Drupal development for Consumer Goods Company

What We Did

Upgraded legacy websites to Drupal 8
Integrated modern PIM system with AWS
Developed in-store product information kiosks
Created field sales iPad application
Built B2B eCommerce retailer platform
Designed IoT water management dashboard
Implemented virtual store walkthrough experience

Outcomes

Overview

GWA Group, a leading Australian bathroom and kitchen supplier listed on ASX 200, needed to modernize its outdated technology infrastructure while maintaining legacy system compliance. GWA owns and manages a portfolio of industry-leading brands (Caroma, Methven, Dorf, and Clark) synonymous with style and quality. GWA distributes its products throughout Australia, China, and the United Kingdom as an international entity. Their challenges included an aging Drupal CMS, inefficient product information management, and limited in-store digital capabilities.

Net Solutions implemented a comprehensive digital transformation, including Drupal 8 migration, AWS-enhanced PIM integration, and innovative sales tools, paving the way for their flagship product—Smart Command, an IoT-based commercial water management system. The modernization enabled real-time data visualization, improved sales processes, and established GWA as a technology leader in their industry.

“When I demonstrated the design prototype for the IoT platform, senior leaders were blown away. The designs are amazing and much better than any international design agency I had previously worked with. They demonstrated great design thinking, taste, and simplicity.”

Sandeep Babbar

Growth Platforms Manager at GWA

Big Takeaways

01. Technology Infrastructure Modernization

02. Sales Process Innovation

03. IoT Platform Development

01. Technology Infrastructure Modernization

CMS Migration Strategy

The initial phase focused on upgrading multiple brand websites from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8, leveraging Net Solutions’ Acquia partnership and extensive PHP expertise. This foundation enabled future innovations and improved content management capabilities.

PIM System Enhancement

Net Solutions created an innovative AWS-based pseudo-PIM solution to address performance challenges with the new inRiver PIM. This architecture improved system speed while maintaining data synchronization and legacy system compatibility for compliance requirements.

02. Sales Process Innovation

Digital In-Store Experience

The team developed an interactive kiosk system allowing customers to scan product tags for detailed information and create wishlists. This tag-based system gave in-store shoppers a level of convenience previously limited to online experiences, and they could add any product to a wishlist to create a personalized proposal. This was complemented by a virtual store walkthrough featuring 360-degree views of the brand store.

Field Sales Enablement

Recognizing the needs of their mature sales force, Net Solutions created an intuitive iPad app optimized for ease of use. The application empowered representatives to showcase products and generate proposals during client meetings.

B2B eCommerce Integration

A new Drupal 8-based B2B platform was implemented to connect end-consumers directly with retailers, streamlining the purchase process and improving distributor relationships. Net Solutions helped GWA launch this B2B eCommerce platform that connects shoppers looking for GWA’s products directly to the merchants that sell them.

03. IoT Platform Development

Smart Command Solution

As GWA’s flagship product, Smart Command represented a breakthrough in commercial water management. Net Solutions developed the visualization interface using Highcharts, processing thousands of IoT data points to display real-time water usage analytics. Smart Command is an IoT-based solution allowing commercial venues (e.g., malls, business offices) to track real-time water usage throughout their facilities. GWA showcased Smart Command at the World Plumber Conference in Melbourne, Australia, where it was featured as an example of innovative smart-office solutions.

Performance Optimization

The system architecture was designed to handle high-frequency data updates from IoT devices, with optimized MySQL integration and near real-time processing capabilities for large-screen display deployments.

“The team proved their mettle, which raised my confidence for all future projects. Thank you to the entire development and design team!”

Sandeep Babbar

Growth Platforms Manager at GWA

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