Punchout and OCI: Your Shop Inside Your Customers' Procurement System
Buyers at large enterprises no longer need to leave their procurement system to order from you. With OCI punchout and cXML integration, they navigate directly from SAP Ariba, Microsoft Dynamics, Jaggaer or a proprietary procurement portal into your Shopware catalogue, select items and transfer the cart back automatically. Approval workflows and invoicing remain entirely within the buyer's system.
2013
e-commerce experience since
OCI 5.0
and cXML 1.2 supported
50+
B2B integration projects (project experience)
4–6
weeks to go-live (project experience)
Fixed price · net plus VAT
- Fixed price per integration instead of ongoing transaction fees
- OCI 5.0 and cXML from one source
- Acceptance test with the real procurement system included
- Monitoring and alerting for the first four weeks after go-live
cXML punchout from 6,900 € per integration, BMEcat catalogue export by scope. Fixed project prices instead of volume-based usage fees — every integration includes the acceptance test with your customer's procurement system. All prices net plus VAT.
Many large B2B customers conduct all their procurement exclusively through central purchasing platforms. Suppliers without a punchout connection are simply not considered during vendor selections. As a specialized B2B e-commerce agency, we implement OCI and cXML punchout interfaces that embed your Shopware shop seamlessly into your customers' procurement environments. The ordering process becomes so frictionless that buyers will strongly prefer your catalogue over phone calls or email.
Is Your Shop Ready for Supplier Listing?
What Is Punchout and How Does OCI Work?
The term punchout describes the process by which a buyer "punches out" of their own procurement system directly into an external supplier's shop. There they browse the catalogue, add items to their cart and return to their system — the populated cart is automatically handed back as a structured data record. The procurement system can then immediately convert the transferred line items into a purchase requisition (PR) or a purchase order (PO).
OCI (Open Catalog Interface) is the most widely used punchout standard in Germany and the DACH region, originally developed by SAP. cXML (Commerce Extensible Markup Language) is the corresponding international standard, used primarily in the US and on platforms such as Ariba, Coupa and Jaggaer. Both standards define how the start parameters (URL, credentials, session token) are passed from the procurement system to the shop and in what format the cart is returned. We support both protocols fully and choose the appropriate one based on your customer's requirements.
OCI 5.0 (DACH Standard)
Open Catalog Interface version 5.0: the most widely used punchout standard in German and European B2B commerce. Used with SAP MM/SRM, Microsoft Dynamics and numerous custom ERP systems. The shop receives a login URL with OCI parameters and responds with a JavaScript post-back.
cXML PunchOutSetupRequest
The international standard for punchout, used by Ariba, Coupa, Jaggaer, Ivalua and SAP Business Network. The session is initiated via an encrypted PunchOutSetupRequest; the cart return is sent as a cXML PunchOutOrderMessage. Compatible with HTTPS tunnel and AS2.
Catalogue Direct Import (BMEcat)
For customers who prefer a static supplier catalogue over a live punchout: we export your Shopware catalogue as a BMEcat 2005 file that is imported directly into the procurement system. Prices, item numbers and classifications are updated periodically.
Secure Session Management
Every punchout session is authenticated using cryptographically secured, time-limited tokens. No persistent credentials in the browser; each session start generates a one-time token. Compatible with IP whitelisting and VPN requirements of your key accounts.
Customer-Specific Prices in Punchout
The punchout catalogue displays not list prices but the individually negotiated conditions for that customer from your ERP. Volume pricing, framework agreement rates and time-limited special conditions are shown automatically so the procurement system receives correct values.
Cart Return With Required Fields
The procurement system expects specific mandatory fields in the returned cart: item number, supplier code, UNSPSC or ECLASS commodity category, price, currency and unit of measure. We configure the return structure to exactly match the requirements of each customer portal.
The Punchout Process in Detail
On paper, punchout sounds straightforward. In practice, a reliable implementation requires the precise interplay of a Shopware plugin, session management, pricing logic and cart serialization. The following overview covers all six stages of a typical OCI punchout transaction and what happens technically at each step.
Session Initiation by the Procurement System
The buyer's procurement system sends an HTTP request to the punchout URL of your Shopware shop. The request contains an OCI hook URL (the return address) and optionally predefined credentials or an encrypted token. Our punchout plugin receives this request, validates the origin and token and opens an authenticated shop session for that customer.
