Company Overview
The Change Organisation, a leading UK IT distributor, was facing a common B2B bottleneck: high-volume turnover powered by low-efficiency manual processes. By implementing Patchworks as their central nervous system, they transformed from a spreadsheet-dependent operation into an automated, API-first powerhouse.
The Challenge: Breaking the “Small Order” Profit Drain
Operating across three distinct business units, The Change Organisation handles the complexity of a major enterprise. However, their back-office relied heavily on manual data entry and spreadsheets.
In B2B distribution, if a human has to “touch” every order to move it from the storefront to the warehouse, the operational cost often outpaces the margin on smaller deals. The Change Organisation didn’t just need a new website; they needed to rewire their business logic to support:
- Legacy Integration: Connecting a legacy on-premise ERP (Access Dimensions) to modern tools.
- Fragmented Data: Syncing a complex WMS (Mintsoft) with a new Akeneo PIM.
- Catalogue Scaling: Moving from a limited SKU count to a massive, data-rich inventory of 20,000+ products.
The Solution: A Composable Ecosystem Powered by Patchworks
In partnership with 5874 Commerce, Patchworks was deployed as the integration layer to orchestrate the flow of data between four critical “best-in-class” systems.
1. Bridging Legacy and Modern API-First Tools
One of the biggest hurdles in B2B digital transformation is the “rip-and-replace” fear. Patchworks eliminated this by acting as the universal translator between Access Dimensions (legacy finance) and BigCommerce (modern SaaS). This allowed “The Change” to modernise their customer experience without abandoning their core financial infrastructure.
2. Creating a “Single Source of Truth”
By routing all data through the Patchworks iPaaS, the team ensured that stock levels in the Mintsoft WMS were reflected instantly on the B2B portal. This “real-time pulse” eliminated overselling and provided the transparency B2B buyers demand.
3. Automating the Catalogue at Scale
Previously, manual entry limited the number of products the team could feasibly list. With Patchworks automating the flow of technical product data from Akeneo PIM to the storefront, The Change Organisation was able to scale to 20,000+ SKUs without adding a single member of staff to the data entry team.
The Strategic Outcome: From People-Dependent to Process-Led
The implementation of Patchworks moved The Change Organisation away from “administrative overload” and toward a roadmap of international expansion.
- Operational Efficiency: Small orders are now profitable because they are processed with zero human intervention.
- Eliminated Data Silos: Finance, Warehouse, and Sales teams now work from the same real-time data set.
- Massive Scalability: The business can now manage a 20,000+ SKU catalogue with 100% accuracy.
“If your systems aren’t talking to each other, your team is doing the listening—and that is a tax you can’t afford to pay. Patchworks provided the infrastructure to turn our digital storefront into a true automated ecosystem.”
5874 Commerce
The Technical Integration Stack
- Two Delivery Leads.
- A QA Lead and a Development Lead.
- A Corporate Lead and ERP experts.
- Patchworks’ Professional Services team.
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