At the centre of the organisation is a Microsoft AX ERP system. An ERP system is fit for logistics handling, stock management, purchases/sales and so on. Yet a lot of time and efficiency got lost in daily operations. Moreover, the ERP system did not meet the expectations in terms of the company's online ambitions.

An integration with PIM software

The first step we took was integrating PIM software, which stands for product information management. We looked at several off-the-shelf packages, but the customer opted for custom development by iO. That meant the software would be aligned with the customer's needs and flexible enough to work smoothly with Microsoft AX.

Considering the ambition to expand online, we set up the PIM system with a microservices architecture which allowed easy access to additional platforms. The PIM system now works to commercially enrich products from the ERP, optimise SEO texts and collect marketing material.

A renewed B2B webshop

The previous B2B webshop, on which customers placed their orders, was outdated and lacked functionalities. Renewing this platform was therefore high on the priority list.

In addition, many customers (cf. shops) sent their orders by email, telephone (to the representative or customer service) or even by fax. A cumbersome and error-prone process, and in terms of stock management often a nightmare in case of limited stock.

A focus on speed, efficiency and convenience

Moreover, High Demand Brands operates in a sector where pre-orders for new collections are often placed at short notice and manufacturers impose deadlines based on production. Speed, efficiency, reliability and ease of use were therefore key to our tailor-made solution.

After consulting with all stakeholders (IT, sales representatives, customer service, customers, marketing), we drew up a functional roadmap of what the online portal should be able to do. Complete integration with Microsoft AX for real-time stock and order management was one of the core pillars of our story.Another key factor was the system for pre-selling new collections.

Besides taking care of all operational systems and web applications, iO created the corporate website for High Demand Brands. For this, we chose Drupal so that High Demand Brands marketers can easily maintain the website themselves.

Since the launch of the online portal, High Demand Brands noticed calmer peak times, more orders and orders of a higher value. Moreover, all stakeholders have continuous access to the necessary BI data & insights. High Demand Brands customers can also use the portal for order tracking, invoices, product image downloads and marketing materials.

This project shows that iO is not married to one technology, but rather chooses the right one according to the client’s requests. For instance, the custom PIM system was built in an open-source PHP Symfony framework while we used Drupal for the multisite B2C platform (supplemented by custom development in PHP Symfony).

We also chose Drupal for the corporate website, but for the development of the B2B webshop platform, we opted for a combination of Vue.JS (cf. single-page application development) and Microsoft .NET (in the context of the many direct integrations with Microsoft AX). Extensibility, scalability and flexibility were key qualities of the system architecture.

We are proud of the projects we have carried out for High Demand Brands over the past few years. It is nice to see how we contribute to smooth (internal) operations, satisfied customers and more sales each time.

Thinking long-term and executing short-term, where the customer always comes first, has contributed to a successful set of scalable digital applications that has made High Demand Brands all set for the future.