Catalogue View With Customer-Specific Pricing
The buyer sees your Shopware catalogue exactly as they would in the normal B2B portal — but in punchout mode. Search results, product detail pages and category navigation are fully usable. The prices displayed come from the ERP integration and reflect that customer's agreed conditions precisely.
Adding Items to the Punchout Cart
In punchout mode, the Shopware cart is oriented not towards a standard checkout but towards the return transfer. Instead of "Buy" or "Proceed to Checkout", there is a "Transfer Cart" button that completes the entire process. Multiple items can be added, reviewed and adjusted before the return jump is triggered.
Cart Serialization and Return Jump
When the buyer clicks "Transfer Cart", our plugin serializes all cart line items into the appropriate format: for OCI as a JavaScript form post to the hook URL, for cXML as a signed PunchOutOrderMessage request. All fields required by the procurement system are populated, with missing mandatory data supplemented from the Shopware product master or the ERP interface.
Takeover in the Procurement System and Approval
The procurement system receives the cart and converts it into an internal purchase requisition. From here, the approval workflow, budget check and order authorization run entirely within the buyer's system — your shop is no longer involved. The approved requisition is then transmitted to your ERP or Shopware as a standard purchase order.
Order Receipt and ERP Routing
The approved purchase order reaches your shop or ERP as an EDI message (cXML OrderRequest, EDIFACT ORDERS or OCI follow-on order). Our system processes it automatically, creates the order in the ERP and confirms receipt to the customer's procurement system. The loop closes without any manual intervention.
Why Punchout Is Not a Nice-to-Have
Scope of Our Punchout Implementation
A punchout integration consists of several technical layers that must be tightly coordinated. We take responsibility for the complete implementation — from Shopware plugin development and protocol configuration to the acceptance test with your customer's actual procurement system. The following is the complete service scope.
- Shopware punchout plugin: OCI endpoint, session handling, punchout cart mode, hook URL management
- cXML implementation: PunchOutSetupRequest/-Response, PunchOutOrderMessage, OrderRequest processing
- Customer-specific pricing logic: conditions from ERP in real time or as cache, volume pricing, framework agreements
- Field mapping: UNSPSC/ECLASS classification, supplier item number, customer item number (cross-reference)
- Security: session token signing, HTTPS enforcement, optional IP whitelisting, token rotation
- Acceptance test: end-to-end test with your customer's procurement system (sandbox or live)
- Documentation: technical manual for your IT team and your customer's procurement team
- Monitoring: runtime monitoring of all punchout sessions with error alerting after go-live
- BMEcat export: periodic catalogue export for customers who prefer static catalogue import
- Maintenance and updates: compatibility maintenance for Shopware major updates
What a Punchout Integration Costs
Public fixed prices are rare in this segment — setup fees plus volume-based usage costs are the norm. We work differently: fixed project prices per integration, so you can plan from the outset. The exact price depends on the protocol, mandatory fields and security requirements of your customer and is fixed bindingly after a free initial consultation.
Fixed Project Prices per Punchout Integration
Fixed prices per integration instead of volume-based usage fees. Every integration includes the acceptance test with your customer's procurement system. All prices net plus VAT.
OCI Punchout
The OCI 5.0 integration for the DACH standard.
- Shopware punchout plugin with OCI endpoint
- Session handling and punchout cart mode
- Customer-specific prices from your ERP
- Field mapping UNSPSC/ECLASS included
- Acceptance test with the procurement system
cXML Punchout
The international standard with signed messages.
- PunchOutSetupRequest and PunchOutOrderMessage
- Cryptographically signed sessions
- Compatible with HTTPS tunnel and AS2
- OrderRequest processing back into the ERP
- Acceptance test with the procurement system
Multiple Customers and Protocols
Parallel endpoints for several key accounts.
- Any number of customer configurations
- OCI, cXML and BMEcat in parallel
- Isolated credentials and hook URLs per customer
- BMEcat catalogue export for static import
- Monitoring and alerting after go-live
Ongoing interface support via our maintenance services from 249 € per month net. We name the fixed price per procurement system after the free initial consultation.
Distinction: Punchout vs. EDI vs. B2B Portal
Punchout, EDI and a classic B2B customer portal are three different ways to digitize ordering processes with business customers. Which channel is right for which customer depends on the customer's system landscape, order volume and contractual agreements. In practice, all three channels are often active simultaneously — different customers use different access routes.
Punchout / OCI / cXML
Best suited for: large accounts with a central procurement system. The buyer keeps their familiar interface while gaining access to your current catalogue and individual pricing. Approvals run in the customer's system. Order volume typically high, order frequency moderate. Prerequisite: customer portal supports OCI or cXML.
