How BuyItDirect Achieved a Distinction, Saved £8k & Grew 10% Through Project Management Training

The Challenge

BuyItDirect is one of the UK's leading online electronics and appliances retailers, operating in a fast-paced e-commerce environment where peak trading periods, supply chain complexity, and high-volume order fulfilment create constant operational pressure.

The business needed to improve visibility of performance reporting, strengthen stakeholder communication, and increase the accuracy and speed of their response to operational challenges — particularly during peak periods when volumes surge and margins for error shrink.

They also recognised that staying competitive in modern e-commerce requires a blend of skills: the ability to use AI and data tools to surface insights, structured project management to deliver change on time and on budget, and improvement methodologies to make processes more efficient. They needed a training partner who could deliver all three.

The Solution

BuyItDirect partnered with TESS Group to access a mix of apprenticeship programmes spanning AI, project management, and improvement methodology. Rather than treating these as separate silos, TESS Group's approach blends these disciplines — equipping learners with a toolkit that combines:

• AI and data skills — using AI tools and data analysis to surface performance insights, identify patterns, and make evidence-based decisions faster
• Project management methodology — structured approaches to planning, budgeting, stakeholder communication, risk management, and delivering projects on time and within scope
• Improvement methodology — continuous improvement frameworks to identify waste, streamline processes, and drive measurable operational gains
• Communication and team development — building the soft skills to bring people along on the journey, communicate with stakeholders at every level, and develop the wider team

Ashton Vlahovic was one of the learners enrolled, bringing these tools together on a real workplace project. The programme was fully funded through BuyItDirect's Apprenticeship Levy at zero additional cost to the business.

The Results

Ashton didn't just pass his apprenticeship — he achieved a Distinction, the highest possible grade. But the real story is what his project delivered for the business:

The impact went beyond the numbers. By combining AI-driven data insights with structured project management and improvement methodology, Ashton was able to see problems before they happened, plan the solution professionally, and execute it efficiently. Add in the communication skills and team development — and you get a result that keeps compounding across the business.

Why It Works

BuyItDirect's experience demonstrates the power of combining multiple disciplines through a single apprenticeship partner:

• AI + PM + Improvement = multiplied results — rather than learning one skill in isolation, the blend of AI data tools, project management frameworks, and improvement methodology created a complete toolkit for driving change
• Real project, real results — Ashton applied every tool and technique to an actual business challenge, so the learning translated directly into measurable outcomes
• Distinction-level quality — the structured TESS Group programme pushed Ashton to deliver work at the highest standard, which is exactly the standard the business benefits from
• Beyond the data — understanding data through AI tools was only half the story. The development of communication skills and the ability to bring the team along turned insights into action
• Peak-ready operations — the project specifically improved BuyItDirect's ability to handle peak volumes proactively rather than reactively
• Zero cost — fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy, meaning BuyItDirect got a Distinction-grade project, £8k in savings, and 10% growth without spending a penny on training

Explore Our AI & Data Programmes

BuyItDirect's success was built on blending AI skills with project management and improvement methodology. If you want to bring the same AI-powered approach to your team, explore our apprenticeship programmes:

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