High-Performance Middleware for Retail Transaction Management

About The Client

The client is a leading hypermarket organization in the UAE, operating multiple large retail stores that serve thousands of customers daily. Their business relies heavily on efficient, reliable point-of-sale operations, inventory management, and real-time financial reporting. Their retail ecosystem includes numerous cash desks at each store, connected through SAP Customer Checkout (CCO) to centralized SAP Business One (B1) systems for accounting, inventory, and operational management. Maintaining high transaction throughput and seamless integration across their systems is critical to their business success.

Project Overview

The client faced significant performance bottlenecks as they processed over one million transactions daily through SAP B1's API, which was unable to efficiently handle this high volume. They explored off-the-shelf alternatives from SAP and third-party vendors but found none that met their specific requirements. Initially, they considered replacing their POS infrastructure with a custom-built system but abandoned this due to prohibitive costs, complexity, and time requirements. Instead, they sought a rapid, robust solution that would integrate with their existing SAP ecosystem without disrupting operations or forcing a complete system overhaul. Referred by a previous client, they engaged our team to build a middleware solution that would bridge SAP CCO and SAP B1, improve transaction handling, enhance reporting visibility, and reduce operational overhead.

The Challenge

Key challenges included:

• The SAP B1 API's limited capacity caused slow transaction processing and forced manual interventions by operating managers to resolve missed requests and bugs.
• Over one million daily transactions required high-performance processing without compromising reliability or system availability.
• The client could not abandon SAP B1 due to the vast amounts of critical data and entrenched operational workflows.
• Lack of real-time visibility into sales and transactional statistics hindered business decisions.
• Attempts to build a new POS and infrastructure from scratch proved costly, heavy, and slow to develop.
• Ensuring zero downtime, handling complex transaction scenarios (discounts, vouchers, payment types), and maintaining data consistency were non-negotiable requirements.

Our Solution

Middleware as a Gateway

We developed a standalone middleware system that acts as the central transaction gateway between SAP CCO and SAP B1. Using secure, authorized webhooks, the middleware synchronizes with SAP CCO managers, intercepting all purchase and payment transactions and storing them in a locally optimized MongoDB database. All transactions are processed in configurable jobs where internal receipts are created and aggregated before sending batched updates to SAP B1. This design ensures efficient load handling and data integrity.

Scalable, Resilient Architecture

The system is built on a microservices architecture leveraging MongoDB for handling large JSON payloads, PostgreSQL for optimized reporting and querying, Redis for caching, and RabbitMQ for event-driven processing. We implemented database sharding and caching techniques, combined with load balancing, to handle the large volume and ensure zero downtime. The middleware is fully independent of the existing SAP infrastructure, providing flexibility and robustness.

Advanced Configuration & Analytics

A dynamic, custom React dashboard enables administrators to configure all aspects of transaction processing, including inbound and outbound data, system routing, user management and more. The dashboard supports real-time insights through WebSocket-enabled reporting layouts, allowing immediate visibility into operations. Role-based access ensures secure user management, with fine-grained permissions for operators, cash desks, and system administrators.

Master Data Synchronization Module

As a bonus, we implemented a dedicated module to automate the synchronization of master data from SAP B1 to SAP CCO. This process was previously done manually at intervals, but now runs continuously to ensure all systems operate on consistently up-to-date information without manual effort.

Security & Monitoring

We ensured compliance with modern OWASP security guidelines, employing secure authentication, permission controls, and continuous staff training to safeguard sensitive data. Real-time error notifications are routed through email, Slack, and in-app alerts, with detailed reports sorted by severity. Multiple active nodes and retry mechanisms guarantee uninterrupted operation, even under peak load.

Smooth Deployment & Client Collaboration

Deployment required no changes at the cash desk level. The middleware was deployed seamlessly by rerouting SAP CCO managers to connect through it via webhooks. We provided hands-on training for client administrators on initial configuration, scaling, and operation. Our team worked closely with the client throughout, including SAP experts, to understand their systems, needs, and constraints, ensuring alignment and smooth adoption.

Results

• Over 50% increase in transaction processing performance, with SAP B1 handling the full load effortlessly.
• Elimination of manual interventions by operating managers, thanks to robust error handling and automatic retry mechanisms.
• Real-time, accurate insights into sales and operations improved decision-making and operational efficiency.
• The system is fully scalable: the client can easily add new inbound systems and scale infrastructure by adding nodes without development effort.
• Security and availability remain uncompromised, ensuring continuous, reliable service.
• The modular architecture future-proofs the client's POS ecosystem, supporting growth and evolving business needs.

Ongoing Impact & Strategic Collaboration

Following the success of the initial deployment, and with the client's collaboration and proper licensing agreements in place, the solution was successfully extended to two additional businesses in the UAE facing similar challenges. This not only validated the scalability and flexibility of the system but also positioned it as a reliable middleware framework for high-volume retail environments.

Additionally, we supported the client in integrating an external AI-powered analytics system that connects to the middleware's processed data. While the AI system is managed by a third-party vendor, our team facilitated the integration and ensured the data was properly structured and optimized for forecasting trends and analyzing customer behavior. This integration is part of the client's broader digital transformation strategy and reflects the long-term value and adaptability of the solution we delivered.

Client Testimonial

"We were having trouble processing over a million transactions every day. The system was slow, and our team had to fix problems manually all the time. SeenByte built a system that fit with our existing setup and made everything run much smoother. Transactions now happen faster, and we don't have to step in to fix things anymore. We also get clear reports right away, which helps us keep track of everything.

Thanks to SeenByte, our stores run better and can handle more customers without any headaches."