Arcadia is continuing on its quest to overhaul its IT systems, this time announcing a contract that, it is hoped, will speed up and improve its supply chain overhaul.

Arcadia is continuing on its quest to overhaul its IT systems, this time announcing a contract that, it is hoped, will speed up and improve its supply chain overhaul.

The retail group, owned by Sir Philip Green, has started a multi-million pound migration to a new supply chain system and is working with suppliers including Oracle and Manhattan Associates.

This is clearly no mean feat, and the retailer has employed a testing partner to help make sure its new supply chain systems are glitch free by the time they go live. It is using testing software from Original Software to help make sure the supply chain project is as hitch-free as possible.

The challenge is made more complex by the fact that Arcadia operates several brands, including Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and BHS.

As John Walker, responsible for application development and testing at Arcadia, says: “Arcadia operates a complex IT environment supporting the different Arcadia brands and with an upcoming supply chain system replacement programme, as well as further digital enhancements, it is due to become even more challenging. With this in mind, we need the best QA and testing technology to speed up project delivery and improve software quality.”

The group has more than 2,500 outlets, and an international business that trades in 37 countries and delivers online to more than 110 countries. For retailers with such huge operations, testing on an equally large scale is just as important as choosing the right software.