Digital sales for chemicals, plastics and packaging: from ERP to customer
We connect your ERP with a B2B shop, customer portal and AI agents. Enquiries turn into quotes faster, orders reach the system without retyping, and evidence such as PPWR documents is available at any time.
- free intro call
- reply within one business day
Shopware Silver Partner and Google PartnerTeams in Mönchengladbach and Düsseldorf
The situation in figures
What industry associations and the German environment ministry currently report.
- 73.2%
- Capacity utilisation of the German chemical and pharmaceutical industry in Q2 2026Source: VCI, Quarterly report 2.2026
- −1.8%
- Revenue of plastics processing in Germany in 2025 compared with the previous yearSource: GKV, 18 Feb 2026
- 79%
- of the plastics processors surveyed report a shortage of plastics techniciansSource: GKV survey 2025, via Kunststoffe
- 12 Aug 2026
- Since then, the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) has appliedSource: BMUKN (as of 26 Jun 2026)
As of October 2026
Sound familiar?
Five places where sales and order processing in the industry often get stuck.
Cost pressure at low utilisation
The German chemical and pharmaceutical industry ran at 73.2% capacity utilisation in Q2 2026, well below the long-term average of 83%. For the full year, the VCI expects production to fall by 1.5%. Every step someone still does by hand costs margin.
Inside sales at the limit
79% of the plastics processors surveyed report a shortage of plastics technicians and technologists. Enquiries, drawings and orders still arrive by email and PDF and get retyped.
Source: GKV survey 2025, via Kunststoffe
PPWR evidence
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has applied since 12 August 2026. From 2030, minimum recycled content shares follow, calculated per plant, packaging type and format. The data needed is often spread across ERP, Excel and supplier PDFs.
Outdated or missing shop
Shopware 5 has received no security updates since 31 July 2024. Samples and small quantities are often still ordered by phone and email.
Invisible in AI search
Anyone who asks ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google about materials or packaging solutions gets answers built from content these systems can read. Technical product knowledge, however, often sits in PDFs and catalogues.
How we work
The biggest bottleneck first, then the next one. Day-to-day operations keep running.
- 01
Intro call
Free of charge: your goals, your system landscape and your biggest bottleneck.
- 02
Process and data analysis
Where do media breaks occur, and which data is missing, for example for the PPWR?
- 03
Concept and pilot
One clearly scoped use case, such as an enquiry agent or the shop for one product line.
- 04
Implementation and integration
Step by step, without disrupting day-to-day operations.
- 05
Operation and further development
Monitoring, updates and new use cases.
What we build for you
Four building blocks that can start on their own and together create one continuous data flow.
- Shopware 6 B2B commerceShops and customer portals for variants, framework contracts, call-off orders, samples and small quantities. Customer-specific prices come from the ERP; safety data sheets, certificates and declarations of conformity sit in the customer account. As a Shopware Silver Partner, we also migrate from Shopware 5.
- ERP integrationInterfaces to your ERP, for example SAP Business One, SAP S/4HANA or proALPHA. We also connect EDI, DMS and PIM. The goal is one continuous data flow without double entry. Where standard software is not enough, we build custom software, for example a data layer for PPWR evidence.
- AI agents & automationAI agents read enquiries and order PDFs, match attached drawings, create records in the ERP and prepare quotes. Approval stays with your team. Further uses: extracting supplier declarations, pre-sorting complaints, answering application questions with your own product knowledge.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)We structure your product and application knowledge so that Google and AI search systems can find and cite it: structured product data, technical articles, FAQ.
Use cases
Example scenarios, not customer references.
Injection moulder: from enquiry to cost estimate
An AI agent reads RFQ emails, creates the prospect and the enquiry in the ERP, attaches the drawing and prepares the cost estimate. Sales reviews and approves.
Packaging manufacturer with a variant catalogue
A Shopware 6 B2B shop with a configurator for size, material and print. Samples and small quantities can be ordered directly; prices and availability come live from the ERP.
PPWR evidence and documents in the portal
A data layer brings together bills of materials, batches and supplier data. Customers find evidence, safety data sheets and certificates themselves in the customer portal.
Read more
All articlesFrequently asked questions
Your question isn't here? Ask us directly
Do I have to switch my ERP for this?
No. We connect your existing ERP through interfaces. The ERP remains the leading system.
What already matters for the PPWR now?
The regulation has applied since 12 August 2026. According to the German environment ministry, for example, food-contact packaging containing PFAS above certain limits may no longer be placed on the market since then. The recycled content quotas apply from 1 January 2030, or three years after the implementing act on the calculation method, if that comes later. You should build the data basis now. We do not provide legal advice; we implement the technical side.
Is a B2B shop worth it if I mainly manufacture to order?
A customer portal often fits better than a classic shop: call-offs from framework contracts, delivery status, documents, reorders. We clarify this in the intro call.
How safe are AI agents with my data?
Agents only work with approved data and permissions. Critical steps such as a quote or an order stay with a human approval. We agree hosting and model choice with your IT and data protection team.
I still use Shopware 5. What now?
Shopware 5 has received no security updates since 31 July 2024. Moving to Shopware 6 is technically a rebuild. We use it to modernise the ERP integration and the B2B processes at the same time.
Less retyping, faster quotes, evidence at the push of a button
Talk to Slawa Ditzel about your biggest bottleneck in sales and order processing.
