Asda, the British supermarket giant, is teaming up with IT specialist Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in a multi-year partnership aimed at propelling its digital transformation.
TCS, which is a subsidiary of India’s largest conglomerate Tata Group, will implement a new organisation-wide IT operating model for Asda, integrating a cloud-based resource planning platform, aimed at streamlining the supermarket’s supply chain management.
Through constructing a new digital core, Asda is hoping to also improve its buying, merchandising, HR, warehouse management, and e-commerce processes.
Asda chief executive Mohsin Issa said: “We have a long-term vision to grow Asda and bring our great heritage in value to even more communities – and our technology will form a key part of delivering this vision.”
Issa explained the decision to pick TCS by pointing to its experience in “retail technology transformation and innovation.”
Asda chief digital and technology officer Carl Dawson added: “We are confident that this collaboration with TCS will be one of the engines to deliver such a large technology transformation, where we are in the process of reimagining retail.”
Having brought in a series of changes to its commercial team last week, Asda has been losing market share to Aldi during the cost-of-living crisis and has faced concerns from investors and unions over its £4.7 billion debt pile.
Earlier this year the privately owned retailer merged with its sister firm EG UK in a move that it claimed would help deliver £100 million in profit and loss-saving synergies.