Why CACI have been a key IT Service Partner for Waitrose for over 10 years.
CACI have been a key IT Service Partner for Waitrose & Partners for over 10 years. Explore the challenges Waitrose faced and how CACI Digital Solutions helped them overcome these challenges.
The Challenge
- Existing IT Systems had evolved over a long period of time and had become increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain due to being developed in older technologies
- Some of these systems were being sun-set and replaced by more modern technologies. Others needed to be estabilised
- Resources with the relevant skills needed to support the platforms were becoming difficult to find
- Most of the systems needed to be active 24/7 and out of hours support was difficult to provide
- Support of legacy systems, while simultaneously learning and implementing newer technologies proved challenging - resources became stretched
- Innovation and competitiveness required the introduction of mobile applications, giving Waitrose & Partners customers more choice and a better shopping experience
The Solution
- We established a number of cross-functional teams comprising of Architects, BAs and Developers
- Flexibility of technical resources was ensured to flex across multiple systems and technologies. This allowed us to cover different peaks in demand
- We helped Waitrose establish their own in house mobile centre of excellence
- We became SME’s for business critical systems including Transport, Supply Chain, Mobile, Product, Lotus Notes, Domino Infrastructure and Integration (BusinessWare and MQ)
- Skills were provided in multiple technologies such as COBOL, CICS, RPGIII, RPG 400, Java, BusinessWare, UNIX, JES2, Xamarin, EPoS, DB2, SQL Server and Oracle
- Specialised skills, such as Data Modelling / Data Modeller, were provisioned
- We successfully ran projects including re-platforming Unix Servers, stabilising overnight batch processing and replacement of old Windows CE applications onto Android handsets
- Projects for the technical component of store refits and new store openings were run
The Results
- Waitrose & Partners staff were freed up to prioritise their focus on the introduction of new systems
- A team of flexible, multi-skilled consultants that have experience of the Waitrose & Partners business were created. This team are able to move from project to project across multiple technologies as demand requires
- Development and 24/7 support services are provided, with the team growing to over 30 people
- Management and support of systems through peak trading times including Easter, Black Friday and Christmas
- Integration with new innovative technology such as home delivery, click & collect and self- scanning - on customers own devices as well as Waitrose's own scanning devices
Further information
Email us on Techsolutions@caci.co.uk to find out more about our managed service offering and how we can help your team.
"One of the key benefits to working with a trusted partner is that CACI recognised that one size doesn’t fit all. They provided an approach that was bespoke to the organisation that could be successfully delivered to provide a solution that ensured all of Waitrose’s business needs were noticeably met."
CACI have been a key IT Service Partner for Waitrose & Partners for over 10 years. Explore the challenges Waitrose faced and how CACI Digital Solutions helped them overcome these challenges in our case study.