How We Made It Happen
The Challenge
Selling cars online is not a simple extension of e-commerce; it demands careful alignment between backend systems, operational workflows, and strict regional regulations. For Mercedes-Benz China, the vision was to deliver a fully digital vehicle purchasing experience, one that allowed customers to browse, select, and secure preconfigured cars along with optional services, all within a sophisticated and locally attuned interface.
The challenge wasn’t simply about launching an online store. The platform needed to support location-based vehicle inventory, track and manage VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) data with precision, and reflect real-time availability by region. Each province had its own pricing rules, local subsidies, and eligibility criteria that had to be factored into the online buying experience, ensuring customers only saw options relevant to their region.
Equally important was the user experience. The digital interface needed to reflect the premium standards Mercedes-Benz is known for, offering a polished, intuitive, and seamless purchase flow while still complying with local laws and customer expectations. Every touchpoint, from model selection to promotional visibility, had to be both brand-consistent and region-specific.
Sustainability was just as much a priority as customer experience. Mercedes-Benz China required a solution that would not only launch successfully, but could be expanded, adapted, and managed locally after go-live. This meant enabling the internal teams to take technical ownership and maintain full control over future updates, scaling, and support.
The Solution
Spadoom delivered a comprehensive SAP Commerce Cloud implementation tailored specifically to the needs of the Chinese market. The system enabled Mercedes-Benz China to offer preconfigured vehicles along with a range of purchase-related services directly through its online platform.
Central to the platform’s success was the structured management of product and vehicle data. Using SAP Product Content Management (PCM) and Product Information Management (PIM), Spadoom helped structure a vast inventory of vehicle models, including SUVs, MPVs, and plug-in hybrids, enabling smooth filtering and accurate categorization across digital touchpoints.
Customers could explore preconfigured vehicles or personalize their selection through a localized configurator that supported custom options for model, color, interiors, and add-ons, all mapped directly to available inventory via integrated VIN tracking. The platform also supported rule-based personalization, allowing region-specific promotions and pricing to be dynamically applied based on a customer’s location and eligibility.
Beyond the technical build, Spadoom focused on long-term sustainability by onboarding and mentoring the internal development team at Mercedes-Benz China. The collaborative knowledge transfer process ensured that the client’s technical teams could take full ownership of platform maintenance and future development, creating a foundation that could grow in alignment with evolving market needs.
The Results
The launch of the new digital platform gave Mercedes-Benz China far more than just a sleek interface; it brought precision and coordination to processes that had long been segmented across departments and vendors. Inventory updates that once relied on separate systems and delayed approvals now flowed directly from VIN-based databases to the front-end, reducing lag time and minimizing manual errors across the sales funnel.
Campaign execution also became faster and more targeted. Marketing teams could align regional promotions with live inventory and customer eligibility in a matter of hours, not days. Instead of rebuilding product logic for each campaign, the system enabled new offers to be launched through configuration, allowing the team to respond to local trends and policy changes with greater control and speed.
On the customer side, engagement was more focused. Buyers could see exactly which vehicles were available in their area, including real-time pricing and eligible incentives. This transparency reduced bounce rates and shortened decision cycles, giving customers fewer reasons to drop off during the buying journey.
Most importantly, the project gave Mercedes-Benz China full control over its digital commerce channel. The internal development team, trained alongside Spadoom during the build, now actively maintains and evolves the platform. This shift not only supports long-term scalability but also ensures the platform keeps pace with both customer behavior and regulatory complexity unique to China’s automotive sector.
