Reinventing retail IT for speed, scalability & simplicity with Crew Clothing
How Crew Clothing modernised legacy infrastructure, improved security and connected more than 100 locations in just 45 days.
The vision
Crew Clothing Company’s IT leadership had a bold vision: strip back legacy infrastructure and create modern, scalable, cloud-native architecture that could power the next chapter of growth.
To build a scalable, secure and streamlined IT foundation, it meant eliminating unnecessary hardware and complexity, consolidating platforms for a single source of truth, upgrading ERP and networking foundations, delivering secure, reliable connectivity to every store and freeing up IT to focus on strategic innovation, not firefighting.
To get there, Crew were looking for the best technology and expert professional services to help them achieve their objectives. Partnering with Cato Networks SASE platform and Vizst Technology supported this – delivering dynamic, future-ready solutions with speed and clarity.
The challenges
Modernising legacy IT for a fast-moving retail brand.
Crew Clothing is a premium British lifestyle brand built on timeless style and exceptional customer experience. But behind the scenes, their IT environment was stuck in the past. A patchwork of legacy systems, dated infrastructure, and unreliable connectivity was holding back performance and growth.
Operating from multiple data centres, with an ageing on-premise MPLS network and a legacy version of Microsoft Dynamics ERP, Crew had reached the end of the road with their existing tech stack .
Systems didn’t speak to each other, data didn’t match up and the team was bogged down with manual processes. Sales figures varied between platforms and staff were manually transferring data between disconnected systems meaning the impact on productivity, visibility, and security was significant.
Network performance was another critical pain point. With stores located in remote coastal and rural areas, connectivity was unpredictable. Limited broadband options meant high costs for backup connections and a complete lack of visibility meant IT was constantly reacting instead of leading.
This coincided with a security was a concern. Legacy, on-prem firewalls and outdated controls left the business exposed. There was a real risk to the business and this needed to be addressed – fast.
The solution
Cloud-first, SASE enabled seamlessly integrated.
Working closely with Vizst, Crew Clothing embarked on a cloud-first transformation designed to simplify operations, improve security and create a scalable foundation for future growth. Leveraging Cato Networks’ SASE platform, the business replaced ageing infrastructure with a modern, fully integrated networking architecture that connected more than 100 locations in just 45 days.
The transformation included a complete refresh of the network, replacing legacy MPLS connectivity with a modern fibre-based backbone and moving infrastructure and applications away from traditional data centres. This created a more agile environment that could support the organisation’s long-term growth plans while reducing complexity for the IT team.
By consolidating networking and security into a single cloud-delivered platform, Crew gained consistent, secure access across every location, along with real-time visibility into application performance, user experience and network activity. Built-in resilience and seamless integration with multiple telecom providers also ensured reliable connectivity across stores, regardless of location.
The new platform has also laid the foundations for wider digital transformation initiatives, supporting the transition away from legacy ERP systems and enabling the adoption of best-of-breed SaaS applications across the business.
The results
20% Cost savings
On previous infrastructure and networking
100+
Sites in 45 days
Over 100 sites migrated
Nationwide in 45 days
Always-on security
And visibility across the network
IoT Security
And digital experience monitoring
now baked in
By shifting away from outdated technology and embracing cloud-first strategy powered by Vizst and Cato, Crew has transformed its IT into a strategic enabler.
No more firefighting, no more blind spots. Just fast, secure, scalable infrastructure that grows with the business. .
The benefits
100% cloud migration
All infrastructure and applications moved out of traditional data centres.
ERP overhaul
Provided the foundation to replace outdated Dynamics platform with best-of-breed SaaS solutions.
Full network refresh
Transitioned from MPLS to a modern, fibre-powered backbone.
End-to-end visibility
Real-time insight into application usage, performance, and security across the business.
SASE Deployment
With Cato Networks, providing secure, high performance access across all locations
Built-in resilience
Seamless integration with multiple telecom providers ensures store connectivity without the usual provisioning headaches.
“Cato gives us everything we need, right at our fingertips. The tools are easy to use, the visibility is unmatched, and the speed of delivery was incredible. Now, I can focus on driving innovation, not fixing issues. It’s one less worry – IT just works.”
Richard Surman
IT Director – Crew Clothing