SPAR: An "Impossible" Upgrade & the CDC Integration

The Challenge

SPAR was at a crossroads. To remain competitive in modern retail, introducing SAP Customer Data Cloud (CDC) for a central customer identity was essential. However, the entire initiative was blocked by a massive technical roadblock: the existing SAP Commerce platform (Hybris version 5.x) was so outdated that an upgrade was deemed extremely risky.

Leading experts, including SAP itself and other partners, advised against an upgrade project. The complexity was considered too high, and the risk of failure too great. SPAR was stuck in a stalemate:

• No Modernization Possible: Without the upgrade, new technologies like CDC could not be introduced.
• Growing Technical Debt: The outdated platform was increasingly becoming an unstable and insecure operational risk.
• Lack of a Future Roadmap: Strategic e-commerce goals were unattainable on the existing technological foundation.

SPAR needed a partner with the courage and technical excellence to tackle this seemingly impossible task.

The Solution

Instead of shying away from the complexity, we embraced the challenge, deployed a team of seasoned Spadoom experts directly on-site at SPAR and took technical leadership of this critical turnaround.

1. The “Impossible” Upgrade: Through meticulous planning and deep expertise, we executed the upgrade from Hybris 5.x to version 6.5. Our technical depth and experience allowed us to succeed where others thought it was impossible. This step was the decisive “door opener.”
2. SAP CDC Implementation: On the newly stable and modern platform, we were able to smoothly implement SAP Customer Data Cloud, creating the foundation for a central customer profile across all country tenants.
3. Further Technical Foundations: Following these core projects, we laid additional technical groundwork to stabilize and future-proof the platform.
4. Team Empowerment: Throughout the process, we worked closely with SPAR’s internal team, ensuring that crucial knowledge was anchored within the company.

This approach impacted the SPAR organizations in Austria, Slovenia, Italy, and Hungary, as well as the sports retail chain Hervis.

The Results

The courage to attempt the seemingly impossible paid off for SPAR in every respect. The technical bottleneck that had prevented innovation for years was finally broken.

• Future-Proof Platform: SPAR now has a modern, stable, and secure e-commerce system on which future projects and innovations can be built.
• Central Customer Identity: With the successful implementation of SAP CDC, the strategic foundation for personalized customer experiences and unified data management is in place.
• Agility Restored: Instead of being stuck in a technical standstill, SPAR can now actively drive its digital roadmap forward.
• Strengthened Internal Team: The SPAR team is now empowered to work confidently and efficiently on the modernized platform.

By taking ownership of this highly complex technical challenge, we didn’t just deliver a system upgrade; we restored SPAR’s ability to compete and innovate in the digital age.