Case Study: Apollo-Optik achieves faster, more accurate order fulfillment and fewer lens rejections with Software AG webMethods

Optical Company Sharpens Focus on Customer Service With Software AG

Apollo-Optik, Germany’s largest optical retailer with 700 stores, needed to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery of customized eyeglasses but was constrained by a heterogeneous IT landscape (Dynamics NAV ERP, Adabas/Natural data warehouse, Java intranet and local POS systems). Redundant data and fragmented functionality meant multiple system calls for a single customer transaction, leading to inefficiencies and lens rejections that hurt costs and customer experience. The company therefore sought to evolve to a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) to streamline cross-system processes and improve order quality.

Working with Software AG, Apollo-Optik implemented a Digital Business Platform centered on webMethods (Integration Server, EntireX, Optimize) plus Adabas/Natural and consulting services to build a scalable SOA. A key outcome was an order‑quality service that checks lens thickness at the POS, processes tens of thousands of requests daily in under two seconds, and prevents incorrect lens orders. The result: fewer rejections and lower costs, faster response times, higher customer satisfaction and a future-proof platform for additional SOA/BPM initiatives and KPI-driven improvements.

Apollo-Optik

Erich Ehbauer

Head of IT