Simon Walker Email & Phone Number

England, United Kingdom

Manage the IT Team which designs, develops, installs and supports Branch IT Systems across 200 sites. Determine and publish IT plans and budget to the business, set and monitor departmental goals, establish team workflows, choose technology to invest in, and facilitate collaboration across the business.

Manchester & Wellingborough, United Kingdom

• Manage IT team developing branch systems (Back Office Stock Management, EPOS system, Self Scan, RF applications.) • Manage external software and hardware suppliers who develop our IT software systems. (Diebold Nixdorf, Zetes Technology, Fujitsu etc)• Project led the implementation of the new £2 million EPOS system across the group. This involved designing the required functionality to ensure all areas of business were catered for, selecting new hardware and rolling out the new solution across the 200 Cash & Carry estate.• Project led the implementation of the new Chip and Pin payment solution. This included selecting a PCI accredited vendor, implementing integration with the EPOS and Back Office systems, ensuring that rollout was completed within PCI guidelines and creating all required PCI procedures and documentation for the group. • Project led the replacement of the standalone meat and fish scales in 200 Cash & Carry branches. Integrated new scales with Back Office systems to remove the necessity of manual updates from Butchers and Fish mongers. Ensured all necessary traceability and legal information is printed on relevant meat and fish labels. Changed systems from calculating stock at pence to weight. Introduced traceability of Reduce to Clear and Price Override actions to allow visibility and reduction of shrinkage in meat and fish across the group.• Relationship management with both internal departments and external suppliers including contract negotiations and compliance reviews. • Reviewed IT disaster recovery process and highlighted any weaknesses while implementing the required changes to ensure the stability of the business for branch systems.

Manchester, United Kingdom

• Part of a team that project managed the migration of Makro IT applications to Booker Group IT Systems as part of the Booker Ltd purchase of Makro Self Service Wholesalers Ltd UK.• Project managed Food Service Delivery Project which was installed at 15 locations nationwide. Helped to design system with feedback from multiple areas of UK business to ensure all stakeholders’ needs were met. Planned delivery, testing, training and implementation of software and hardware.• Lead Project Manager on implementation of new UK store for clearance goods which was delivered on time against tight deadlines.• Managed the implementation of the new shelf edge ticket designs and printing methods to be used nationwide.• Implemented upgraded buyer promotional software system across Head Office and stores nationwide.• Key point of contact for Food Service Delivery Software across European Metro Group companies. • Presentations to Senior Group management regarding software requirements to enable best practice across Group companies.

Manchester, United Kingdom

• Joint Project Manager for the migration of Oracle Forms and Reports character based 4.5 to web enabled GUI 10g. This project included upgrading the databases from Oracle 8i to 10g. Participated in entire project lifecycle from design of software and hardware through testing to implementation. Project went successfully live at Head Office in February 2009. • Trained staff at both Head Office and Stores on use of new software. • Provided a point of contact for other members of the development team.• Provided input into new functionality that is designed to enhance productivity and profitability within the current IT system to meet Metro Groups targets for Makro UK. • Wrote detailed technical and functional specifications for new areas of the system to enable other members of the development team to program the required system.• Supplied on-site IT help on location in stores when required.• Maintained and programmed new areas of the current Oracle systems.• Created test plans and ensured that software met standards.• Daily contact with store staff and store managers building strong relationships.

Speke

Utilised sector specific knowledge of the freight industry and its needs, to enhance the existing system.Increased the functionality of the Java freight system through detailed functional specification documents.

Liverpool

Part of the team that performance tuned batch processing procedures to handle new weight of volume that Littlewoods plc would be taking on with the purchase of Shop Direct Group.

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Oracle Forms and Reports Analyst and Programmer for client projects including, BAX & Schenker.