Travis Perkins talks about new multi-channel IT platform

Travis Perkins is part-way through developing a new multi-channel IT platform to be extended across the business in 2015 and 2016, the company said in its interim results.

It replaces an IT platform that Travis Perkins developed in house. Originally, different companies within the Travis Perkins Group used different platforms. For example, Travis Perkins used programming language PICK/POS with a Sitecore website and a collection of other web technologies, while Wickes used JDA Software with a Venda website.

“The new platform is based around a service orientated architecture (SOA) and the core transactional component for multichannel is Hybris,” said Paul Bratcher, director of IT business delivery at the Travis Perkins Group.

Bratcher said that the new IT platform is expected to deliver a number of benefits.

“Not only will there be an improved customer experience online, and in branches, but the new platform will also make it easier for our employees to use,” he said.

“The most noticeable change in the first year resulted from the introduction of a new website which includes the click and collect system at Wickes.”

Travis Perkins began developing the system a year ago, and it expects to take five years to implement it across all businesses within the group. Bratcher said that it could open up opportunities for the business to adopt cloud technologies.

“The new platform allows us to gather better quality data and has much improved our processes, as well as enabling a move towards cloud services should we choose to do so in the future,” he said.

The Travis Perkins Group’s backend infrastructure comprises PICK/POS ERP running on HP Superdromes. The new IT platform is based on standard infrastructure commodity blades and Linux, Bratcher said.

Source : Anh Nguyen - Computerworld UK
www.computerworlduk.com/news/it-business/3541783/travis-perkins-extend-new-multi-channel-it-platform-next-year/