Walgreens Boots Alliance revs up global IT function with TCS

Walgreens Boots Alliance and Tata Consultancy Services have expanded their strategic partnership to advance WBA’s transformation of its global IT function by launching a new operating model for IT Run and Operational services.

This enables WBA to accelerate its digitalisation program to advance innovation for customers, drive organisational efficiencies across the company and further reduce its cost base.

The expansion of the partnership is based on WBA’s review of its IT operating model and vendor landscape. As a result, the WBA global IT team will focus on leading and supporting strategic technology projects that create customer value through the development of new digital products and services on its business platforms.

Following a period of transition, TCS will provide Run and Operational managed services, including application maintenance and support, infrastructure and security operations. The TCS approach will blend artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced software engineering to enhance operational resilience and boost productivity.

“WBA is building a scalable, sustainable and globally unified IT operating model that is focused on digital transformation, automation of service delivery and innovation,” said Francesco Tinto, SVP and global CIO at WBA.

“The TCS strategic partnership will enhance our ability to rapidly address evolving business needs, support large-scale global technology solutions and promote investment in truly differentiating capabilities through a modernised platform,” said Tinto.

Ashish Khurana, head of retail industry solutions at TCS, said they will leverage their contextual knowledge of WBA’s business ecosystem to harness the power of digital technologies to streamline and scale-up their IT operations, while helping accelerate transformational initiatives that enhance the customer experience.

The new WBA global IT operating model is part of the company’s strategic priority to save to invest to grow, while managing costs efficiently under the Transformational Cost Management Program.