Composable software allows Mastermate to maintain its identity and flexibility

Despite this, Mastermate has used a well-known standard ERP package for the past ten years. It functioned well at the time but now limits the company's agility too much. "It's like choosing an oil tanker," Voskamp says, describing the sentiment within the organization. "You can turn off 80% of the software you don't use anyway. You then work with the remaining 20% or perhaps even less. But you still feel like you're dragging that whole thing around."

Despite the standardization the package offered, extensive customization was needed to accommodate Mastermate's specific requirements within the system. Voskamp doesn't see customization as a major problem in itself. "During such an implementation, you often hear that you shouldn't really want customization. We understand that, but customization is precisely where a part of our identity and our distinctive capabilities lie. Consider the full-service management of van stock replenishment for housing associations, our own delivery service, or products created at the counter." However, interacting with the standard package increasingly felt "like a constant struggle," Voskamp concludes. With the plans they had for the future, the cooperative couldn't continue with it.

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In 2022, a longlist was drawn up, and a shortlist was selected from it. However, Mastermate didn't want to rush into things. The supplier that emerged as the best from the shortlist was tasked with developing at least three POCs (proofs of concept). For example, these had to demonstrate that logistics and invoicing would run smoothly if a customer from regional company A purchased something from regional company B. "After the first POCs, it didn't feel right. We weren't sufficiently understood, and the complexity was underestimated."

The selection team then pulled the plug on the collaboration and returned to the shortlist. Mastermate selected Novulo in the second round and again wanted to see, through POCs, how the composable platform aligned with their requirements. "A relatively short period was agreed upon for those POCs, but the result was very promising. They asked thorough questions, and we felt like we were truly working together. Based on that, we embarked on the migration process, together with implementation partner Retailstars." Voskamp emphasizes that the platform's composable nature provides an ideal mix of standard components where possible and customization where needed.

Composable software makes phased migration easier

In the months that followed, quite a few unexpected situations arose, Voskamp recalls, but he is very pleased with the pragmatic approach that was subsequently chosen. Instead of deferring issues not covered in the specifications to the final phase, they consistently looked for the most efficient moment to address an adjustment.

Mastermate is currently in the midst of the implementation process. A phased transition was chosen to minimize risks to business continuity as much as possible without creating additional complexity. The existing ERP (AX) remained primary for as long as necessary, while the new platform ran in parallel. By temporarily running processes in parallel, Mastermate could verify at each step that the new situation was one hundred percent identical to the old. This kept errors small, localized, and resolvable.

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The composable architecture of the new application makes it easy to migrate processes independently. In January, the distribution center went live, followed by other supporting services such as purchasing and finance. The webshop has just been migrated, and the regional companies will follow one by one. Voskamp: "We're not at the finish line yet, but we're truly confident that we'll get there."

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