From legacy to future-proof for Aller Media

How Aller Media builds stability in e-commerce with help from adesso

When Aller Media contacted adesso Sweden, they had identified a challenge with their Swedish e-commerce platform for subscriptions. The system was built as an older monolith with several mixed frameworks and technologies that had been superseded. It was a legacy from a time when everything worked, but which had now become difficult to both maintain and develop further.

At the same time, several key people were about to leave the project, which in itself created uncertainty about how the platform would continue to run smoothly. For a media company where digital subscriptions are such an important and central part of the business, it was clear that this was a major risk. With an unstable and aging system, both growth and development would slow down and suffer, and in the worst case, it would give competitors room to take their place.

Time for a Change

After discussing and reviewing the situation, Aller Media decided to bring in a consultant from adesso Sweden to help take the project forward with a fresh perspective. The initial assignment was to “keep the solution alive,” but it quickly became something much bigger. For a period, the consultant, Nor Shiervani, was the sole developer in the project – responsible for operation, further development, handling and evaluation of bugs, as well as acting as a liaison with the business.

It was, of course, a demanding but enjoyable and challenging assignment, which was also an opportunity to bring order to what had previously been complex and difficult to understand. Nor took on the challenge by focusing on stability, clarity, and delivery as the first steps.

Bit by bit, the platform began to take shape again and gradually became faster, more robust, and easier to manage.

When Aller later reorganized its Nordic IT operations and formed Aller Media Nordic, the project became part of a larger Nordic e-commerce team. There, the work of building structure and long-term thinking continued, now together with colleagues from both Sweden and Denmark. Together, a new way of working was established, where planning, prioritization, and common routines made development both more efficient and more sustainable.

For us at adesso, this is yet another example of how we work: close to the customer, with full responsibility, and with the goal of creating real value - every day. This is proof that our philosophy really works in practice, says Nor Shiervani.

What was once a vulnerable, outdated system has now been transformed and is moving towards an increasingly modern, future-proof platform – ready to handle multiple Nordic e-commerce sites and the APIs that drive them. For Aller Media, this means shorter lead times, significantly fewer operational disruptions and, above all, a stable foundation on which to continue growing.

adesso's assignment and efforts at Aller Media have gone from single-handedly keeping an aging and complex system alive to working with Aller's developers to build a sustainable solution, secured for future development, in a Nordic structure for sustainable e-commerce. This clearly shows how the right expertise and structure can make a real difference.

Challenge

An outdated, complex e-commerce solution with a risk of knowledge loss and difficult further development.

Solution

Stabilization, technical structuring, and introduction of sustainable working methods in a Nordic development team.

Result

A future-proof platform with higher stability, faster development cycles, and a stronger foundation for digital growth.