OPR: Critical-thinking methodology in action
OPR is a premium bathroomware company, proudly New Zealand-owned and operated for over 50 years, and home to leading brands—Clearlite Bathrooms and Athena Bathrooms.
Digital technology is mission-critical to OPR’s operations, and they are seeking new ways to operate more efficiently, be more agile and move towards another 50 years of success.
OPR engaged us to identify areas for digital improvement, ahead of going to market to find a suitable IT provider to support the business with upgrades to its core technology systems.
The Challenges
OPR’s technology systems were fragmented, manual, and resource-intensive.
Tony de Ruiter, CEO
There were obvious gaps in the integration of websites, real-time reporting and smart warehouse management tools, as well as the absence of integrated demand planning tools.
The team’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system was overdue an update, and tech debt was creating internal inefficiencies. Staff were carrying out important business functions separately from its EPR, resulting in duplication of work.
Internal resources were stretched due to the multi-functional nature of employees’ roles, so diving deep into what solutions were needed seemed like a daunting task.
OPR was looking for external support to take the right steps to procure IT experts to build an integrated, scalable, agile and future-proofed digital ecosystem—that’s where we stepped in.
Why KoLab?
OPR engaged us to help them define an objective way of preparing a well-structured Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure the best digital technology partner for the business.
As an independent digital thought partner, we were able to provide strategic oversight and challenge methodologies from the outset.
We understand how easy it is for teams to get caught up in the demands of day-today operations, especially in a company like OPR with such impressive tenure! Systems that once worked, won’t always serve the organisation now, or in the future.
Our senior-level team were able to directly support OPR throughout this partnership, helping them to better understand what’s needed within the business and make informed decisions before going to market with a RFP.
Our approach appealed to OPR as it enabled them step back and recognise how much the business had changed since its IT systems were first put in place, and plan for a future of technical excellence and sustainable transformation.
What We Did
We wanted to break down in a way that didn’t feel complicated—and challenge the idea that OPR’s business model should be fundamentally any different from its competitors.
During this process, we highlighted how much ‘hangover’ there was from legacy processes and decision-making. Being prepared to accept that ‘process change could simplify complex legacy workflows’ was a major turning point for the OPR team.
Our strategic and collaborative approach saw us engage with key stakeholders before mapping out an objective process for a long-term ERP and digital ecosystem.
By empowering the OPR team to make smarter decisions around what was needed, we could develop a clear framework for how they can assess the range of ERP platforms available to them.
Together, we were able to develop a laser-focused RFP and a robust procurement process.
The Results
The appointment of the right technology partner is the biggest IT investment OPR will make, so it was essential to get the entire process right from the start—and we helped them do that.
We brought a fresh perspective to the team to help them understand what else is possible for their ERP, website and analytics. With this knowledge, they entered the vendor selection process with clear scope and structure. They can now determine the best steps forward and give clear rationale for each decision to stakeholders.
Shortly after going out to market, OPR received positive feedback from the first vendor they connected with. They noted the high quality of the RFP, commenting it would enable a far smoother and efficient process in being able to move through to next steps.
OPR is delighted to now have a systematic RFP and robust procurement process in place—one they can follow step-by-step, reduces risks and moves them forward with confidence.
What OPR Says
KoLab have provided an excellent insight for the team responsible for implementing the Request for Proposal, including recommending tools to map our current processes.
They have provided an objective method of shortlisting potential suppliers and a solid process of conducting the RFP process.
This has been hugely useful for myself as CEO as it give me confidence that we are running a robust process over something so crucial for the business.