Modern, cloud-first infrastructure breaks down data silos, improves visibility across the business
CUSTOMER: Chadwicks Group
CHALLENGE: Requirement for high-speed and high-volume processing of data to digitally transform internal and external operations
OUTCOME: Moving from legacy IT to a cloud-first ecosystem that allows data to flow seamlessly to the point of action, increasing customers’ and partners’ interaction through digital channels
Chadwicks Group, Ireland’s leading builders’ merchant and home improvement specialist has been in operation for 200 years, selling builders’ and plumbers’ supplies to both trade and DIY customer from over 50 branches nationwide with over 1,300 employees.
The group’s current growth strategy is built on several strategic pillars, including remaining the first-choice supplier to its customers, refining and developing its range of products and services, developing an innovative and efficient multi-specialist and multi-channel business, and increasing its e-commerce capabilities.
To support these goals, Chadwicks created a blueprint for a transformative IT project to turn technology into a source of value for the group by enhancing efficiency and increasing customers’ and external partners’ interaction through digital channels.
Over the last three decades, a wide range of disparate IT systems were adopted in response to evolving business needs, which has contributed to internal data siloes, disjointed processes, and a lack of agility, or single source of truth from data.
Due to the complex, mission-critical integration requirements, Chadwicks undertook rigorous market research and evaluation to find an intelligent platform to identify, collect, transform, and normalise data across the disparate systems.
During performance testing, InterSystems IRIS became the clear choice to facilitate Chadwicks Group’s requirement for high-speed and high-volume processing of data.
With this infrastructure, Chadwicks would gain the flexibility to select the best product to meet current business requirements, as well as the agility to rapidly adapt to emerging opportunities.
Looking ahead
While the building industry was among those badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chadwicks Group used this time to plan the expansion of its e-commerce capabilities to become the lead in digital engagement within the industry.
“InterSystems IRIS has allowed us to become more agile and its reliability, scalability, and performance will be key to our ongoing digital journey. The uncertainty of this year reinforced our need for agility, and the InterSystems IRIS platform will continue to play a critical role as we begin to answer the growing demand for online services among our B2B client-base, including click-and-collect functionalities, and adapt to the changing requirements of our customers and the industry at large. Our end-to-end ecommerce platform will strengthen our operations and is something none of our competitors are currently offering, further cementing our place as Ireland’s leading builders’ merchant,” concluded Colm Scannell, Head of IT, Chadwicks Group.