Rodan and Fields (R+F) focuses a lot of time and energy working to empower its 300,000 Independent Consultants and provide them with the tools they need to to run their businesses successfully. One of these tools, the R+F Solution Tool, allows R+F Consultant’s to provide personalized, one-on-one recommendations to customers regarding the best Rodan and Fields products for their skincare needs.
In the past few years, the company has managed several important technology initiatives, including migrating its SAP systems to Google Cloud and modernizing databases. All of these digital transformation efforts were done with the goal of providing consultants with stronger insights supported by advanced analytics.
Rodan and Fields was already benefiting from many of the data analytics tools in Google Cloud, but wanted to make this information available in real-time. Batch-oriented processes made it difficult to keep up on the peak-volume days they have each month, and the latencies were becoming disruptive. A natural component of modern, real-time systems is Apache Kafka, but the company’s IT team knew that self-managing Apache Kafka could come with risks and challenges, so they turned to Confluent, the platform for data in motion and a strategic Google Cloud partner.
Accelerating rollout of new analytics capabilities
Confluent built its cloud-based data platform with companies like Rodan and Fields in mind – ones that have enormous data demands but want to keep the total IT cost of ownership low. After recognizing that Confluent could provide an integrated experience with Google Cloud and SAP solutions through its partnership, Rodan and Fields looked closer at Apache Kafka.
It soon became clear that Confluent was the right choice, as its fully-managed platform aligned with the company’s needs and came with white-glove services to quickly train employees on how best to use Kafka.
“The collaborative experience we had with Confluent made all the difference in our implementation,” says Jason Mattioda. “We did several workshops and trainings, and this helped us to use Confluent alongside our Google Cloud tools with confidence. What could have easily taken two or three years was instead done in 12 months.”
Confluent helped Rodan and Fields to break its data flows into pieces that enabled stronger, more valuable definitions across its data pipeline. At the same time, Google Cloud provided assistance throughout the migration process, providing resources, direction, and thought leadership to ensure Rodan and Fields maximized the value of its investments, its use of Confluent, and more.
Partnership yields more impactful outcomes
Given the complexity of the project, Rodan and Fields relied on the Confluent and Google Cloud teams to work together across a range of needs. They relied on a legacy platform to get data from its commerce system to a large SQL Server database, and from there through the batch processes to the consultant portal, reporting applications, and other downstream systems. From licensing and product setups to creating new clusters and overcoming networking issues, Confluent and Google Cloud worked hand-in-hand to achieve success for Rodan and Fields.
“Google Cloud and Confluent worked together with a true spirit of partnership—that was instrumental in accelerating our timelines,” says Mattioda. “Both partners proved that they were entirely dedicated to our success.”
Ultimately, Rodan and Fields achieved its goal of delivering real-time insights while also reducing costs of data-related needs through its digital transformation with Google Cloud and Confluent.
Rodan and Fields Independent Consultants, as well as all internal stakeholders, now have faster, more accessible data analytics tools available at their fingertips thanks to Google Cloud, Confluent, and SAP solutions working in concert.
Rodan and Fields is continuing to train its Consultants and other end users in the new data insights capabilities it has deployed, fulfilling its mission to further empower all of its consultants with powerful tools for success. Alongside its use of SAP on Google Cloud and BigQuery, Rodan and Fields continues to push the limits of data-driven engagement and enablement.
“If we chose another cloud provider or partner, this data transformation project would have taken far more time and likely caused a lot more headaches,” says Jason. “We’re thrilled about the success we’ve had with Confluent and Google Cloud.”
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