How Cardoen optimizes & automatises with Cactus’s Support

Cardoen and Cactus built a long-term, trust-based partnership that began with legacy system support and evolved into delivering strategic digital solutions—most notably supporting the challenge of outdated, manual processes with a reliable, automated system integrated into Cardoen’s existing infrastructure.

01. Intro

Cardoen partners with Cactus to modernize and streamline core operational processes through long-term, scalable digital collaboration.

02. Challenge

As a leading automotive reseller, Cardoen needed to overcome outdated legacy systems and manual workflows that hindered growth and efficiency.

03. Solution

Cactus designed a future-proof architecture and step by step supports the delivery of integrated solutions, including process automation tools.

04. Results

Cardoen now benefits from scalable digital processes that reduce manual workload and support continued operational evolution.

01. INTRO

A Long-Term Partnership Modernizing Cardoen’s Digital Future

Cardoen, Belgium’s largest independent car reseller, is known for delivering excellent service and unbeatable prices on new and second-hand vehicles. Over time, this success introduced new challenges, especially in operations and digital scalability. Specific services expand rapidly, making their traditional manual systems, for example for billing, no longer sustainable.

That’s why Cardoen relies on Cactus. What began years ago as a technical architectural review of legacy systems has evolved into a trusted, long-term collaboration focused on digital transformation.

Through initiatives like Cactus’s “Engage an Expert” model, the collaboration kicked off with VBA support for legacy systems. Over time, Cactus contributed to broader architecture planning, modernization strategies, and the development of new digital platforms. Even after Cardoen’s parent company, Aramis (a French automotive group), centralized IT, Cardoen continued relying on Cactus for focused, high-value projects.

02. CHALLENGE

Tackling Legacy Constraints While Enabling Scalable Automation

At the beginning of the collaboration, Cardoen’s IT landscape was a patchwork of legacy systems. Their central ERP, custom-built 25 years prior, had reached its limits both technically and operationally. Many core processes lived undocumented in the heads of original developers.

Cactus was initially tasked with analyzing this fragmented system and proposing a future-proof, process-driven architecture. An experienced Solution Architect and Business Analyst led this effort, identifying structural weaknesses and laying out a scalable roadmap to support modernization while maintaining business continuity.

More recently, the focus shifted to a specific but critical operational bottleneck: invoicing. As Service+ subscriptions multiplied, manually managing and triggering thousands of invoices each month had become unsustainable. Cardoen needed a solution that could seamlessly integrate with existing systems while automating and securing the entire billing process.

03. SOLUTION

A Phased, Future-Ready Billing System Built on .NET

Cactus responded with a tailored approach that reflected both its long-standing knowledge of Cardoen’s IT environment and its ability to adapt to new needs.

The solution Cardoen and Cactus co-created was a custom-built application developed using the latest .NET technologies, incorporating safeguards to ensure accurate financial data processing. Understanding the business logic behind existing tools was essential, and Cactus’s familiarity with Cardoen’s systems and workflows made this possible.

A gradual migration plan was executed to transition invoices step-by-step into the new system. Each milestone was thoroughly validated to eliminate risks and disruptions. Ultimately, the billing process was fully automated improving reliability while saving hundreds of manual work hours per month.

The delivery team worked closely with Cardoen’s IT team and stayed embedded and proactive, ensuring seamless knowledge transfer and continuity.

04. RESULT

Operational Efficiency, Strategic Focus, and Trusted Execution

After the swift implementation of the new service, with all of the new and old contracts migrated and their invoicing automated, the accounting team members are now free of such repetitive and purely operational tasks to focus on more strategical challenges for the company.

Every hour saved for our clients is an hour that they can reinvest on growing their core business even further.

This is just one of several examples where Cactus helped Cardoen digitize operations while adapting to new realities. From legacy system support and architectural planning, to agile delivery of targeted tools, the partnership has remained flexible, responsive, and deeply collaborative.

“Projects are constantly evolving—that’s just part of the IT world,” says Diana Schweiger, COO at Cactus. “That’s exactly what we provide: the right profiles, at the right time. Speed is everything. We can pivot quickly, complete key deliverables, and pick up the thread whenever needed.”

CONCLUSION

A Flexible and Enduring Partnership in a Changing Industry

The collaboration between Cardoen and Cactus exemplifies how digital innovation can drive transformation in the automotive industry. By addressing key challenges with a tailored digital platform and leveraging advanced analytics, Cardoen successfully modernized its sales process, enhanced customer satisfaction, and improved operational efficiency. The partnership with Cactus demonstrated the value of flexibility, and adaptability, setting a new standard for automotive retail. Cardoen’s journey with Cactus underscores the importance of combining industry expertise with cutting-edge technology to achieve sustainable growth and success in the digital age.

"With Cactus, we've not only modernized our IT infrastructure but also cultivated a culture of innovation and collaboration. Together, we're setting new benchmarks in automotive retail, empowered by technology and driven by our shared commitment to excellence."

Philippe Deraeve

IT Manager at Cardoen