For Intercomp, a household name in Malta’s tech sector, the realisation that their legacy systems were becoming a bottleneck rather than an enabler was the catalyst for a massive digital transformation.
To execute this vision, they partnered with Ixead, a tech consultancy specialising in complex digital architecture. A few short months post-implementation, I sit down with CEOs Paul Mercieca and Stephen Abela to dissect the project that involved replacing the central nervous system of a major enterprise without missing a beat.
For Paul, the tipping point was clear: the company had outgrown its infrastructure.
“Beyond technology, the main intention was that we were used to an ERP system built inhouse, which served mainly as a financial platform.” Intercomp’s CEO explains. “We were looking for something that could offer us end-to-end improvements beyond financial functionality."
The brief given to Ixead was substantial: replace disparate legacy systems with a unified solution covering everything from warehousing and retail to e-commerce and B2B services.
“Intercomp supports both individual customers and businesses, each with distinct value streams,” observes Stephen, noting that “these diverse value streams require software with broad core functionality that can also be extended to meet specific needs.”
To address this, Ixead architected a solution built on the Microsoft stack, specifically Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics 365 Sales, Customer Service and Field Service and LS Central for retail.
However, standard software rarely fits the needs of a complex organisation straight out of the box. Ixead’s CEO explains that the real strength of the new ecosystem lies in how seamlessly its modules work together. “For instance, LS Central is built directly on top of Business Central, meaning they share a single database. This eliminates the need to transfer data between systems.”
Yet while the core system provided the foundation, Ixead integrated specific add-ons to handle Intercomp’s unique offerings.
“Tasklet, in particular, for warehouse management,” says Stephen, explaining the choice of tools. “It gives a user-friendly interface ideal for warehouse operators.” This system now allows Intercomp to track high-value items by serial number from the moment they are scanned into the warehouse until they leave the shop.
Paul Mercieca, Intercomp CEO
Similarly, for Intercomp’s managed print services, Ixead leveraged Binary Stream’s Subscription Billing module. “The module allows Intercomp to register all printer leasing contracts and automatically generate monthly invoices based on fixed fees and actual usage,” the CEO explains.
Another challenge was Intercomp’s Easy Payment Scheme, a popular local offering. To support this scheme, Ixead developed a custom solution. “We tokenised all cards and integrated with a payment gateway solution to automate payment processing.” Stephen adds, highlighting the balance between off-the-shelf components and bespoke innovation.
For Intercomp, the shift to a unified system has fundamentally changed how the business manages data.
“Besides having the information shared seamlessly across the company – from sales to warehouse to after-sales – having one unified system helps especially with having consistent data,” Paul says. “Everyone is looking at the same data.”
This ‘single source of truth’ has streamlined operations significantly. The CEO notes that for services billed on monthly consumption, “the finance team, who take care of the billing, are doing it in half the time because of the automation of the process.”
Moreover, in modern retail, the line between physical and digital is blurring. A key component of this project was the overhaul of Intercomp’s e-commerce platform, moving to a new website tightly integrated with LS Central.
Here, Paul offers a candid comparison between the old and new ways of working. “With the new system, it is more automated. Whereas before we used to have to do a lot of ‘magic’ in the background to make it seem seamless for the customer, nowadays it actually is seamless.”
This integration also means that stock visibility is live. “The sales people have data faster in hand, and it is in sync live with what we see on the e-commerce website,” Paul adds.
Yet while retail often grabs the headlines, Intercomp’s B2B and service arms are significant revenue drivers. To this end, the introduction of CRM has been a game-changer for the sales teams.
“Our sales people now have all the information available to them immediately,” says Paul. “They have dashboards where they can see opportunities, the value of opportunities, and probability. They have a proper pipeline now.”
Now, the flow of information extends to the service department. “We know exactly what contracts we have in place with customers. We have automated scheduling of preventive maintenance. So it gives you a more end-to-end visibility on what is being sold and what is being serviced.”
And while going live across a head office, warehouse, and five retail outlets was a high-stakes moment, business continuity was maintained through rigorous simulation and data migration. Now that the system is operational, the focus shifts to the future.
Ixead’s CEO describes the cloud-based system as “a moving train.” With platforms updated continuously, Intercomp is no longer constrained by static legacy software. “New capabilities are constantly being introduced around Copilot and AI, along with new agents across the platform,” Stephen notes. “From a scalability perspective, the cloud imposes no real limits.”
For Paul, meanwhile, the ultimate goal of this technological overhaul is human-centric. “Like any other company, we are as successful as our employees are successful,” he concludes. “The more our employees have time to be successful, the more the company is successful.”
By automating the mundane and connecting the fragmented, Intercomp and Ixead have laid a digital foundation robust enough to support that success for years to come.
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