CASE STUDY

PIM System Upgrade and
Legacy Service Decommissioning

Custom Software Development
Retail

Project Highlights

Scope

  • Decommissioning legacy services and upgrading PIM system.
  • Improving Data Management and Workflows Across the Company.

Challenges Overcome

Faster approval processes and efficient photo management.

Translation processes are now automated and reliable.

Real-time pricing updates are synced across web stores.

Business Impact

The changes implemented in this project resulted in a more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable system. By automating processes and improving data management, the business is now better equipped to meet evolving demands while reducing operational overhead.

Cost Reduction

System Performance

Data Accuracy

Scalability

The Client

The client is the central IT service provider for a leading European fast fashion retailer, managing all digital operations and IT services for the company. They are responsible for ensuring seamless e-commerce platforms, supply chain systems, and customer engagement tools.

  • Provides full IT support for the retailer’s operations across numerous European markets.
  • Drives digital innovation to optimise processes along the value chain.
  • Ensures operational efficiency and adaptability in a competitive retail environment.
Retail-Client

The Problem

Outdated Legacy Services

The existing Product Information Management (PIM) system had multiple legacy services (pricing, product text management, photo management, and approval services) that were inefficient, costly, and in need of decommissioning.

Manual Processes and Data Management

The PIM system was heavily reliant on manual processes for managing product information sourced from SAP and external providers, leading to inefficiencies, data quality concerns, and delays.

Performance Issues

As the business evolved, the legacy systems no longer met performance requirements, making it essential to upgrade PIM and streamline data flows.

Complex Ecosystem and Dependencies

Integrating data from various third-party providers, while ensuring the PIM system remained the single source of truth for product data, introduced significant complexity into the project.

The Solution

Approval Process for Data Validation

A new product approval process ensures content validation before full system integration, improving data quality and consistency.

Photo Service for Image Management

Developed to manage product images by integrating SAP data with PIM, streamlining visual content management.

Product Text Service for Multilingual Translations

Built for multilingual translations, interacting with the RWS system to ensure consistent, multi-language product descriptions.

Pricing Service

Handles product pricing across web stores, syncing with SAP to provide accurate and timely price information.

Decommissioning Legacy Services

Legacy systems were decommissioned, migrating processes like pricing and product management into the PIM system.

Team & Technology

Tech Stack Utilised

Backend

  • Kotlin
  • Spring
  • Ktor

Data

  • BigQuery
  • Kafka

Cloud

  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Team Composition

2 tech leads

5 backend developers

The Outcome

Successful Decommissioning of Legacy Services

Outdated systems were fully decommissioned, and their functionality was integrated into the upgraded PIM system.

Improved System Performance and Scalability

The enhanced PIM now serves as the single source of truth for product data, with automated services for approval, image management, and pricing, making the system more scalable and aligned with business needs.

Streamlined Workflows

New approval and product text services have streamlined operations, reducing delays and improving data accuracy.

Reduced Costs and Maintenance

Consolidating legacy services into the PIM system has significantly cut operational costs.

Enhanced Data Quality and User Experience

New validation processes ensure accurate and reliable product data in the PIM system.

Collaboration and Domain Knowledge Mastery

Developers took ownership of platforms, mastering business logic, speeding up issue resolution, and creating effective solutions.