Atlas Copco

Atlas Copco's CT unit partnered with us to start a path towards accelerated growth with a cutting-edge composable commerce platform.

Embracing the future with a cutting-edge composable commerce platform for Atlas Copco's CT Unit

Atlas Copco is a leading global provider of industrial equipment and services. With a presence in over 180 countries and a dedicated workforce of 49,000 professionals across 70 nations, the company holds a strong position in its sector and has consistently experienced growth throughout its history.

Within the Atlas Copco Group, we work specifically for the Compressor Techniques (CT) business unit, which is the largest unit within the group. This division business unit provides innovative and sustainable compressed air solutions, catering to a diverse range of applications across multiple industries.

in 10 months

Rollout to 60 countries

Available products on the commerce platform

1,143,000

Users

11,318

The challenge

Together with Atlas Copco’s CT business unit, we faced a significant challenge: updating their outdated and custom-made ordering platform. The goal was to transition to a new commerce platform with a future-proof architecture, capable of handling numerous integrations with their ERP, CRM, PIM, and other essential systems.

The complexity of the task was further intensified given the diverse business domains within the compressor technique, each requiring a consistent application of the platform's features. Moreover, being a part of a larger entity with numerous brands, the client also sought a distinctive design for each brand on the platform.

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The solution

We have successfully implemented a future-proof MACH-based, composable commerce platform for the Compressor Technique business unit of Atlas Copco, catering to their B2B distributor audience across 60 countries. We started with a pilot project in Sweden, successfully launching it within the 7-month timeframe.

The multi-branded commerce platform will enable, support, and enhance the digital way-to-market strategies of each division within the Compressor Technique business area.

The platform's vision and mission was to deliver:

Simplification: We reduced the complexity of the current IT architecture, keeping the focus on the main business goals and developing a solution that is correctly sized and structured for their current and future needs.
Harmonization: We structured the data in a common way, to allow easier sharing/re-use, management, and enrichment.
Efficiency: We ensured increased efficiency across the organization, from Divisional Marketing and Communications for data management and publication, to the sales network and back-office processes in Customer Centres.
Easy to do business with: We added value for customers with simple, intuitive, and comprehensive solutions to find, interact, and purchase their products and services.
Attractiveness: We made sure CT could retain current and attract new customers by positioning their brands online to facilitate business development
Digital enablement: We developed an agile, modular, and flexible infrastructure to feed existing tools, applications, and systems, or allow the creation of new solutions when needed.

How we made this work

Discovery phase

The discovery phase marked the beginning of our project for Atlas Copco, a crucial stage that entailed design and clarification of the project's elements. We aligned with all five divisions within the compressor technique BU, organizing workshops and promoting collaboration. This vital stage ensured understanding among the various business domains, effectively addressing the complexity of the client's business.

infographic illustrating the MACH architecture and its components

MACH and composable architecture

The project implementation centered on the use of MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless) principles and a composable architecture. These technologies allowed us to create a flexible and modular platform that can be easily scaled and adapted to cater to specific needs.

MACH technologies we used include commercetools (headless commerce engine), and Algolia (search solution). We also created APIs with Microsoft services to integrate with the backend components such as ERP, CRM, PIM, and CMS.

Agile working

Agile working played a significant role in our project’s success. By following an agile methodology and organizing work into sprints, we could rapidly respond to any challenges or changes that arose during the development process. This approach allowed us to quickly implement new features and functionalities, while also keeping the project on track and aligned with the client's business objectives.

Roadmap for further growth

We established a roadmap together with the CT business unit, planning to continuously expand the platform with new features and functionalities. In addition to the initial 60 countries, we are planning to rollout to even more countries including China for further growth.