A digital overhaul for a global publisher

Hachette Learning’s website was no longer fit for purpose. At over 10 years old, it suffered from clunky navigation, limited scalability, and a disjointed customer journey.

With a major rebrand underway, Hachette Learning needed a secure, modern platform that supported its ambitions while simplifying content management and enhancing the user experience.

IDHL stepped in to eliminate technical debt and make headway in curating a digital presence that aligned with Hachette’s new global identity.

From the outset, our teams recognised the complexity and scale required for this digital migration and consolidation project. As a result, our teams had to collaborate closely to hit deadlines and tackle Hachette Learning’s specific concerns.

Our primary objectives focused on combining scale and futureproofing into a single solution to overhaul the entire user experience.

One united platform:

We merged over 10 applications into a single-language Kentico Xperience 13 platform, managing over 20,000 web pages. Two custom middleware applications consolidating over 10 core systems, including SAP, CRM and custom single sign-on (SSO), were built to give greater functionality to edit pages and internal customisation.

Elevated eCommerce experience:

A bespoke checkout and eCommerce engine was implemented to support features such as complex SKUs, multiple shipping and payment options, and order rollback. This increased transaction integrity is supercharged with our largest-ever Algolia integration, responsible for delivering fast, relevant results to users.

Smarter content management:

Thanks to transformed self-service features, we put content control back in Hachette Learning’s hands. A flexible page builder, custom forms and streamlined media libraries empower internal teams to manage and publish content with minimal developer input, effectively reducing potential digital bottlenecks.

Scalable, secure infrastructure:

We performed a full migration from outdated on-prem servers to a private cloud, ensuring the platform is ready to transition to public cloud in the future. This shift enables quicker product rollouts without the need for extensive development and better performance under load.

The final product? A sleek, secure and scalable site that finally matches Hachette’s industry leadership. The streamlined infrastructure ensures the platform is always ready for future migrations, brand rollouts and digital expansion. The user experience has been transformed, reflected in higher user registrations, smoother navigation and fewer support calls.

This complete overhaul ensures Hachette Learning’s digital presence matches the quality of its publishing and global reputation.

"We are far less reliant on development work due to the thought put into the setup. Content management is now entirely within Kentico, reducing the need for developer involvement.

There is now a flexible approach to page building due to the large variety of widgets supplied and integrations with external applications are far easier. The speed on both desktop and mobile is improved and the optimised search and navigation mean we have had fewer calls from schools trying to find resources.“

David Smith, Web Manager, Hachette Learning