In this first Q&A with Aidan Lawless, our CTO explores the evolution of GenetiQ - Intact's ERP platform for merchants and distributors. He shares the technology decisions that shaped the platform and how our company's vision has developed over time.
A: Ever since we started developing business software we noticed that the market often told businesses to buy the right software and fit their business around it. But we found something different: even two similar businesses in the same town have their own unique ways of doing things. Those differences were usually what gave them a competitive edge.
The problem was that those systems didn’t respect their individuality. They were rigid, forcing them back to spreadsheets for anything that made how to run their business different. What those companies really needed was software that could manage the standard operations efficiently while still supporting the unique processes that made them stand out.
We set out to change that – and that philosophy remains central to how we design our merchant software and ERP systems today - adaptable enough for trade counters, builders' merchants, and beyond.
GenetiQ represents over thirty years of evolution - it's our fifth-generation product. By the time we reached our third version - known as Vline, which later evolved into Intact Xline - we were enjoying a strong period of growth in Ireland and the UK.
A: GenetiQ combines industry-specific functionality with the flexibility to adapt. It’s designed to meet the needs of our customers from the outset, while its extensible framework lets users tailor screens, workflows, and data to suit how they actually work. When it comes to adapting to unique operational needs, our approach is simple: it matters to us because it matters to our customers. People often think personalisation means changing colours or icons, but for us, it’s about much more than that.
That’s what personalisation means to us - giving our customers the tools to capture what matters and display it where it makes sense for them.
Customer feedback plays a huge role in that. Around 80 to 90% of our development backlog comes from customer ideas. Our job is to identify which ones will benefit many users and which are more specific - then find ways to make those ideas more broadly useful.
For example, we created Highlight Rules, which let users set up their own visual indicators - showing a customer’s name in red if they’re over their credit limit, or in green if they’re in good standing. These simple, flexible rules help people see what’s important at a glance.
It’s the same adaptability that makes GenetiQ a powerful ERP solution for industries like timber and plumbing - where no two businesses operate the same way.
A: When web technology first appeared, browsers were mainly for reading information, not inputting or recording it. But over time, they evolved. Microsoft’s Outlook Web Access showed how software could be delivered through a browser, which meant no installs, no manual updates, just a simple link.
This evolution also ensured our ERP technology could scale seamlessly across diverse merchant environments, from trade counters to multi-branch operations.
A: It was very much an iterative journey. Every few months, we'd review what was happening in the tech space and assess whether the timing was right to move forward. We kept a close eye on market leaders and continuously tested new tools to gauge how far web technology had come. At that time, we'd already pushed the limits of what was possible with Windows applications. We wanted to make sure the web could match that level of capability before fully committing to the transition.
A: We spent years exploring different web frameworks to see if they could handle what we needed. Early tools like jQuery added useful features to web apps but couldn’t manage the scale or flexibility required for ERP systems.
When AngularJS came out around 2010, it felt like the first real option. We built some proof-of-concepts and made good progress, but once we added ERP-level complexity, performance became an issue. Then Google dropped support for AngularJS, so that work had to be shelved.
We moved to the newer Angular, which solved some problems, but it was too rigid. Developers call it ‘opinionated’: this means it forces you to build things in a certain way. That’s fine for smaller apps, but not when you need flexibility.
Then came React. It gave us the freedom to design exactly how we wanted. Unlike Angular, which dictated a strict structure, React let us build components our own way, giving developers full creative control. Switching meant starting over, but it finally allowed us to build the kind of web platform we’d always envisioned.
A: React gave us the freedom we needed. With Angular, there were a lot of guardrails, great for structure but too restrictive. We kept testing the limits and often hit walls.
React was different. It let us build and adapt more freely, even while the system was running. That flexibility made it the right choice for us in the end.
A: The biggest lesson was treating every attempt as valuable, even when it didn't lead to a finished product.. Each time we tested a new framework, we documented what worked, what didn’t, and why.
That meant when the next wave of technology came along, we weren’t starting from scratch. By the time we reached React, we already knew where the pain points were - performance, runtime customisation, and scalability - and we could see early on that React handled them well.
A: Absolutely. We’ve always worked closely with partners who build great tools, like Developer Express for our desktop components and Telerik for React. They were constantly pushing the limits of what was possible, and we benefited from that.
What stood out with React was that it felt like the framework was moving in the same direction we were. With earlier technologies, it sometimes felt like we were working against the grain. But with React, the community was solving the same challenges we faced. It felt like we were finally rowing in the same direction.
A: Personally, the vision has stayed the same; we’re all about solving real problems for merchants and distributors. But how we operate has evolved significantly.
Early on, every customisation meant going back to the development team. Now, we’ve built configurability directly into GenetiQ so our consultants can tailor solutions themselves. That shift – empowering our team to solve problems without always needing developers – has been crucial to scaling.
We’ve built a company of problem-solvers who help customers tackle their unique challenges, and that core philosophy remains constant even as we’ve grown.
A: Security was the biggest one. With desktop or hosted applications, even those running in virtual environments like Citrix, you’re really just viewing the software through a secure window. The data itself stays safely inside your network.
Once you move to a browser, you’re publishing data over the public internet. That introduces far more potential attack points, and managing that securely can be complex and costly.
We debated whether to let customers host their own GenetiQ systems and access them from anywhere. In the end, it wasn’t the right approach. Keeping everything secure and up to date would’ve been a heavy responsibility for customers - and any lapse could put their business at risk.
GenetiQ is also a complex product; it uses advanced client-server communication, similar to what you’d see in online gaming. Deploying and maintaining that correctly takes real expertise.
Moving to managed cloud infrastructure, like AWS, simply made more sense. It reduced risk for everyone while still giving customers the flexibility of a web-based system.
To discover how our ERP and merchant software continues to evolve for businesses across the building, plumbing, and timber sectors, learn more about GenetiQ.