How do you make the leap from a regional system house to a successful online business? Dirk Nesner and Erdal Batu of MACSYSTEMS GmbH have achieved this feat. As operators of the Apple brand store in Bielefeld, they have a deep understanding of the IT product market, especially when it comes to Apple devices. But how did MACSYSTEMS manage to thrive in the digital world?
From the very beginning
The success story of MACSYSTEMS is inseparably linked to the ambitious goal of bringing traditional commerce into the digital age. In a world where digitization is gaining more and more importance, especially in the realm of purchasing, smaller retail stores are increasingly fighting for their existence against large online providers.
As a long-time customer of ITscope, MACSYSTEMS is already familiar with the advantages of the ITscope platform in purchasing. Managing Director Dirk Nesner, who has already delved into the dropshipping model and was always in search of the ideal solution, first came across the potentials of ITscope in the digital sales sector at a trade fair. “In the course of my conversations with the ITscope team, it turned out that they were in the midst of developing a shop solution based on their platform,” Nesner explains.
This moment marked a crucial turning point: “This fits perfectly with my long-held plans,” says Nesner. Fascinated by the opportunities that arose, he offered himself as one of the first test pilots. “From the very beginning, I was able to contribute our specific requirements and wishes to the development process,” he adds. The trade fair visit thus led to Nesner finding the right solution for his endeavors in the partnership with ITscope, taking a decisive step towards the digitization of commerce.
The perfect timing
The decision to embrace ITscope’s new B2B shop couldn’t have come at a better time. Even before the onset of the global pandemic, MACSYSTEMS had the shop fully set up and ready to go. This allowed MACSYSTEMS to offer its customers a secure and extremely user-friendly ordering option without the need to visit the physical store. The automated processes in the background also made work much easier by integrating with their inventory management system.
For the medium-sized system house and retail store, the solution was not only financially affordable but also highly powerful, easily competing with the competition. Jan Maybaum, Head of Purchasing and Sales at MACSYSTEMS, appreciated the extensive catalog as well as the functionality and reliability of the ITscope B2B shop: “I would like to emphasize the excellent support that we were already familiar with from our previous collaboration with the ITscope team. That strengthened our decision to choose ITscope for our webshop,” adds Dirk Nesner. “Our requirements were always implemented quickly and flawlessly. We have a fully functional shop – and that is by no means a given. Even after years of working with our shop, I am always surprised at how easy it is to provide our customers with new products online with just a few clicks – even without a technical background.”
Wide selection and personalized support
MACSYSTEMS’ shop not only matches the industry giants in terms of appearance and functionality but also excels in its personalized customer support. Jan Maybaum and his team are the crucial point of contact, reliably handling all customer inquiries. For MACSYSTEMS, this is an essential differentiating factor: “With other large marketplaces, it’s a completely anonymous affair, but our goal is to maintain personal customer contact. If a product happens to be scarce, we send information about alternative suppliers from whom our customers can order the desired product. These are just added values that we naturally want to offer our customers,” explains Jan Maybaum, describing the vision of MACSYSTEMS and his team.
“With the new design of ITscope’s storefront, it has become even easier for our customers to order from us. We aim to provide a consistently positive shopping experience and truly take care of our customers,” adds Dirk Nesner.
Brand store shop-Frontend - https://brandkauf.systemhaus.shop
Growing (and measurable) success
The primary goal of introducing an online shop for Dirk Nesner was to offer his B2B customers the best products at the best prices. However, over time, the focus has shifted: with the increasing possibilities of remote work, MACSYSTEMS was able to reduce its on-site installation business and focus more on online sales. While the revenue from the physical store remained important, online sales also experienced significant growth. The successes with the shop are clearly measurable, especially through the continuous increase in revenue since its introduction in 2019. “Our online shop now makes an immense contribution to our revenue growth,” Dirk Nesner rejoices.
MACSYSTEMS also has future plans for the ITscope B2B shop, and a crucial strategic step is the optimization of the user experience. The aim is to ensure that customers can make their purchasing process as simple and seamless as possible. This includes regularly improving the shop’s functionalities, implementing personalized offers, and, of course, providing an intuitive user interface.
The company also has plans to further expand its offerings in the future. They aim to include more manufacturers in their portfolio to reach an even wider range of customers. Additionally, they have devised creative measures to integrate the online shop even more closely with the physical store. “We want to install a touchscreen monitor in the store, where our salespeople can order directly through our online shop together with customers. If we don’t have a product on-site, it will be available at our store the next day or can be delivered directly to the customer’s home upon request,” Dirk Nesner outlines his future plans.
Overall, Dirk Nesner and Erdal Batu are extremely proud of the achievements they have made with their online shop. Their success story, from a small retail store to a thriving B2B online business, demonstrates how a well-thought-out technological solution, combined with dedication and entrepreneurial skills, can transform a company and lead to sustainable growth.
Jan Maybaum, Erdal Batu, Dirk Nesner (v.l.n.r.)
Dirk Nesner is the managing partner of MACSYSTEMS GmbH and, together with Erdal Batu, also a managing partner, founded the company almost 30 years ago. As the technical head of MACSYSTEMS, he is always on the lookout for new solutions for the company and sets the direction for the next big steps.
Jan Maybaum is the contact person for the purchase of Apple hardware. His journey led him from the front of the retail store to B2B customer service. As the head of purchasing and sales, he also handles all sales-related matters at MACSYSTEMS.
MACSYSTEMS GmbH EDV-Unternehmungsberatung, based in Bielefeld, is a qualified specialist in Apple hardware as an Apple Premium Reseller. Personalized advice on over 1,000 products and accessories is at the heart of both the physical store, the brand store, and the online shop.
More than just a B2B shop: With the e‑commerce solution provided by ITscope, system houses can effortlessly create B2B online shops with customized products, prices, and design elements – all without the need for complex individual development. In just a few minutes, the B2B shop can be ready for your end customers. The B2B shop solution for business customers is available to you with ITscope’s Advanced and Complete sales packages.
Interested in learning more about the possibilities of a B2B shop with ITscope? Simply get in touch with us to find out more.