John Cowper - Head of Architecture, Wickes

CIO Forum

Taking a cloud first approach to digital transformation

John Cowper, Head of Architecture, Wickes9th November 2016

Context

• Wickes purchased 14 years ago by Travis Perkins

• Wickes was an expensive purchase and didn’t perform well

• IT investment was very limited – essentially no change• New MD appointed 3 years ago

- Business ambition to double turnover in 5 years - Requirement to modernise the IT systems to support this

Mandate

• Build an appropriate IT organisation

• Take a cloud first approach

• Take ownership of new systems• Be no more expensive than the current operation

Approach

• Build a core IT capability (hub) with a number of 3rd parties (spoke) – outsource as much as you can

• Use consultancy to compensate for lack of people

• Only do what is necessary• Evolution of ‘Modern Basics’

- Recognise that you can’t predict the future – build accordingly- Build as a Service Oriented Architecture using Microservices

Recent History – IT function

• 3 people in December

• 10 people in March

• ~30 people October

• ~40 people December

Dual concern in that it is necessary to build the function as well as the IT capability

IT function – Organisation Chart

CIOPMO

eCommServiceArchitectureDelivery

Program of Work

• Phase 1 – Space Planning

• Phase 2 – Stock and Inventory

• Phase 3 – Order Management

• Phase 4 – Microspace Planning

Dual concern in that it is necessary to build the function as well as the IT capability

Design Brief – Phase1

TP EstateJDA Estate

Space PlanningWickes Estate

Product

Location

NonRanged

Product

Location

Range

Range

IKB CKB

Design Brief

TP EstateJDA Estate

Space Planning

Product

Location

NonRanged

Product

Location

Range

Range

PlatformAWS Cloud

IntegrationWSO2

ServicesWSO2

Identity Service

Wickes AWS Cloud Architecture

Wickes Integration Architecture

Wickes Service Architecture

Architecture function – Org. Chart

HoA

Automation Architect

Integration Architect

Cloud Architect

Enterprise Architect

Development Timelines

PlatformAWS Cloud

IntegrationWSO2

ServicesWSO2

Identity Service

Architecture

Architecture

Development/3rd Party

Architecture

Jan

16

Apr

16

Jul 1

6

Oct

16

Jan

17

Big Ticket Items – to do

• Automation – to full Continuous Integration

• Logging

• Monitoring

• Alerting

Ambition is that nothing will go into production that isn’t automated

Future Programs of Work

• ERP

• WMS

• Distributed Order Management

• Stock

• Omni-Channel

• Establishing a ‘Cloud Centre of Excellence’

Lessons Learnt• Digital Transformation needs to be sponsored from a board level

• Management needs to understand, promote and facilitate it

• Development/Operations need to embrace it

• Business Users need to be inculcated into the model

• At least a vertical sliver of the organisation has to be bought in

• Building credibility with the business is vital

• Not having a mission critical system has been a god send

Digital Transformation/Agile is more ‘Hearts and Minds’ than it is a technology issue

Questions