A vision for innovation
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Since 1986, has grown from a catalog company selling computer hardware and software, to a global IT solutions provider serving over 100 countries and employing over 2,000 people. With a legacy of innovation and customer-centricity, they realized the need to modernize systems and streamline operations to scale effectively, and meet evolving client expectations.
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Spearheading this effort was Vikas Sachdeva, Vice President of Enterprise Applications, who brought together business strategy and engineering acumen to lay the foundation for a scalable digital transformation. Under his guidance, Zones launched the Global Customer Integration Platform, enabling them to expand globally and deliver consistent, customer-centric digital experiences.
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A forward-thinking vision for operational excellence
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Zones viewed their global expansion as an opportunity to redefine operational excellence. Their goals included:Ìý
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Building a scalable order processing platform.
Shortening customer onboarding times.
Standardizing customer integrations and touchpoints.
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With a strong commitment to innovation, they also aimed to empower their clients through self-service tools and revamped technology infrastructure—a bold move that would unlock new opportunities for growth.
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A strategic partnership for transformation
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Zones chose to partner with ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ due to our proven expertise in driving digital transformation through innovative, customer-focused solutions. Together, we co-created a transformation roadmap through discovery and inception workshops, identifying priorities to modernize Zones’ operations and technology stack.
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The first step focused on revamping Zones’ legacy e-ordering system to meet growing transaction demand globally.
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By containerizing the system and deploying it on Azure, the order processing setup dramatically improved its ability to manage throughput, efficiently handling over 8X more orders within the first three months. This transformation enabled the system to seamlessly accommodate seasonal demand spikes that were once challenging to handle. With the capacity to support over 10X growth,the solution resolved capacity issues and built a scalable foundation for rising global transactions.
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Building the global customer integration platform
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The transformation efforts were bolstered by a cloud-native platform with seamless integration, enhanced customer experiences, and improved operational efficiency.
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Modernizing and streamlining processes
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Microservices architecture: Zones transitioned to microservices for greater flexibility and scalability.
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Reusable APIs: Capabilities like "Create Order" and "Get Order Details" simplified workflows for clients by standardizing and automating order management processes for global business needs.
Developer portal to empower customers’ developers
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One of the major milestones was the launch of a developer portal, designed to reduce onboarding time and empower client teams. Sachdeva championed this initiative, ensuring it aligned with the broader transformation goals. The result: a 60% reduction in integration timelines and faster adoption among Fortune 100 clients.ÌýThe portal provided tools for API discovery, documentation, and sandboxing, enabling smoother, faster integrations. This approach not only improved customer onboarding but also encouraged broader adoption of digital solutions, cementing Zones' role as an innovation leader.
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Re-engineering the monolith application into microservices
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As performance started to peak, the team focused on re-engineering their existing monolith application into microservices. This transformational step allowed new order sources to be easily onboarded, increasing scalability and efficiency. The microservices were developed using C# and hosted in Azure Kubernetes. By employing the decomposition technique and the strangler and fig pattern, Zones effectively transitioned to a more agile and robust infrastructure capable of supporting rapid growth and evolving business requirements.
Automating processes for operational excellence
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Automation of development and deployment pipelines improved efficiency and consistency.
Zones deployed a fully automated Azure infrastructure, modernizing their digital footprint.
A zero-trust model and multi-region redundancies ensured system reliability and robust protection.
Business impact
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The customer integration platform has revolutionized global operations across NA, EMEA, and APAC by enhancing scalability, responsiveness, and operational efficiency. Its API-driven design simplifies complex integrations, enabling faster onboarding and empowering clients to scale their businesses. This innovation has unlocked new revenue streams, elevated client satisfaction, and strengthened Zones’ leadership in global IT solutions.
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Sachdeva's leadership and a strong partnership between Zones and ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ yielded some impressive time and cost savings, all while boosting client satisfaction:
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Revenue growth: New customer integration platform drove strong revenue growth from existing customers and supported the acquisition of new clients, resulting in an additional $16 million in revenue.
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Customer experience: Enhanced digital experience for Fortune 100 companies, driving higher satisfaction and customer loyalty.
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Cost efficiency: Automation reduced operational expenses and improved system reliability.
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Streamlined receivables: Integration upgrades ensured compliance with client requirements & contractual commitments, facilitating seamless client payments.
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Insights and analytics: Analyzing how customers are leveraging these new integrations and their impact on order volume and business performance.
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With this new Global Customer Integration Platform, developed in partnership with ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥, we have unlocked new business opportunities, improved operational efficiency and gained the agility to innovate and exceed customer expectations in the future.
The road ahead
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Zones is exploring AI-driven innovations as the next phase of their transformation. Potential use cases include:
Operational excellence
Enhancing efficiency and modernizing legacy systems like Order Management and Invoicing.
Customer engagement
Accelerating onboarding with agentic AI and improving interactions with clients and partners across different regions through tailored AI solutions.
Process optimization
Reducing RFP processing times for quicker turnaround. With ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ as a trusted partner, Zones continues to redefine growth and customer engagement through cutting-edge technology and a relentless commitment to innovation. Together, we are shaping a scalable, customer-centric future that blends technology with excellence.
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÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ has been a true partner in our transformation, blending customer centricity, collaboration, and engineering excellence to help us scale and consistently deliver exceptional value to our clients.
