Cookware Study

Background

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The business began nearly three decades ago as a small, family-run operation selling cookware products directly to consumers via mail order. By removing intermediaries, it built a strong reputation for product quality, value, and customer service. 

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As consumer expectations and retail channels grew, the company expanded into physical retail and online sales, growing into a well-established UK brand with a significant in-store footprint and a growing digital presence. 

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Since the early 2000s, Owtanet has supported this growth by delivering IT systems designed to scale alongside the business and adapt to changing operational requirements.  

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The Challenge

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As the retailer expanded its store estate and operational complexity, several IT challenges emerged: 

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• Legacy hardware limitations that restricted how quickly EPOS software could be adapted or updated 

• Manual, time-consuming processes for monitoring and installing security patches across an increasing number of tills 

• Delays when opening new stores caused by hardware and software constraints 

• Dependence on on-site IT presence for backend management and maintenance tasks 

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These challenges created operational friction and limited the organisation’s ability to scale efficiently.  

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The Solution

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Over the course of the partnership, Owtanet continuously adapted its services to support the retailer’s growth and evolving needs. Key components of the solution included: 

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Configuration Management & Automation 

Bunraku, built using Puppet and Foreman, ensures every till remains consistently configured and up to date. Software updates are deployed automatically across the entire estate, reducing manual effort, minimising errors, and allowing the environment to be managed remotely.

 

Flotilla automates operating system and package updates, monitoring package versions on every device and alerting the support team when action is required. This significantly reduces the risk associated with missed updates and manual intervention. 

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Bespoke EPOS Software

Owtanet designed and built a fully custom EPOS platform tailored to the retailer’s operational requirements. The system supports a wide range of in-store and back-office functionality, including: 

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• Flexible promotions, vouchers, and multi-buy offers 

• Product sets, returns, and exchanges 

• Compatibility with multiple payment terminals and operating systems 

• Touchscreen and kiosk modes 

• CRM integration for customer lookups and purchase history 

• Customer-facing displays 

• Centralised transaction logging for audit and compliance 

• Controlled software rollouts and A/B testing across stores 

• Offline operation, including continued payment processing 

• Shared parked orders between tills 

• Internal messaging for click-and-collect and time-sensitive tasks 

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The platform was designed to be adaptable, enabling rapid changes as business requirements evolved. 

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Hardware, Logistics & Operations 

Beyond software, Owtanet supported wider operational systems: 

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• Custom EPOS hardware builds, designed to support both transaction processing and in-store administration 

• Warehouse and logistics systems, including handheld scanning applications for real-time inventory tracking and optimised picking 

• Sales-based forecasting tools, enabling data-driven stock planning and improved availability 

• In-house designed 3D‑printed hardware components, improving durability and efficiency at the checkout ​

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These systems were integrated into a single operational ecosystem designed to support both store and e-commerce fulfilment.  

 

Managed Support & Security 

Owtanet provides ongoing managed services and second-line support, working alongside the retailer’s internal IT team. Continuous development and regular updates ensure systems remain secure, compliant, and aligned with business growth. 

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IT consultancy support has also helped the business achieve and maintain PCI compliance, alongside the introduction of stronger device authentication mechanisms to enhance overall security posture.  ​​​

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