REPL supports BP’s global retail site transformation programme

UK-based retail IT consultancy and technology firm REPL Group has successfully collaborated with BP, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, on ‘BP RESET’ – a major global programme to modernise the Retail Site IT landscape.

REPL was appointed as BP’s strategic partner, rolling out a new cutting-edge head-office, back office, and stock management system to operate in thousands of its retail stores globally. BP RESET uses future-proofed technology in a far-reaching solution that updates and streamlines all of BP’s point of sale and back office systems and will form a future leading platform for BP’s digital strategy.

The solution also included developing digital applications for the client’s hand-held terminals to improve employee efficiencies on-site. In place of existing set-ups, REPL and BP implemented flexible cloud-based technology that can change and adapt as BP’s business demands evolves.

Introducing convenience retail best practice to fuel, BP and REPL joined their expertise to drive the new structure and to introduce a delivery model using agile tools and processes to improve quality and speed to market.

“With multiple operations, including 18,300 petrol stations across 50 countries, each with unique requirements, BP’s legacy systems landscape was complex. However, this played to one of our key strengths — a conviction that one size doesn’t fit all. As a world-class systems integrator, we took ownership of the programme delivery, including testing and integration,” said Mike Callender, executive chairman, REPL.

In order to support the initiative with BP, REPL invested heavily in a new Warwick-based tech hub that acts as a testing lab for the firm’s R&D automation testing.

“In a very joined up way BP, REPL and other partners formed a very strong delivery team that is running a global programme to build the foundation for BP’s digital strategy,” said Markus Krieger, programme director, BP.

“On the whole journey we were always pushing the edge by bringing innovation in all areas, from ways of working over commercial models to solution and test automation, including the use of robotics. Where delivered we can now access detailed data-driven insights to boost employee engagement and enablement, alongside delivering an exceptional customer experience. Thanks to a fully-integrated, intelligent set-up that has the ability to introduce the power of machine learning to the forecourt, speed, convenience and control will be possible for hundreds of our employees across our stores and head office, as well as our customers,” Krieger said.

Over the next five years, REPL will be leading the strategy to expand the programme scope to additional markets, resulting in an extension to a further 10 countries.