CASE STUDY
What started as a need to modernise quickly and affordably has become a platform that gets stronger with every addition.
“ Bakers Delight has demonstrated how treating integration as a strategic business capability enables organisations to innovate faster and respond with greater agility,” said David Irecki, Chief Technology Officer, APJ at Boomi.“ By building a reusable integration foundation, Bakers Delight can bring new digital capabilities to market faster while creating the trusted data foundation needed to support future innovation.”
Ng shared more on the project, his view of where retail technology is heading and his advice for other CTOs.
What major technology shifts is the retail sector seeing currently and what do you predict the next year will bring?
AI doing the shopping. The adoption and development of AI are phenomenal and inevitable, and I feel it is going to keep going. It’ s a bit like when Google rose from obscurity in the late 90s to be a dominant way of accessing information.
With more than 700 stores across four countries, what role does technology play in keeping such a large franchise network running smoothly?
Tech is key to operating efficiently at scale. From the basics of processing sales in-store to personalised loyalty experience and AI-powered analytics, technology is the key operational and growth enabler.
What were the biggest challenges you faced with your previous systems and what drove you to act ahead of your technology renewal in early 2027?
It is the usual story of replacing systems while minimising business disruption, the clichéd analogy of‘ changing the tyre on a moving car’. Technology platforms such as Boomi iPaaS are immensely helpful in supporting system transition and transformation.
What technical trends or nuances do you notice in the A / NZ market compared to other regions?
The most profound for me is that most technology vendors are based in the wrong hemisphere and with a relatively limited and static market, choosing the right vendor to partner with in A / NZ is crucial.
How has centralised integration and master data given you a competitive edge, for example during periods of fluctuating costs?
Centralised integration enabled us to‘ loosely couple’ systems. This means we have the leverage of when it comes to commercial negotiations, knowing that we are not concerned with vendor lock-in.
What advice would you give other CTOs looking to modernise their systems without disrupting day-today operations?
Design flexibility from the ground up. Don’ t rely on out-of-the-box integration.
What’ s been one lesson you’ ve learned from this project that you’ ll take forward?
Understand and meet the business requirements first and avoid making projects a technology experiment. •
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