Connect VeloConnect
Connect suppliers for purchasing via the VeloConnect standard: store dealer credentials, test the connection, fetch prices and availability, search the catalog and submit orders.
→ Open VeloConnect in SimpliServ
VeloConnect is the industry standard for data exchange between specialist dealers and bicycle wholesalers. With the VeloConnect connector you connect your suppliers for purchasing: SimpliServ fetches prices and availability, searches the supplier catalogs and submits orders directly to the dealer. You can store several suppliers in parallel and enable each supplier individually.
VeloConnect is purely buy-side: SimpliServ queries your suppliers and orders from them. No data of your own is sent to third parties to act as a seller yourself.
You'll find the connector under Administration → Organisation → Connectors in the VeloConnect tile. Access to the connectors page requires the View settings permission (admin.settings.view). You get your suppliers' credentials from the respective wholesalers.
Prerequisites
- A supplier that offers the VeloConnect interface.
- The credentials provided by the supplier: base URL (endpoint), buyers ID, possibly a sellers ID and a password.
- Clarity about which attribute items are matched by between your stock and the supplier (see ID strategy).
Connect suppliers
The VeloConnect connector manages a list of supplier connections. The header shows you a short summary: how many connections are active, how many ready (tested and OK) and how many are still untested.
Open the configuration
Open the VeloConnect tile and switch to the Configuration tab. Click Add supplier.
Enter the credentials
Fill in the form with your supplier's details:
- Name – a freely chosen display name for the supplier.
- Base URL – the supplier's VeloConnect endpoint.
- Buyers ID – your customer number / buyer identifier at the supplier.
- Sellers ID – the supplier's seller identifier (optional, if required).
- Password – the access password (required on creation).
- Currency – a three-letter code (e.g.
EUR), optional. - ID strategy – see below.
- Active – whether the connection is used for price queries and orders.
Save the supplier.
Test the connection
Expand the supplier and click Test. SimpliServ fetches the supplier's profile (a probe) and determines which operations it supports. On success, the seller name and the detected capabilities are shown and the status switches to OK.
The password is only transmitted on creation or on a deliberate change. When editing, leave the field empty to keep the stored password. For security reasons it's never shown back.
ID strategy
The ID strategy sets which attribute SimpliServ uses to match your items to the supplier's items. Choose the attribute the supplier expects for the search/price query:
- EAN – matching via the EAN/GTIN.
- SKU – the supplier's SKU.
- Manufacturer number – the manufacturer's order number.
- HAN – manufacturer article number.
- Supplier – a supplier-specific identifier.
Status and capabilities
Each connection shows a profile status and – after a successful test – the capabilities offered by the supplier.
| Profile status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OK | Last tested successfully – ready to use |
| Error | The last test failed (e.g. wrong credentials or endpoint) |
| Unknown | Not tested yet |
The capabilities are derived from the supplier's advertised operations and tell you which app functions this supplier actually supports:
- Prices – single and list query of item details/prices (
GetItemDetails,GetItemDetailsList). - Catalog – text search and classification scheme (
TextSearch,GetClassificationScheme). - Orders – order submission (
Order). - Documents – order confirmations, delivery notes, invoice and offer queries (
OrderConfirmationQuery,DeliveryNoteQuery,InvoiceInformationQuery,OfferQuery).
A connection only counts as ready for price comparisons when it's active and the last test returned the status OK. Via the toggle per row you enable or pause a supplier without deleting the credentials.
Edit and remove suppliers
In the expanded supplier you'll find, besides Test, also Edit (change credentials and ID strategy) and Delete. There you also see the stored buyers ID, the seller name (after a test), the ID strategy, the currency and the timestamp of the last test.
Where VeloConnect takes effect in purchasing
If at least one supplier is active and ready, the data takes effect in several places in purchasing:
- Supplier catalog – the catalog search searches the connected suppliers via text search.
- Price comparison – on the product detail view the Supplier prices card compares purchase prices and availability across all ready suppliers.
- Availability – availability badges show the stock status at the supplier.
- Orders – from a purchase order you submit the order directly to the supplier (provided its profile supports Orders).
If there are no VeloConnect connections, the associated elements in purchasing stay hidden. They only appear once at least one supplier is connected.
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