We have a serious problem with global warming. It's not just our problem—it's a problem for the entire species. Nearly 8 billion human beings must coexist on a rock floating in space, which cannot be made larger, cooler, or more habitable simply because we wish it so. The ecological footprint of human activity is a major concern; it’s also a significant issue for Wembley Studios, where we take our motto of humanizing technology quite seriously. What good are technological developments that seem like magic if there are no humans to use them, if there's no planet to enjoy? As Peter Parker would say in *Endgame*: it’s pointless to be the friendly neighborhood *Spider-Man* if there’s no neighborhood.
Tech companies bear a great responsibility. The tech industry is responsible for a significant “bite” in global energy consumption. According to studies by various think tanks, our consumption increases by 9% each year, and it's projected that by 2030 our sector will be responsible for 20% of the energy consumed on the planet. Any gesture that contributes to reducing the impact of our activity is welcome. We know this, and so do Wembley’s strategic partners like Microsoft
That’s why the Timberland project resounded so much with us. Timberland's commitment to making its products as circular as possible: Timberloop. The renowned American brand aims for all its production to be fully committed to the circular economy by 2030. And they’ve already started with this initiative, which they intend to extend to all their international subsidiaries beyond the United States, including Europe and Asia-Pacific. What does it entail?
Timberland users can return their used products to the brand’s physical stores. Depending on the condition of the items, the returned products can be recycled to manufacture new products, refurbished to give them a second life, or donated as part of solidarity or support campaigns. Additionally, users who participate in Timberloop receive a 10% discount on the purchase of new products.
Our role in empowering Timberloop's physical operations. Our work focused on equipping the physical operations of Timberloop with the necessary technological infrastructure. When working with a global company, you face several challenges. Firstly, there's the availability in different geographic regions. For instance, within the United States alone, each state has its own regulations and privacy laws, which is similarly true in Europe and Asia. It was essential to meet the needs of each customer, tailoring the requests to the specific requirements of each region.
This translates into challenges regarding the replication and scalability of the technological solution we developed for Timberland. We needed to ensure fast access from distant regions or replicate databases, among other specific aspects. Adding to this complexity were the characteristics of the sales points.
This involved an eCommerce platform for second-hand products where each item or garment is entirely individualized: unique photos, unique product sheets, differentiated product status in stock, and the need to guarantee real-time availability and simultaneous product display across all regions. Once a sale was made, the item needed to be marked as unavailable everywhere to avoid duplicate checkouts or errors in the sales process.
We also had to operate with a long-term vision. The architecture needed to be ready for implementation in the US context but also functional in other regions such as Europe and Asia. It also had to accommodate future phases of the Timberloop initiative, with more ambitious scopes, a broader range of products, and additional points of sale. Consistently, and out of corporate conviction, we aimed to reuse as many resources as possible at different stages of the project.
It's true that global warming won't be solved by recycling two cans or four plastic bottles. However, every action counts, and the responsibility of companies in all sectors is essential to driving change. Timberland is committed to the circular economy, and Wembley Studios can only do our part by contributing our knowledge and experience to develop the best possible technological solution for an initiative that we hope will serve as an example for many other companies across various industries.
This is how we help other companies
We have contributed to solving digitization problems in many different scenarios. Discover our developments, the issues that companies faced, our response, and how our team achieved the objectives. You can be inspired by them or see how our people generate real impact.
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