Building Commercial Apps without Touching Core Systems (2025)

Description

Swinkels needed a flexible layer to drive growth in emerging markets. - Commercial Agility: Requirement for B2B2C solutions to connect directly with retailers and consumers in Africa. - Speed to Market: Traditional development was too slow to capitalize on localized market opportunities. - Product Innovation: Need for a digital ecosystem to support the launch of new products.

General Information

Business Need: Swinkels needed a flexible layer to drive growth in emerging markets. - Commercial Agility: Requirement for B2B2C solutions to connect directly with retailers and consumers in Africa. - Speed to Market: Traditional development was too slow to capitalize on localized market opportunities. - Product Innovation: Need for a digital ecosystem to support the launch of new products.

Solution: LINKIT leveraged the Mendix platform to build a scalable "commercial shell" around the SAP core. - B2B2C Commercial Apps: Developed a customer-facing digital platform tailored for the African market to streamline ordering and engagement. - Rapid Pilot Deployment: Successfully launched a Pilot Country MVP to prove the localized business model.

Results: The low-code strategy has allowed Swinkels to move at the speed of the market: - 3-Month Go-Live: The initial commercial pilot was delivered from scratch to release in just ~3 months. - Core-Clean Strategy: Successfully extended SAP functionality without heavy customizations, keeping the core system "clean" and maintainable. - Scalable Expansion: The pilot architecture is now ready for rapid roll-out across other international territories.