New ordering system and transformation of Master Data for Castorama Polska

Castorama is a leader in the Home Improvement (DIY) sector in Poland, present on the domestic market since 1994. Currently, the chain has 108 stores in various formats, including large-format stores and compact Castorama Smart outlets. The company is part of the international Kingfisher group and is a key player in construction, renovation, and interior and garden design. In addition, Castorama is dynamically developing omnichannel sales through its own e-commerce platform, castorama.pl and marketplace, as well as modern consulting and design services.

Introduction

Today’s retail requires absolute data consistency across online and offline channels. For Castorama Polska, together with the Kingfisher group, we carried out a project that involved a complete replacement of the ordering system and migration of the product base (Master Data) across over 100 stores, while maintaining full operational continuity.

Design challenges

The project was characterised by a high degree of technical complexity and the need to coordinate activities in an international environment.

• Centralisation of the order system: Introduction of a central system that aggregates orders from all sales channels.
• Complicated hybrid fiscalization: A unique challenge of combining the online and offline worlds – handling advances paid online (P24) with automatic fiscalization at a selected stationary point.
• Data migration without downtime: Move from the old Master Date (MD) to the new one without stopping sales. The system had to interpret both commodity identification standards simultaneously to keep promotional processes active throughout the network.
• International dependencies: Coordination of work between the Exorigo–Upos, Castorama PL and Kingfisher teams, requiring precise process management in different organisational structures

Solution and implementation

Instead of the risky “Big Bang” method, we focused on agile, staged implementations (over 30 iterations). This allowed for ongoing verification of data accuracy and a smooth expansion of the scope to include additional order types (WDT, Export, VAT 8%).

• Key innovations:

Snapshoting: To ensure data consistency during transactions lasting up to several hundred seconds, the system creates a “frozen” image of the order. The cashier works on stable data, regardless of changes in external systems.

Translation of Master Data and “virtual goods”: We created a bridging mechanism that enabled the headquarters to manage promotions under the new standard, while the system translated this data on the fly for stores still operating on the old base.

• Security and organisation:

Each stage of the migration was planned down to the minute as part of GO/NO GO scenarios. We developed strict rollback procedures that allowed us to return to the old base within a dozen or so minutes, safeguarding the continuity of the client’s business.

Implementation results

The implementation of the project brought measurable benefits, stabilising and optimising Castorama Polska’s sales processes.

• Scalability and continuous development: The system is constantly being expanded with new functionalities, which proves the flexibility of the adopted architecture.
• Operational security: Full migration carried out with zero sales downtime and full backward compatibility.
• Process automation: Eliminate manual network configuration and reduce the risk of human error with Service Discovery.

“This project is proof that even the most complex data migration and replacement of core systems can be carried out well and have a positive impact on a number of processes in the company. Together with Castorama, we have created a system that organises order processes and is fully ready to further expand the scale of operations in the omnichannel model.” – Paweł Stowski, Leader of the Architect Team at Exorigo-Upos

“We focus on comprehensiveness, building a coherent ecosystem that strengthens our efficiency. In this case, precise planning was the key to success. We believe that technology should support the business, not an operational barrier, which is why maintaining full continuity of sales remained a priority for us with such a complex system upgrade.” – Michał Zych, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Castorama Polska