Retailer Implements a Cloud First Strategy

The Company

With more than 350 stores, gas stations and depots across the UK, the retailer serves more than 18 million people every week and 98% of UK homes are served by its website. The company was founded in 1949, has revenues of £20 billion, with 145.000 employees. The Retailer prints more than 180 million pages per year.

The Industry

Retail

The Requirements

The retailer needed to replace previous owners ‘badged’ servers with new servers purchased because of a demerger with another large retailer.

The Solution

VPSX® solutions

The Benefit

Every store had a Windows print server leftover from the previous ownership. With more than 350 stores, the cost to replace like for like servers would be huge.

Why Change?

Demerger from another retailing giant was a driving factor in moving to a cloud-first strategy.

Why Now?

The company had a cloud first strategy and was looking to eliminate all server infrastructure in stores, depots, and remote locations.

Why LRS?

Direct Print to the majority of Lexmark MFP devices; scanning and pull printing in head offices.

Background:

How a UK-based retail giant with roots going back to the 1940’s implemented a cloud first strategy. Over the years, the retailer evolved into a comprehensive retail entity with a large network of stores, online services, and a diverse range of offerings. In 1999, it became part of a larger, global retail giant. In February 2021 it demerged with that retailing operation when it was acquired by another retail entity.

The Challenge:

As part of the demerger from the large retail conglomerate, this European retailer faced the daunting task of avoiding the replacement of the previous owners’ servers in more than 350 stores. The cost implications of replacing like-for-like servers were substantial, and the impending demerger date of September 2024 added urgency to the situation. As part of its broader technology strategy, the retailer wanted a cloud-first approach, seeking to eliminate all server infrastructure in stores, depots, and remote locations.

The LRS Solution:

In July 2021, Lexmark secured a significant managed print service renewal with the retailer, that they termed the Modern Print Project. This is when LRS (Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.) entered the picture, leveraging its strategic relationship with Lexmark. The collaboration aimed to simplify printing from critical business applications and various platforms, aligning with the company’s cloud-first strategy.

LRS Value Proposition:

LRS positioned both products and managed services while emphasizing the need for a solution that caters to a diverse range of enterprise IT footprints. The focus was on achieving flexible “anywhere, everywhere” access for end-users while navigating the complexity of managing a cloud environment with thousands of printers and users.

Why LRS over Microsoft Universal Print:

The retailer initially considered Microsoft Universal Print but decided it lacked features in several key areas. LRS presented a compelling case against it, highlighting limitations such as support restrictions for operating systems, native printing requirements, absence of support for MacOS or Linux, and the need for connectors in the case of existing Lexmark printers. There was also no support for application printing, secure/pull/mobile print and Azure WAN data usage would be consumed to print. LRS also noted that Microsoft Universal Print was not a free offering.

Grocery Shopper Image

The Result:

With a comprehensive understanding of this retailer’s needs and challenges, LRS emerged as the preferred solution provider. The company’s modern print project, built on the avoidance of replacing the previous owners servers, became a crucial element in the retail operation’s technology strategy. The endorsement by Lexmark and the strategic alignment of LRS with the company’s goals positioned the collaboration as a key success factor.

Conclusion:

The retailer’s journey with LRS highlights the critical importance of a technology partner during times of significant transformation. The ability of LRS to address their specific challenges, provide a robust solution, and align with the company’s cloud-first strategy demonstrates the value of strategic partnerships in navigating complex IT landscapes during the demerger and large-scale organizational changes facing the company.