Resmed: From Shopware to Shopify Plus – How Resmed Digitally Maps Complex Healthcare Processes

ResMed is a global leader in digital health with more than 30 years of experience in sleep health and is headquartered in California. The company develops medical devices and digital solutions for people with sleep apnea and chronic respiratory conditions. ResMed’s solutions are used in more than 140 countries and are designed to help people sleep better, breathe better, and improve their quality of life in the long term

We had the opportunity to assist Resmed GmbH & Co. KG, based in Munich, with its migration from Shopware to Shopify Plus. Read about the challenges and results in this case study.

At a Glance:

Store: www.resmedshop.de/

Industry: Medical Technology / Healthcare

Original Platform: Shopware

New Platform: Shopify Plus

Business Model: B2B and B2C

ERP System: Microsoft Business Central 14

Key Features: Custom checkout, customized return process, product bundles, healthcare-specific order confirmations, customized download area

Results:

• +52.5% AOV (average order value)

• +70.8% conversion rate

• +40.8% revenue in the first four months after migration

• −9.2% checkout abandonment rate

The Challenge: International Expansion and Strict Regulations

Before the migration, Resmed used the Shopware e-commerce platform. The decisive turning point that made a new system indispensable was the company’s global structure. Resmed needed a unified e-commerce platform that could scale to accommodate different countries as well as both B2B and B2C business.

The goal was not only to standardize the store's user interface. Existing backend processes, the ERP environment, and country-specific requirements also had to be integrated into the new system landscape.

At the outset, the scope was intentionally limited:

Resmed initially wanted to switch from Shopware to Shopify while largely retaining its existing processes and current design. However, even during the first phase of the project, the scope expanded to include a new design that can subsequently be rolled out to other countries.

The medical technology industry also presents its own unique challenges: Health data is highly sensitive and subject to strict regulatory and data protection requirements.

At the same time, the ordering process should remain as simple as possible. Florian Walch, e-commerce specialist at Resmed, describes the main challenge as follows:

“Ultimately, the key is to map out the complex processes behind the scenes while ensuring that the customer journey is as seamless as possible.”

Why Shopify Plus?

In our search for a system that could be used globally, we chose Shopify because it provides optimal support for internationalization and multilingual capabilities—in this case, German and English.

For Resmed, the key priority was to create a common platform for different markets while still being able to accommodate country-specific requirements. Florian Walch explains:

“Shopify was the platform that made us say, ‘We can use this globally for all countries.’ As a result, we’re able to easily address country-specific challenges.”

The Collaboration with Latori

Resmed brought the agency Latori on board to handle the implementation. Key factors in the decision to collaborate were Latori’s Shopify expertise, its experience with complex processes in the healthcare industry, and the team’s flexibility across different time zones.

The latter, in particular, played an important role in the project: Latori was able to schedule appointments early in the morning or late in the evening as needed. At the same time, regular coordination meetings were part of the project organization, as Florian Walch explains in an interview:

“Whenever a challenge arose, we always found a solution quickly—through timely coordination meetings and weekly meetings. Toward the end of the testing phase, we even had daily stand-up meetings.”

The Solution: Shopify Plus as the New Ordering Platform

Shopify now serves as Resmed’s e-commerce and order platform. The ERP system remains Microsoft Business Central 14. In between, middleware—or a connector—handles the transfer of relevant processes and orders.

The migration was not merely a technical transfer of the existing online store. In addition to the new design developed in-house by Resmed, existing integrations, custom customer account processes, product information, and healthcare-specific requirements were all reimplemented.

Technical Features and Custom Solutions

Latori not only brought to life a new design—created in-house by Resmed—with pixel-perfect precision, but also implemented highly customized technical solutions for these highly complex medical devices.

1. Customized Cancellation Process Across the Entire System Chain

Due to a new law on contract cancellation, an option to cancel had to be implemented at every step in the customer account. At the relevant points, the customer should have the option to cancel the process directly or revoke consent. At the same time, the cancellation also had to be accounted for in the downstream automated backend processes.

Initially, an app was used for this purpose. Shortly after going live, however, it became apparent that the solution could not adequately support the store’s bilingual setup. Resmed and Latori therefore switched back to the standard Shopify platform and supplemented it with a custom technical solution. The connector forwards the cancellation to the Business Central system landscape, allowing the order to be automatically canceled in downstream processes as well.

Florian Walch comments:

“It was a huge challenge to set up the process and place the cancellation button in the right spots so that the customer would see it immediately. At the same time, we wanted to ensure—through our fully automated backend processes—that whenever a customer clicks the cancellation button in their customer account, the process is immediately canceled behind the scenes.”

