Introduction
Colruyt Group, one of Belgium's leading retail players, has always recognized both the strategic and operational value of data.
Client
Colruyt Group
Client since
2021
Services
Solutions
Technologies
The problem
A Complex Landscape, A Clear Need
With information scattered across systems, growing complexity, and a new data platform in play, the organization faced a pressing challenge:
How do you make trusted, accessible data the norm across such a large and diverse organization?
As Colruyt Group ramped up its shift toward next-generation data storage and intelligence platforms, it became clear that better governance wasn't just a nice-to-have, it was essential.
Some of the key challenges included:
- Scattered data sources: Valuable data was siloed across the organization, making discovery time-consuming and frustrating.
- Long impact assessments: Understanding downstream effects of data changes slowed down the pace of innovation.
- Ownership at business side: Business teams struggled to get fast answers due to unclear or spread data accountability.
To truly accelerate their data strategy, Colruyt Group needed more than a catalog, they needed a system that could create transparency, ownership, and trust.
How we solved it
Partnering for Clarity and Control
Colruyt Group joined forces with Datashift to make this happen; combining deep technical know-how with a clear focus on business adoption. The tool of choice? Collibra, configured to fit Colruyt's context, systems, and pace of change.
From Project to Product Mindset
The collaboration kicked off in classic project mode, focusing on one business unit. This phase laid the foundation: defining a shared business glossary, mapping data lineage, and assigning clear roles and responsibilities.
Expanding case by case
Once the fundamentals were in place, the team shifted gears. Evolving into a product team allowed them to respond to real-time business needs, expanding Collibra use case by use case across the organization.
Partnering for Clarity and Control
Colruyt Group joined forces with Datashift to make this happen; combining deep technical know-how with a clear focus on business adoption. The tool of choice? Collibra, configured to fit Colruyt's context, systems, and pace of change.
From Project to Product Mindset
The collaboration kicked off in classic project mode, focusing on one business unit. This phase laid the foundation: defining a shared business glossary, mapping data lineage, and assigning clear roles and responsibilities.
Expanding case by case
Once the fundamentals were in place, the team shifted gears. Evolving into a product team allowed them to respond to real-time business needs, expanding Collibra use case by use case across the organization.
The results
People First, Technology Second
From the start, user adoption was treated as a top priority. By involving end-users early, providing structured training, and embedding feedback loops, Datashift and Colruyt ensured that Collibra wouldn't just be implemented, it would be embraced.
From Tool to Transformation
The impact of this collaboration is already showing:
- Adoption that matters: With high monthly activity and company-wide usage, Collibra has become an everyday part of the data conversation. In fact, Colruyt Group was awarded the Collibra Adoption Hero Award 2024, just a year after go-live.
- Momentum for the future: The work hasn't stopped. With Datashift as a long-term partner, Colruyt continues to expand the role of Collibra, embedding it deeper into their data ecosystem and shaping truly usable data products.
As Andrew Pease, Data Innovation Lead at Colruyt Group puts it:
We've only scratched the surface of what we can do with Collibra and Datashift.
800+
users use the catalog every month
2024
Colruyt Group won the Collibra Adoption Hero award in 2024
We’ve only scratched the surface of what we can do with Collibra and Datashift.
We’ve only scratched the surface of what we can do with Collibra and Datashift.
Datashift helped us become more data-driven. With data as their core focus, they spot opportunities we don’t always see ourselves.
Datashift helped us become more data-driven. With data as their core focus, they spot opportunities we don’t always see ourselves.
Key Learnings
Put People First, Technology Second
From the start, user adoption needs to be treated as a top priority. By involving end-users early, providing structured training, and embedding feedback loops, Datashift and Colruyt ensured that Collibra wouldn�t just be implemented, it would be embraced.
Start end-to-end, not bottom-up
The collaboration kicked off in classic project mode, focusing on delivering the needed capabilities, end-to-end, on one business unit. This phase laid the foundation: defining a shared business glossary, mapping data lineage, and assigning clear roles and responsibilities. This allowed the team to see results, evaluate, and only then scale to the rest of the organisation.
Be ready to shift gears
Once the fundamentals were in place, the team shifted gears. Evolving into a product team allowed them to respond to real-time business needs, expanding Collibra use case by use case across the organization.
More case studies
We deliver impact where it matters most.
Unlocking Viewer Insights with a Scalable Data Platform
Streamz is the Flemish video-on-demand platform offering local and international series and films through a subscription-based model. Streamz focuses on delivering high-quality content tailored to local audiences, supported by a strategic partnership with Paramount.