EDI (EDIFACT / cXML Orders)
Best suited for: customers with very high, regular order volumes and stable product ranges. Fully automated exchange of structured order data without user interaction. No catalogue navigation — the customer already knows what they want to order. Ideal as a complement to punchout for repeat orders on framework agreements.
B2B Customer Portal
Best suited for: customers without a central procurement system or smaller buyers. The buyer logs directly into your portal, uses all self-service features and places orders independently. Approval workflows can be implemented within the portal. Combining with punchout is recommended: large accounts use punchout, mid-market uses the portal.
Technical Requirements and Compatibility
A successful punchout implementation requires both your Shopware shop and your customer's procurement system to meet certain prerequisites. On the shop side, our punchout plugin handles the entire protocol processing. On the customer side, we need access to the configuration interface of the procurement system or cooperation with the customer's IT team. From project experience, coordinating with the customer's IT team typically takes three to six weeks when all parties are actively engaged.
Shopware CE (All Current Versions)
Our punchout plugin is designed as a standalone Shopware extension and is compatible with Shopware 6.5 and 6.6. It uses no proprietary Shopware commercial features and requires no rework for minor platform updates.
Compatible Procurement Platforms
SAP SRM, SAP Ariba, SAP Business Network, Microsoft Dynamics 365 SCM, Jaggaer, Ivalua, Proactis, Onventis, Basware and custom ERP systems with OCI or cXML support. For each platform there are specific configuration parameters that we know and apply correctly.
Security Requirements of Large Accounts
Many corporations impose security requirements on their supplier punchout systems: mandatory HTTPS, certificate-based authentication, IP whitelisting, penetration tests. We support all of these requirements and document the security measures taken for your procurement departments.
Integration Into Existing B2B Infrastructure
Punchout is rarely a standalone project. For the cart return to contain correct prices and up-to-date product master data, the punchout catalogue must be fed by the same data sources as your regular B2B portal. This means the punchout pricing logic and the portal pricing logic share the same ERP connector. Only then can you be certain that a buyer sees the same price in the punchout catalogue as in the direct customer portal.
At the same time, orders placed via punchout flow into the same order processing pipeline as all other sales channels. The ERP receives the order regardless of whether the buyer ordered via punchout, through the portal, by EDI or by phone. This cross-channel consistency is a central quality criterion of professional B2B integrations. As part of our interface development, we ensure that all order channels operate on the same data foundation. If you want to dig deeper, Punchout and OCI Catalogs for B2B Procurement and EDI in the B2B Shop: Connect Enterprise Buyers via EDIFACT set out the concrete implementation steps.
Punchout as Part of the B2B Integration Architecture
Single Data Foundation Across All Channels
The punchout catalogue, B2B portal and EDI all draw on the same pricing and product data from the ERP. A price changed in the ERP today is correct across all channels tomorrow — without manual maintenance across multiple systems. The central transformation layer of the integration architecture maps ERP fields consistently for all output channels.
- Pricing logic configured once, consistent everywhere
- Product master from PIM or ERP identical across all channels
- Order receipt flows into ERP regardless of channel
Do Your Key Accounts Already Use a Procurement System?
Then punchout capability decides whether you are listed as a preferred supplier. In a free initial consultation we check which protocol your most important customers expect and what the integration concretely costs.
Project Approach: From Analysis to Acceptance Test
Requirements Analysis and System Assessment
We clarify which procurement platforms your key customers use (OCI or cXML), which mandatory fields they expect in the cart return and what security requirements apply. The findings are captured in a punchout requirements document that both your team and your customers' IT teams can use as a reference.
Plugin Development and Configuration
Based on the requirements, we develop the Shopware punchout plugin: OCI endpoint handler, session token management, punchout cart component and the serializer for OCI form post or cXML PunchOutOrderMessage. Customer-specific field mappings are stored in a configurable mapping table.
Staging Integration and Initial Testing
The punchout interface is first tested against a sandbox or test instance of your customer's procurement system. We verify the complete flow: session start, catalogue navigation, price display, cart population and return jump with the correct data package. Any discrepancies in the field mapping are corrected at this stage.
Acceptance Test and Go-Live
Following a successful staging test, an acceptance test is conducted together with the IT team and procurement team of your customer. Only after written sign-off by all parties do we release the punchout interface for production. Monitoring and alerting for the first four weeks after go-live are included in the project scope.
Multiple Customers, Multiple Protocols