Successful go live of Galeries Lafayette on Oracle Retail Cloud
Our team has helped Galeries Lafayette (GL), a prestigious French department store chain with over 130 years of history, to complete a significant milestone in its digital transformation journey—a successful go-live of its new cloud-based merchandising solution. This cloud migration marks a new chapter for GL, positioning the company for continued innovation and excellence in retail. Here’s a closer look at what went well during the cloud transition, the challenges encountered, and key takeaways from this ambitious project.
Table of Contents
Background
Quickborn Consulting has worked with Galeries Lafayette on the first implementation of Oracle Retail (Retek) solutions at GL in 2009, followed by providing ongoing operational support, multiple upgrades and the implementation of Oracle Retail for Gourmet, a luxury food market in Galeries Lafayette.
As the pace of change has significantly accelerated in the retail industry, GL has chosen to implement Oracle’s latest cloud merchandising solution to replace its on premise earlier systems, to better address quickly evolving consumer expectations for fast, seamless omnichannel engagement.
Why Oracle Retail cloud? The possibility to implement quickly, the ongoing evolution of its features and a state of the art cloud extensibility framework, leveraging APEX and RDS, made Oracle Retail cloud solutions the ideal choice for GL.
What Went Well: Key Successes in GL’s Cloud Go-Live
The transition to a cloud-based system was a major undertaking for GL, but we were able to carry out the process smoothly thanks to a series of well-executed strategies. Here are the main factors that contributed to the success of the go-live:
1. Pilot Phase Double Run: A Controlled Approach
One of the key strategy decisions of GL’s cloud migration was the pilot phase double run, which supported a safe, pragmatic testing and transition to the new solution from legacy systems. It also meant running old and new solutions in parallel, which raised integration challenges. By selecting only a few departments for the initial migration to the new system, GL was able to test the entire solution while keeping 99% of the operations running on the legacy system. This cautious and controlled approach allowed the company to identify and resolve any issues before the full-scale transition, ensuring minimal disruption to the business.
Additionally, an integration filter prevented data being processed for migrated departments in the legacy system. This step helped ensure a clear separation of data flow between the two systems, reducing the risk of data overlap during the migration process.
2. Data Conversion: Smooth Transition to the Cloud
Another major success factor of the go-live was the seamless data migration from the legacy system to the cloud. By ensuring that all historical data and dependencies were accurately transferred, we were able to preserve vital information and minimize any risk of data loss. This smooth data conversion process was crucial for maintaining business continuity and ensuring that GL’s operations in the cloud started on a solid foundation. Oracle Retail cloud solutions’ extensive conversion mechanism was leveraged to execute this crucial step.
3. Extensive Testing: Real-World Application and Adjustments
Thorough testing played a key role in the success of the cloud go-live. By using production data from the legacy system, GL was able to test the cloud application under real-world conditions. For example, transactions validated in GL’s legacy system were integrated into the cloud, and any discrepancies or constraints in the new system were addressed promptly. GL’s team fine-tuned data mappings and system integrations to ensure a smooth transition, ensuring the cloud system could handle all necessary business operations effectively.
Challenges Encountered: Areas for Improvement
While the cloud migration was largely successful, GL encountered a few challenges along the way, particularly when it came to adapting non-standard workflows and custom developments to the new system.
1. Complex Custom Data Flows and Integrations
Migrating custom workflows that weren’t part of the standard cloud solutions raised their own challenges. Specifically, integrations related to item management, financial processes, and stock counts proved difficult to convert. These unique business processes, which had been tailored to GL’s operations in the past, didn’t always align with the functionalities of the cloud platform, requiring additional adjustments and extension development.
2. Adapting Financial and Stock Management Processes
Financial flows and stock management were particularly challenging to integrate into the cloud system, as these processes often rely on complex, non-standard workflows that needed to be re-engineered to function smoothly in the cloud environment. While the team worked diligently to address these issues, the migration highlighted the need for further fine-tuning and configurations.
Key Takeaways: Lessons Learned from GL’s Cloud Migration
Despite challenges, the cloud migration proved to be successful, and our team at QBCS gained valuable insights from the experience of working with GL on this important transition:
1. Importance of Thorough Testing and Integration
The testing phase was crucial in ensuring the stability of the cloud system post-go-live. By integrating real-world production data, we were able to identify and address issues early, minimizing the risk of disruptions once the full migration was complete. Proactive testing approach will continue to be a cornerstone for future system updates.
2. Custom Extnsion Developments Require Extra Care
One of the key lessons we learned was the importance of carefully managing extension developments during the migration process. Non-standard processes, particularly in areas like financial management and stock handling, require additional attention to ensure they align with cloud functionalities. Going forward, our team – working closely with GL – will continue to refine these processes and explore ways to optimize integrations for the cloud environment.
Conclusion: A Bright Future Ahead for GL
The successful cloud go-live marks a new era for Galeries Lafayette, combining over 130 years of heritage with cutting-edge technology. The project team’s careful planning, rigorous testing, and data migration strategies have set the stage for a more agile and scalable retail operation moving forward, securing the transition as a major success.
As GL embraces the future with a fully integrated cloud system, the company is well-positioned to continue offering exceptional shopping experiences and drive innovation for customers. With the cloud as its backbone, GL is ready for the next 130 years of growth, success, and digital execution.
Are You Ready for Your Transformation?
If you found this case study useful and would like to hear how our team at QBCS would approach your Cloud Transformation, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!
