Build on What Works
Added Monday 15 June 2026 by Arrow
Arrow believes the strongest outcomes for customers comes not from a single partner working in isolation, but from a carefully connected ecosystem of expertise.
That's exactly what DeeperThanBlue and Coliance – two long-standing IBM business partners who, together with Arrow and IBM, form a powerful trifecta (or rather, quadfecta) for businesses navigating modernisation and integration challenges today.
DeeperThanBlue is an IBM Silver business partner specialising in application development, modernisation, and cloud migration – with generative AI increasingly woven into how they help organisations improve processes and drive efficiency. Coliance, on the other hand, is an IBM Gold business partner with over 25 years of experience in integration and automation, serving clients across retail, financial services, and fast-moving consumer goods with software, professional services, and managed support.
IBM ties it all together with one of the broadest and deepest technology portfolios in the market. And Arrow is the thread that connects these partners, helping to forge an ecosystem where complementary skills and cultures can come together and deliver real value for customers.
To bring this partnership to life, Sinead Nestor, IBM Technology Leader at Arrow ECS, sat down with Chris Brooker, Sales & Marketing Director at DeeperThanBlue and Rob Adlem, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Coliance, for an honest conversation about what businesses are facing right now, how the two companies work together in practice, and why the message is simple: you don't need to rip and replace. You can build on what works.
Q&A: Build on What Works
Sinead: What are you hearing from customers right now that you weren't hearing two years ago?
Rob (Coliance): The integration landscape is changing at a rapid pace. Trusted protocols like EDI have been around for decades, but we're now deep into API-driven techniques and new tooling. That shift has happened in roughly the last 24 months, and it's raising questions not just for customers but for us as partners too.
Chris (DeeperThanBlue): From our side, two things stand out: AI and application modernisation. Organisations are thinking seriously about how to take legacy systems and move them forward, while also making sure they're on modern, fit-for-purpose infrastructure. And underpinning all of that is the need for modern methods of integrating applications, systems, and data.
Rob: The legacy systems piece also comes with a skills challenge. People who've run these systems for 20 or 30 years are retiring, and that knowledge walks out the door with them. That's where partners like us can step in – whether through managed services, professional services, or just providing direction.
Sinead: Customers need to modernise, but they also need to keep the lights on. How do you help with that?
Chris: It's essential that any modernisation programme ensures business continuity. Organisations can't afford pain or unnecessary risk. It has to be a smooth transition, from an older application or system to a new one, without disruption to what's already running.
Sinead: What tends to go wrong when customers try to do this with the wrong mix of suppliers, or with one vendor trying to do everything?
Rob: One of the most common mistakes is assuming the destination before you've fully understood what the customer is actually trying to achieve – the project in its totality, the stakeholders involved, the desired outcome. Without that, you end up building on top of something without really thinking it through. It's like taking a monolithic application and just moving it, and expecting a different result.
Chris: I'd add that it's about how you set the project up from the very start. Before sign-off, you need to understand where the return on investment is going to come from, and you need to make sure wins are demonstrable early in the project lifecycle – not just at the end. If people don't see progress, commitment starts to waver. That's why we advocate for agile, sprint-based methodologies with short durations, rather than a traditional waterfall approach. Define what good looks like, make sure everyone is aiming for the same goal, and structure the project to prove value quickly.
Sinead: What does DeeperThanBlue and Coliance working together actually look like in practice?
Rob: From the very first engagement, we aim for the customer to see us as a single entity. They shouldn't feel like they're managing two separate suppliers. We know our lane, integration and automation is where Coliance specialises, and when a customer brings us a challenge that goes beyond that, we bring DeeperThanBlue in. It seems straightforward when you say it, but we've actually done it in practice, and that trust between our two organisations is what makes it work.
Chris: It's about broader technical coverage across the IBM portfolio. We cross-fertilise ideas between our teams, and the relationship has been built over a number of years, it's not a one-project affair. One partner genuinely can't do it all credibly. But together, we can offer clients a far wider capability: professional services, support, and software resell. And importantly, when you work with both of us, you're getting the A team.
Sinead: What does IBM bring to all of this, and how does Arrow help make this kind of partnership work?
Steve (Arrow, IBM BDM): IBM's portfolio is so broad and so deep that no single partner can cover it all – and IBM and Arrow both acknowledge that. Arrow's role is to go out to the ecosystem and find partners that work well together, not just technically, but culturally. Coliance and DeeperThanBlue are a great example: complementary skills, very little overlap, and a strong cultural fit. That combination enhances the ability to deliver real value for end customers.
Rob: Arrow also keeps us honest. We have to maintain our proficiencies, certifications, and practices to a high standard. IBM has made several acquisitions in recent years, and we need to pivot accordingly. Having Arrow and IBM alongside us means we know we've got the backing and the information flow to make those decisions confidently.
Chris: IBM sets a high bar for partner certification and rightly so. And it's worth noting that IBM is a recognised leader in AI today – and crucially, it can accommodate organisations no matter where they are on the AI journey, whether they're just starting to bring AI into existing processes or thinking about becoming AI-first. Arrow has been at the forefront of forging this ecosystem – and I use that word deliberately, being based in Sheffield, where forging has real meaning – bringing partners together in a way that creates something stronger than the sum of its parts.
Sinead: Final question, if a senior leader is watching this who has their estate running on IBM today, what would you want them to take away?
Rob: If you're uncertain about direction, give us a call. It really is that simple. Whether it's health checks, modernisation, replacing retiring expertise, or bridging a skills gap, we can help. Talk to us.
Chris: Don't feel you have to rip and replace. IBM's investment in its product roadmap means that with the right partners, you can upgrade, migrate, and modernise to later versions of these technologies. You can use cloud-like capabilities without necessarily going to public cloud – because public cloud isn't the right answer for everybody, especially where data sovereignty and regulatory compliance are a concern. Understand your return on investment case, know what the project will improve, and select partners who can take you through that journey – and stay with you beyond it.
Steve: Get more eyes on the problem. IT is complex and only getting more so. Why wouldn't you want double the expertise, double the experience, getting eyes on your project? It's all about getting to the right output as quickly as possible and delivering value back into the business.
Ready to Build on What Works?
If your organisation is running on IBM and thinking about what comes next, Coliance and DeeperThanBlue, supported by Arrow and IBM, are ready to help you modernise smartly, without unnecessary risk and without starting from scratch.
Get in touch to start the conversation.
