Gerflor

The Client

For more than 80 years, the Gerflor Group has designed, manufactured, and marketed innovative, decorative, and eco-responsible solutions for flexible floors, linoleum, and wall coverings.

The Situation

Gerflor wanted to transition from its existing CMS solution to a more advanced, modern CMS that provided cutting-edge features, in order to establish a new group digital experience platform. The company wanted to develop and deploy a set of initial websites that would serve as pilot projects, signifying a qualitative shift toward a new user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) approach.

Additionally, Gerflor aimed to leverage the pilot website rollout as an opportunity to reevaluate its organizational structure, resource allocation, and operational constraints, establishing an efficient process for the subsequent rollout of all the group's websites.

The Challenge

Gerflor faced numerous business and technology hurdles due to the context and complexity of its digital transformation journey: 

• Ongoing digital transformation: The project occurred in the middle of Gerflor's broader digital transformation journey, which posed a significant challenge as the new platform had to seamlessly integrate with existing digital initiatives and systems. 
• Central customer touchpoint: The new site would become Gerflor's primary customer touchpoint, elevating the project’s importance and adding pressure to create a user-friendly, reliable, and engaging platform.  
• Complex third-party integrations: Gerflor needed to integrate established systems like its enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship (CRM) solutions, as well as the product information management/digital asset management (PIM/DAM) system and Magento e-commerce. Coordinating these integrations, ensuring data consistency, and managing dependencies created substantial technological challenges.
• Existing and parallel projects: Because projects were happening in parallel, Gerflor required effective project management, resource allocation, and careful synchronization to prevent conflicts and delays.
• Core dependency on PIM/DAM integration: Gerflor identified its PIM/DAM system as a core dependency that posed challenges in terms of project timelines and coordination. Any delays or issues with the PIM/DAM integration could have cascading effects on the entire project, potentially affecting the user experience and the platform's overall success.
• Seamless e-commerce integration: Ensuring a seamless and coherent user experience between the platform and the Magento e-commerce system was a technological and design challenge that required careful planning and coordination.

The Solution

Partnering with FFW, the teams approached the project with a clear understanding of the need for both agility and comprehensive planning. To ensure success, the teams kicked off the project with an extensive discovery phase. First, FFW conducted numerous workshops and interviews to gain a deep understanding of Gerflor's digital ecosystem and ongoing transformation initiatives. Subsequently, the team crafted the solution architecture, wireframe prototypes, and a high-level backlog. This phase provided a holistic view, enabling adjustments to planning and budgeting based on identified dependencies. 

During the design phase, FFW focused on creating a UI components library using Atomic design principles. Then, the teams transitioned to implementation, adopting an Agile approach that allowed them to flexibly adapt to evolving requirements and dependencies, ensuring a successful outcome. 

The Results

Gerflor’s website project delivered significant quantifiable results:

• Global website deployment: The teams successfully launched approximately 40 websites across 21 countries, serving both B2B and B2C business segments. This expansive web presence significantly increased Gerflor's global reach.
• Page load performance: Technology enhancements led to a 52% improvement in page load performance compared to the legacy platform. This meant faster website loading times, reduced bounce rates, and improved user satisfaction.
• End-to-end e-commerce implementation: The teams successfully implemented a comprehensive end-to-end e-commerce journey for both B2B and B2C customers. This marked a transformative milestone as it was an entirely new capability that didn't exist before the project. It opened new revenue channels and enhanced customer convenience.
• Centralized customer touchpoint: The new platform became a centralized touchpoint for end customers, simplifying customer interactions and allowing for more efficient user journey management.
• Anonymized personalization: Gerflor's new websites introduced anonymized personalization, tailoring unique journeys for different customer personas. This level of personalization improved user engagement and provided a more relevant and customized experience, ultimately leading to increased conversions.
• Search-centric product catalog: The introduction of a search-centric product catalog significantly improved the user experience. Customers can now quickly and efficiently find the products they are looking for, enhancing user satisfaction and reducing friction in the purchasing process.