Technology (IT) connects the solution to internal ERP systems and its electronic product catalog. This enables the company to handle customer-specific requests about prices and availability as well as orders in real time. The modern API technology controls the dynamic collaboration between the different data sources and users.

Performance and integration

The business integration department of Osram IT supports the NGS project with their “API First” strategy by providing relevant information through the central integration platform. The Salesforce implementation therefore has access to internal SAP systems and the product catalog. Through various APIs, Osram IT connects business partners, employees, applications and systems. These interfaces are the foundation for the fully automated exchange of up-to-date information in real time.

Osram’s systems that are not yet suited to APIs still require traditional integration. The company therefore needed a modern platform offering comprehensive functionalities and being able to keep pace with ever-growing integration requirements.

During a Proof of Concept with various providers, Osram IT identified Seeburger’s API solution, included in its Business Integration Suite (BIS), as the most suitable tool for tackling its integration challenges. As all-in-one solution, Osram can use and combine different integration methods. The BIS platform has been leveraged by Osram for years concerning traditional B2B/EDI integration.

In only a short span of time, the modules BIS API Integration Solution and BIS API Management with Portal and Gateway were added to Osram’s BIS platform to be able to leverage REST- and SOAP-based APIs. Osram now has an efficient standard solution out of the box which provides all necessary integration methods on one platform and therefore offers high levels of flexibility. In Osram’s heterogeneous IT landscape, Seeburger’s platform supports essential integration technologies.

Osram leverages the comprehensive integration platform BIS to integrate data from a variety of sources, like SAP and non-SAP systems, internal and external applications, cloud solutions or business partners, via traditional as well as modern integration methods. Changes in integration requirements are tackled by simply and quickly adding new standard functionalities to Business Integration Suite.

APIs as business boosters for Osram

Osram recognized the importance of APIs early on and leverages them to its advantage. As foundation of modern business integration, Osram uses APIs to provide information in real time, supporting lines of businesses in tackling new challenges.

By leveraging APIs, Osram ensures that information is always up to date, regardless of who accesses them. Central APIs make it easy for business partners, employees, mobile applications and websites to access e.g. product data, prices, availability, and market data in real time.

Osram uses Seeburger BIS, including the API Gateway and the API Management solution, to operate, orchestrate and monitor its APIs. Not only do APIs enable back-end systems to communicate, but they also secure them, as they prohibit any direct access. Consequently, even systems not suited for APIs can be integrated.

Osram’s “API First” IT strategy strengthens the next-generation sales project and leads to a win-win situation for all involved. It adds value for business partners and employees by providing relevant information in real time. Benefits for individual business departments include less mistakes and avoiding redundant data sets. Osram’s IT department is now more efficient than ever before thanks to secure interfaces. Data-based sales processes accelerate new digital distribution processes and reduce costs and involved effort.