Nationwide franchise Fruit & Veg City Holdings has selected redPanda Software to assist with a strategic overhaul of its software systems.
Leon Coetzer, COO of redPanda Software, explains that Fruit & Veg City Holdings were looking for a long-term partner that could help them to renew the IT systems that drive the Group’s considerable network of stores. These stores include specialised service departments such as hot foods, bakery, deli, cheese, seafood and sushi; and other specialty store positions including groceries, kitchenware and fresh produce.
“Our goal is to develop a long-term relationship with a reliable partner with whom we can take our software development strategy to the next level,” says Michelle Rauch, group IT manager for Food Lovers Market, which sits within the Fruit & Veg City Holdings stable.
“In redPanda Software, we believe that we have chosen a partner that clearly understands our business and culture. They are able to be highly responsive and flexible to our needs, and will undoubtedly be integral to the crafting of our systems development roadmap.”
As with many fast-growing businesses today, Fruit & Veg City Holdings requires a partnership with built-in flexibility, allowing for constant iteration and innovation.
According to Coetzer, the redPanda approach – which follows the Agile method of software development – will allow Fruit & Veg City Holdings to track progress and to provide technical input on an ongoing and frequent basis.
“We understand that the group needs both flexibility and consistency within the partnership, and our approach has been carefully designed to meet exactly these types of needs,” Coetzer says. “As with any key supplier, we view our ultimate offering – which is enterprise software development – as a vital business commodity. Viewing it as a commodity inspires us to consistently deliver on client expectation.”
Having identified the key needs and pain points of businesses, no matter their size or sector, redPanda’s ‘commoditisation’ of software development has thus far proved successful. The firm is able to meet the needs of SMEs and mid-tier clients as well as Tier 1 clients with the same approach and systems.
“The new partnership with Fruit & Veg City Holdings certainly reaffirms the fact that this approach is both effective and highly relevant in today’s fast changing and dynamic business environment,” says Coetzer.