{ Case Study }
Digital partnership with vision.
XDEV and the Europa Möbel-Verbund.
{ Overview }
Project Objective
The Europa Möbel-Verbund is one of the most successful purchasing and marketing cooperations in the furniture retail industry across Europe. However, to get there, the company had a long journey ahead in terms of internal digitalization and connecting hundreds of stores. XDEV played a key role in this process.
Today, when you stroll through a furniture store – searching for a sofa, bed, dresser, or wardrobe – the likelihood of indirectly interacting with the Europa Möbel-Verbund (EMV) is high. This is because the association is now one of the strongest purchasing and marketing cooperations in the furniture trade. Over 450 connected stores across Europe are supported by EMV with innovative technological solutions – solutions that have significantly transformed the business models of many partners for the future. XDEV has been a technology partner in this development for more than ten years. Managing Director Felix Doerr reflects on the “strategic collaboration,” which was marked by mutual understanding.
{ Task }
Technological Realignment After the Merger
The EMV was formed about 20 years ago from the merger of two companies, and Doerr and his colleagues were faced with their first major technical challenge. “Both companies had their own technological solutions and platforms, which needed to be unified,” he recalls from his early days. At that time, the IT department consisted of only three employees. When searching for a partner, it was especially important to Doerr that “resources could be made available quickly.” That’s when he and his team came across Richard Fichtner and XDEV – a lucky find for both sides.
The Solution: Strategic Partnership for Business Development
Through intensive communication and continuous development, consulting, and collaborative discussions, EMV found in XDEV a partner that first understood the challenges and then provided tailored solutions. From the beginning, there was a constructive foundation for the collaboration, which enabled EMV and its associated companies to achieve key milestones in the digital transformation of their business models.
{ Solution }
The "Intranet 2010" – A Digital Milestone
Starting in 2008, the new cornerstone of EMV's offerings was developed: the so-called "Intranet 2010." This platform allowed affiliated companies to access listed association models, create price lists, or implement marketing measures via a user-friendly interface.
As part of this, numerous Java-based applications were developed, which step by step included new functionalities such as a bonus system for the affiliated companies. "With Richard Fichtner and XDEV, our team had a reliable constant in software development," explains Doerr, reflecting on the long-lasting collaboration. Applications were developed that are still in use today, even years later. According to Doerr, the focus in all developments was always on the end-users: "In the end, the employees in the furniture stores have to use the software, so everything has to be user-friendly and intuitive."
Digitalization for Everyone – Even with a Small Budget
With this mindset, EMV and XDEV were even able to lay the technical foundation for generating individual online shops for smaller furniture stores – a step that significantly changed their business models. As a result, many businesses were able to be digitally transformed and future-proofed with minimal budget investment. In the end, not only the shareholders but also the employees and customers benefit from the innovative software solutions of EMV.
{ Results }
Collaboration at Eye Level as a Success Factor
Such a high level of software innovations naturally requires numerous ideas and joint efforts. According to Doerr, the equality that XDEV established from the start and the professional input from both teams were decisive: "XDEV worked with us to discuss and evaluate our goals, not just develop something on request." Throughout all the years of collaboration, we always found cooperative ways to handle projects, no matter how complex the requirements became. "Of course, I also had a few sleepless nights, but that's completely normal with such large projects," Doerr recalls.
From Technology Partner to Foundation for Internal Growth
One side effect of the modernization and standardization of the software architecture was the increased attractiveness of EMV as an employer for programming talent. A team of six employees was gradually built, who – thanks to the groundwork laid by XDEV as a partner – have now completely taken over the processes.
Even though the operational collaboration ended more than a year ago, both sides look back fondly on the joint projects.
{ Future Outlook }
Ready for Tomorrow, Internally and Externally
Thanks to the vision and foresight of EMV, as well as the strong support from XDEV, numerous furniture stores were made ready for the digitalized market. At the same time, the consortium was built on a technological foundation that will continue to carry them forward in the future.
