Eliminating Key Man Risk with AI at Waterware
iT360 built Waterware an internal AI chatbot called Gandalf in four to five weeks, freeing decades of product knowledge from key staff and cutting key man risk.
- Client
- Waterware
- Industry
- Bathroom, Kitchen, Heating & Plumbing
- Services
- Specialist importer & distributor of products for plumbing, central heating & bathroomware NZ wide
- Year founded
- 1989
Waterware’s technical team had a problem hiding in plain sight: decades of product knowledge locked inside the heads of a few key people. If those people were unavailable; or worse, permanently gone; the business had no reliable way to access what they knew. Discover how iT360 helped Waterware build Gandalf, an internal AI chatbot trained on their own knowledge base, turning institutional expertise into an accessible resource for the entire team.
Waterware is a medium sized family company with a team of about 35 people. Over the years, a significant amount of technical product knowledge had accumulated with specific individuals; particularly Darren Yley, Director, who had run the technical team for a long period.
The siloing of information was creating a genuine key man risk. If someone was on leave, colleagues couldn’t access the information they needed. And the harder question: what if that person was permanently unavailable?
Darren had already recognised the risk and started building an internal knowledge base. But there was a catch; the database required a certain level of existing expertise to interpret. Someone without deep product knowledge couldn’t easily make sense of what the database was telling them.
“The siloing of information was starting to create a key man risk in our business. Not only if the person’s away, you don’t have the ability to get the information, but what if they’re permanently away?”
— Darren Yley, Director, Waterware
Our Approach
The key advantage of the chatbot approach was language. Rather than requiring users to interpret a structured database, Gandalf translates technical information into natural language. Someone with very little product specific knowledge can now ask a question and receive a clear, plain English answer.
From concept to first live working model, the build took just four to five weeks. iT360 guided the process end to end; scoping the knowledge base, configuring the AI layer, and delivering an interface that was immediately accessible to the whole team.
“I found the process very easy. From concept to first live working model it was like four or five weeks. I think it was amazing.”
— Darren Yley, Director, Waterware
The Impact
Since implementing Gandalf, Waterware has transformed how their team accesses and uses internal knowledge. The chatbot serves as a single interface for a range of queries that previously required either deep expertise or multiple systems.
Key outcomes:
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Eliminated key man risk — Critical knowledge is no longer locked in individual people’s heads; it lives in an accessible, queryable system.
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Lowered the knowledge barrier — Team members with limited product expertise can now get clear, contextual answers without needing to interpret raw data.
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Single interface for multiple queries — A customer calls with an appliance issue? Gandalf identifies the problem, explains the solution, provides the spare part number, checks stock, and returns tracking information; all from one place.
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Rapid time to value — Four to five weeks from concept to a live, working model.
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Cost effective — The investment required to develop and implement the technology delivered clear value relative to the risk it addressed.
“You can ask Gandalf what the problem is. It’ll explain what the solution is. It’ll tell you what the spare part number is. It’ll tell you whether you’ve got it in stock. And if you’ve already shipped it to the client, it’ll give you the tracking information; all from one interface.”
— Darren Yley, Director, Waterware
What’s Next?
With Gandalf live and delivering value across the team, the foundation is set for Waterware to expand their use of AI into other areas of the business. This initial success demonstrates what becomes possible when institutional knowledge is properly structured and made accessible through the right technology.
“Never really knew that this type of technology was so accessible. It wasn’t until we talked to the team at iT360 that they really opened my eyes. Actually, this is much more achievable than it had ever been in the past; and for a reasonable cost.”
— Darren Yley, Director, Waterware
Why It Matters
This case is a clear example of iT360’s AI & Automation capability in action. Rather than a complex, multi year project, Waterware got a working solution in weeks; one that directly addressed a real business risk and made their entire team more capable from day one.
We’re not just implementing tech — we’re helping our clients protect what they know, share it better, and work smarter.
Waterware is a privately owned and run NZ family business, established in 1989.
For over 25 years they have been a specialist importer and distributor of quality bathroomware, plumbing and central heating products.
They are an established industry supplier who have built their reputation as being technical experts of what they sell.
Their full time technical team is dedicated to designing, training, troubleshooting and supporting the installer network to ensure their products get installed properly.
They offer component equipment and/or packaged solutions for bathrooms, kitchens, plumbing and central heating.
Their technical plumbing and heating products come from leading European manufacturers for which they can guarantee product quality and assured after sales service.
