The challenge
G-Star RAW is a Netherlands-based global denim brand, founded in 1989, with innovation and sustainability at its core. G-Star’s online channel is operational in 47 countries with over 160 stores offering fulfillment. For its order management system (OMS), G-Star wanted to migrate to the cloud to support its goals for end-to-end omnichannel digital transformation. The retailer wanted to add cloud agility to improve business and technical features and it wanted to realize the benefits of a flexible infrastructure cost by adopting a “pay for what you use” model. G-Star also wanted to achieve scalability, as the existing IBM Sterling OMS was scheduled for end of life and unable to leverage capabilities offered by a newer version. The retailer was facing challenges around real-time calls because its existing unscalable on-premises solution provided inaccurate fulfillment data.
Our approach
G-Star chose Cognizant for our execution approach and deep domain experience in managing digital transformation for similar retail projects. Because G-Star was already on AWS for e-commerce, it made sense to maintain the relationship for the cloud migration. G-Star opted to implement the IBM Sterling OMS container model on a third-party cloud solution (AWS) and upgrade to a newer Sterling Order Management version. This strategy enabled the retailer to operate a highly flexible and scalable platform for the OMS solution that provides a single view of order and single view of inventory across various ordering channels.
We established a seamless data migration strategy from on-prem to AWS using a DB2 backup and restoration process along with the need to copy transaction logs as part of the final cutover plan, minimizing downtime to less than a day. The project implemented a multi-geography rollout that included timelines and user and process support for distribution centers in 15+ countries. Cognizant and G-Star migrated the entire platform to AWS, including four to five terabytes of data and messaging.