2. Healthcare-Specific Product Information During the Purchase Process

ResMed’s products require explanation and, in some cases, are designed to work together. For example, customers need to know which masks are compatible with which devices. At the same time, there are medically relevant considerations that must be taken into account immediately before making a purchase.

To this end, a technical verification feature has been integrated into the store: Customers must confirm that they have performed the required check before making a purchase.

“We had to make sure customers were informed that they need to check whether the product works with their pacemaker, for example. [...] Ultimately, we created technical solutions to truly meet customers’ needs,” says Florian Walch, describing the new feature.

3. Bundled Products and Guided Customer Journey

A key feature of the new store is the ability to put together compatible products directly during the checkout process. For example, Resmed can pair a device with a compatible mask and guide customers through the selection process in a targeted manner. Supplementary information, FAQs, and links to additional Resmed content support the customer journey without unnecessarily directing customers away from the store.

The mobile experience has also been optimized to ensure that the complex product selection remains as clear and straightforward as possible on smartphones and tablets.

4. Custom Checkout UI Extensions for Country-Specific Requirements

To comply with financial regulations and bypass complex checks (e.g., cross-checking against anti-terrorism lists for exports), Latori developed a checkout solution that strictly limits billing and shipping addresses to Germany.

Factors contributing to this include the company’s international structure, tax and financial requirements, and compliance regulations for cross-border sales. Resmed has its own subsidiaries in many countries and wanted to allocate revenue specifically to the respective markets. In addition, international sales may require further audits and restrictions depending on the destination country.

5. Personal Download Area

Latori developed customized download sections that allow customers to download product-specific user manuals, warranty terms, battery life information, and customization templates.

The standard features were individually tailored to ResMed’s various product information.

6. Google Feed and Existing Integrations

Existing integrations also had to be taken into account during the migration. For example, Resmed had not integrated the Google Feed as a simple add-on, but had incorporated it directly into the existing design. This custom structure was therefore one of the technical challenges during implementation.

7. ERP and Connector Integration

The integration with downstream systems was also redesigned as part of the migration. According to Resmed, the third-party connector previously used in the Shopware environment was not optimal. With Shopify, a different service provider—or connector—could be implemented, allowing orders to be transferred to the other systems more reliably and automatically.

The result: a smooth go-live, improved data quality, and a 40.8% increase in revenue in the first 4 months

The transition from Shopware to Shopify was extremely successful. Thanks to close coordination, structured project planning, and daily stand-up meetings during the testing phase, the project was implemented efficiently. Positive effects became apparent quickly after going live:

• Smooth go-live, stable sales: Following the launch, Resmed saw no decline in orders during the first week. Even during the subsequent summer and vacation season, the company observed no additional drop beyond the expected seasonal fluctuations.

• Increase in Conversion Rate: After the launch, the conversion rate rose from 2.16% to 3.69%. This represents a 70.8% increase.

• Increase in Revenue: Comparing the respective four-month periods before and after the migration, revenue increased by 40.8%.

• Fewer checkout abandonments: The checkout abandonment rate dropped by 9.2% after the launch.

• Increase in AOV: Resmed’s average order value (AOV) rose from €59 to over €90. This represents an increase of at least 52.5%. Product bundles and recommendations for complementary items are key components of the new customer journey.

“Thanks to Shopify, we were able to increase the average cart value [...] We used to have an average cart value of €59, and now it’s over €90,” says Florian Walch, e-commerce specialist at Resmed.

• Better data quality: Thanks to Shopify's standardized address selection, incorrect customer entries (such as passwords or phone numbers in the address field) that previously caused problems with DHL deliveries are now a thing of the past.

“Shopify has actually taken a lot of the work off our hands right out of the box when it comes to data quality,” said Florian Walch.

• Better Insights: Shopify’s native analytics and reporting tools now allow Resmed to view customer origin, order volume, and revenue in real time without manual conversions. Analyzing data across different markets and currencies has also become easier, reducing the need for manual conversions and additional reports.

• Optimized Support: A customized contact form now allows customer inquiries to be routed directly to the appropriate backend teams.

What Other Healthcare Retailers Can Learn from the Project

Florian Walch advises companies that are hesitant to migrate to a new platform or enter the e-commerce market not to wait for the perfect moment:

“Just get started. The issues will come up on their own. If we hadn’t eventually gotten started with e-commerce—out of concern for data protection, complex backend processes, or reservations on the part of individual teams—we probably wouldn’t have an online store today. I can only advise everyone: Get started, see what happens, and tackle the challenges step by step!”

Outlook

Resmed continues to develop its online store. Working together with Latori, Resmed is planning the following next steps: further automation of returns, invoicing, and tracking; a potential marketplace integration; and additional redesign adjustments based on customer feedback. Resmed is also considering a potential migration of its UK store to Shopify.

We look forward to continuing to support the retailer and thank you for this interview!