Vohkus

Vohkus is a leading IT solutions provider and hardware reseller based in the UK with offices around the globe. A recognised and respected brand name within the sector spanning more than two decades with an online eBusiness store that has been through multiple iterations. Part of the SSC group, it is now looking to increase its online sales presence.

Vohkus approached DWS for assistance in maintaining and supporting their existing Magento Open Source website, which was managed by a third-party provider. While the eBusiness store initially met their needs, it soon became challenging to maintain, with service quality occasionally dipping.

With an extensive product catalogue of over 1 million items, updating prices and importing data became time-consuming, often extended into days, or at times, weeks. The administrative process was fragmented across various platforms, complicating the workload for the customer support teams.

The Vohkus eBusiness store, catering to the B2B sector as a closed website, had specific requirements that necessitated custom modules to adapt the Magento Open Source platform into something fit for purpose.

Vohkus operated their eBusiness store and primary content website on separate platforms - Magento and Hubspot, leading to a disjointed management process.

Early in the engagement, it was decided that Vohkus would try to reduce the dependency on third-party support for managing the Magento platform and accompanying software. Vohkus aimed to bring ownership and management of the eBusiness store back in-house, with DWS entrusted with the initial backend build and Vohkus' internal team completing the design and frontend development. Upon completion, DWS would provide ongoing support and maintenance as required.

Whilst having a small development team in-house, it was part of the strategy to support and train them in Adobe Commerce development, starting with the frontend and gradually delving into backend development.

DWS provided technical guidance, ensuring best practice and coding standards were adhered to, even when collaborating with third-party developers. This expertise extended to PIM integrations, guaranteeing seamless system interconnectivity.

Alongside the work for the new eBusiness store, the decision was made to transition the primary content website from Hubspot, aiming for a unified platform.

Vohkus' revamped eBusiness store now stands as a testament to stability and adaptability, primed for enterprise-level demands and future business growth.

PIM integration presented challenges, especially with two PIM partners falling short due to the catalogue's size and intricacy. However, a partnership with Akeneo, an enterprise-level solution, emerged as the ideal fit. This solution scales with Vohkus' needs, offering expansion opportunities to other marketplaces. As challenges and limitations surfaced during PIM solution implementations, DWS stepped in with the necessary technical expertise, guiding Vohkus through decision-making.

Product imports, stock updates, and pricing adjustments are now streamlined, with continuous monitoring and optimisation in place. Customer pricing updates, once a cumbersome task spanning days or even weeks, now conclude in under an hour, benefiting both customers and Vohkus.

As Vohkus progressed with the integration of the store and website, they successfully migrated their business website to the Magento Cloud platform. This move, facilitated by a script created by DWS, eliminated the need for a costly Hubspot renewal. The process ran smoothly, ensuring uninterrupted service throughout the process.

The unified platform now simplifies maintenance, allowing Vohkus developers to focus on a single skill set.