Sector
Engineering & Manufacturing
Service
Legacy Software Modernisation
The client
Rearo Laminates
Rearo Laminates is renowned as one of the leading providers of commercial laminate surfaces in the UK, with over 30 years' experience of manufacturing and distributing laminate goods across the nation. Rearo began working with PDMS to provide technical support for its existing ERP product and advise on options for modernisation or replacement. Rearo needed a local technology partner capable of both maintaining the current system and advising on strategies to futureproof their operations.
The challenge
Rearo’s existing ERP system was built using outdated technology, including Visual Basic and an unsupported version of Microsoft .NET. While the company initially considered replacing the system entirely, it became clear that this would involve substantial costs, both in terms of licensing and the significant work required to transfer their complex business rules to a new platform. Rearo needed a solution that would reduce risk, preserve their existing investment, and avoid unnecessary expenses while still providing a modern, efficient system.
The solution
PDMS proposed a bespoke platform upgrade rather than a complete replacement. We carried out a pilot project to migrate part of the existing application to a supported .NET framework and convert the code from Visual Basic to C#. This initial phase proved that modernising the current system was a cost-effective and low-risk alternative to implementing an entirely new ERP platform. After addressing several legacy bug fixes and confirming the viability of the migration, PDMS moved forward with a full system upgrade. This approach provided significant savings by eliminating expensive licensing fees and minimising disruption to the business.
The project
Once the full migration was completed, PDMS rebranded the system and overhauled the user interface to deliver an improved user experience. This involved not only modernising the look and feel of the platform but also ensuring that day-to-day business functions, such as product dispatches and invoicing, were handled more efficiently. PDMS has continued to provide ongoing support, focusing on making functional improvements and addressing any remaining legacy issues to ensure the smooth running of the ERP system.
The results
The bespoke approach taken by PDMS allowed Rearo to avoid the high costs and risks associated with deploying a new ERP system, while still modernising their platform to meet current needs. The system upgrade improved overall business efficiency and provided a more intuitive user experience, which led to better internal operations and a smoother customer journey. By retaining their existing investment, Rearo was able to achieve these improvements within a reasonable budget and with minimal disruption to their operations.
Client testimonial
Check out what our customers think
"The legacy system migration preserves Rearo’s investment in its product together with its own business rules. Rearo and PDMS can now focus on functional improvements to the product such as those provided by the new website integration. These improvements will bring further efficiencies to the business without the costs and disruption of implementing an alternative ERP product which in practice would have required a lot of customisations.”
Derek Rae Senior Account Manager
Client testimonial
Check out what our customers think
“PDMS really stepped up to support Rearo in our hour of need. Our outdated bespoke Azure ERP application - that drives both the manufacturing and sales processes – remains critical to all aspects of our business. However, when we first engaged with PDMS, our previous third-party support agreement had expired and we were truly exposed, should the application encounter issue or outage. PDMS quickly mitigated any pending risk by ensuring we could recover should disaster hit. They then provided various options to future proof the platform, including the eventual code conversion to C# option. This project was a resounding success and achieved all key metrics of on time, on budget with zero disruption to the business. This allowed Rearo to gain back confidence in the application, maintain BAU and ultimately advance the platform. Thanks to the PDMS team we now have an up to date and supported app, that conforms to current industry development trends. As a result, we are now at the continuous improvement stage, adding further functionality aligned to business requirements. We will continue to consult, value, and trust the PDMS technical recommendations, as the application evolves, and the business partnerships grows.”
Stuart Hutcheson IT Manager at Rearo
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