Strandbags looks for ‘nice clean base’ in backend overhaul

Strandbags is undertaking a backend technology overhaul, replacing legacy custom-built platforms with modern software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions.

Recently appointed group chief technology officer John Khoury is leading the 1927-founded Australian retailer through a four-year uplift program, targeting platforms such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer data management and CRM systems.

Speaking to the iTnews Podcast, Khoury said there are "three significant chunks of technology” that are reaching the end of life.

“[The strategy] will be to replace [them], but I want to do it through consolidation and best-in-class global vendors,” he said.

Khoury noted that when he joined Strandbags, which sells handbags, luggage, wallets and related products, in January, he was impressed with its front-end and customer-facing systems.

However, speaking to the podcast on the sidelines of the iTnews Benchmark Awards in March, Khoury said the retailer's backend now needs to catch up to its customer-facing systems.

“The back end and technology at the backend with processes need to catch up to ensure that we are agile, we can scale, we can grow,” he said.

“When I say grow, we can grow into new markets and deal with opportunities and mitigate threats more quickly.”

As a timeline, Khoury is hoping to have “a nice clean base” within two years, upon which the IT team can deliver “enhancements and new capabilities” across the wider business.

At the time of recording, Khoury was finalising a business case to invest in an unspecified new platform that he said is both SaaS and cloud-based, as well as coming from a global vendor.

“When you go with a global best-in-class vendor, it’s trusted [and] it's well resourced, whether that’s through partners, talent in your region [or] in respective countries,” he said.

“We're in an age now where [with] software–as–a–service, it's now about configuring rather than having to develop bespoke technology.”

As Strandbags pushes forward with its platform technology overhaul, Khoury is also keenly aware of the cyber challenges that are prevalent within the e-commerce space and wider retail sector.

“Security will always be a challenge, especially with cyber risk these days,” he said.

“So that keeps me up at night at the moment, especially when you hear some horror stories.

"My whole thing is we need to stay proactive with not only customer e-commerce, but all our systems.”