Case Study

Unified Commerce Architecture – Integrating ERP, PIM, and E-commerce for a Market Leader

Entrusting the technical support, maintenance, and development of its IT systems to Multishoring enabled the HL Display Group, Europe’s leading merchandising company, to significantly lower IT support costs while achieving a higher standard of service — and to gain tighter control over its IT environment, especially its core Jeeves ERP.

Markets Served Worldwide

Many→1

IT Partners Consolidated

2012

Cooperation Since

The Client

Europe’s Leading In-Store Merchandising Supplier

HL Display is a leading international supplier of products and solutions for in-store communication and merchandising to the food and non-food retail sectors, as well as to brand manufacturers. Founded in 1954, the company operates in 48 markets across Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia — with its own subsidiaries in 36 of them and selected distributors in the other 12.

First listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1993, HL Display had a turnover of approximately EUR 180m (2011) and employed around 1,100 staff. The shares were delisted in 2010 following the takeover of its principal owner, Ratos.

The Operational Challenge

Before 2012, HL Display relied on various Swedish IT companies for technical support. This dispersed setup was difficult to control and cost-ineffective — especially for the company’s main system, Jeeves ERP. An internal effort to take over its support stalled on coordination problems with external suppliers, causing delays and growing pressure from management.

“We were sure that putting our IT systems support, maintenance, and development in the hands of one trustworthy partner, based on the cost-effective and convenient nearshoring model, would enable us to optimize our IT expenses while maintaining a high standard of service.”

Fredrick Birkhammar

IT Director at HL Display

The Solution

A Dedicated Nearshore Team Across the IT Landscape

Starting with a trial engagement, Multishoring took over the support, maintenance, and development of HL Display’s IT systems with a dedicated team working on all business days across France, Poland, Sweden, and the UK, between 8 AM and 5 PM.

1. Run a Trial Engagement

An experienced Agile coordinator from Multishoring defined processes and communication using the Scrum Ontime tool — spending a week in HL Display’s IT Department in Poland, a week at headquarters in Sweden, and two weeks working remotely.

2. Build the Jeeves ERP Team

Two specialists joined HL Display’s IT Department to develop Jeeves ERP, recruited from Multishoring branches near HL Display’s IT headquarters. Four more consultants were added after the first four months.

3. Provide Support & Maintenance

A second team of three specialists handled technical support and maintenance for the systems taken over first, with the coordinator able to deputize for the Jeeves project manager when needed.

4. Standardize Tools & Processes

Work ran on OnTime Scrum for development and BMC Remedy for ITIL-based incident handling, supported by regular weekly and bi-weekly project meetings.

Tools & Procedures

The cooperation combined dedicated nearshore consultants with standardized tools and clearly defined communication routines.

Project Management

OnTime Scrum for product backlogs, versions, sprints, workflows, and user roles

IT Service Management

BMC Remedy Action Request System for ITIL-based incident handling via HL Display’s Service Desk

Systems Covered

Jeeves ERP, SQL Server data warehouse with QlikView, and the EPiServer web & e-commerce platform

Communication

Google+ for business for calls, video-conferencing, and document exchange, plus weekly and bi-weekly meetings

“During the first stage of cooperation — lasting four months — Multishoring took over the support, maintenance, and development of three IT systems at HL Display, including the SQL Server data warehouse with QlikView for sales and production reporting, and the move of HL Display’s national websites onto one common EPiServer platform integrated with Jeeves ERP.”

Andrzej Biesiekirski

CEO of Multishoring

Project Outcomes

Business Benefits for HL Display

Consolidating IT support with a single nearshore partner lowered costs, raised service quality, and gave HL Display greater control over its IT environment.

Lower IT Costs

Concentrating support that had been spread across many Swedish partners into one cost-effective nearshore partner significantly optimized HL Display’s IT spending.

Higher Service Quality

Better communication, clearer process definition, and defined cooperation principles raised the overall standard of IT support.

Faster Jeeves ERP Changes

Multishoring coordinated the takeover and supplied half of the Jeeves team, working on-site in HL Display’s IT Department to adjust the system faster and more accurately.

More Control Over IT

Concentrating support with one partner gave HL Display more control over its IT environment and more predictable execution through new tools and procedures.

Summary

One Trusted Partner for a Complex IT Environment

HL Display needed to replace dispersed, hard-to-control IT support with a single, reliable partner. Multishoring proved itself in a trial Agile engagement, then took over support, maintenance, and development across HL Display’s core systems under a cost-effective nearshoring model.

The result was lower IT spending, a higher standard of service, faster and more accurate Jeeves ERP changes, and greater control over the company’s IT environment — with further systems, including inRiver PIM, planned to follow under an SLA-based service.

contact

Thank you for your interest in Multishoring.

We’d like to ask you a few questions to better understand your IT needs.

Justyna PMO Manager

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