Hardware Retail Product Development & Engineering

Building a Platform for Builders Everywhere

With over 2100 stores in North America alone, this home improvement retailer is the second-largest hardware chain in the world. Known for selling directly to consumers and contractors, they wanted to think bigger and expand their business to bulk buyers.

As part of this effort, our client wanted to create a platform rolled out directly to their store associates that would allow volume sales purchasing of hardware. They needed a partner to architect, design, build, deploy, and support the system end to end—and integrate it into multiple existing systems to ensure proper data flow throughout the sales process.

Building this system required a team skilled in microservices, containerization, automated testing, and continuous integration & continuous delivery (CI/CD). But it also required consulting—navigating the complex technical and business org structure to achieve alignment and buy-in on the features and solution.

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Constructing the Right Software Solution

Launch proposed a product development pod to guide research, design, and implementation of our client’s bulk buying solution. As part of our approach, Launch:

• Gathered business and tech requirements from key stakeholders across the business, designing a product that would satisfy everyone’s needs
• Created a product backlog that was continuously refined, prioritized, estimated, and implemented in an Agile scrum methodology
• Designed and architected the technical solution, CI/CD, QA automation, and support requirements
• Built the frontend and backend systems using various design patterns, microservices, and real-time web analytics
• Guided our client’s dev team through training so they could take over the use and support of their platform

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Taking the “Hard” Out of Hardware Bulk Buying

Our client achieved their vision: A new capability to effectively sell hardware in bulk to commercial buyers. Their new platform has helped them grow revenue by 40% thanks to their ability to track quote/buy/sell numbers and work effectively with savvy build supply customers.

Key to this success was our combined focus on aligning their org’s existing business and technology with the desired features of this new system. Launch’s expert development pod was able to develop a modern technology and approach without disrupting our client’s product development departments.

As a result of this successful project, this international home improvement retailer continues to trust Launch with digital transformation projects around the organization.

Turns out, all it takes to sell more great hardware…is some great software.

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