In this session, learn how Shop Direct is leveraging the cloud to drive success in digital retail.

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Customer stories: Shop Direct
Chris Elleman, Solutions Architect – AWS
Andrew McKinnon, Environment Architect –

2. Provides
architectural
guidance
and
training
Helps
customers
receive
the
best
value
from
AWS
services
Provide
technical
support
and
guidance
Provide
accounts
/
billing
support
and
guidance
AWS
Professional
Services
AWS
Partners
Technical
Account
Manager
Enterprise
Support
Engineers
Concierge
Team
Solu;ons
Architects
Account
Manager
Customer
<customer>@amazon
AWS account team for Shop Direct

3. AWS support
Basic Developer Business Enterprise
Customer Service - 24x7x365 ü ü ü ü
Support Forums ü ü ü ü
Documentation, White Papers, Best
Practice Guides
ü ü ü ü
Access to Technical Support Support for Health
Checks
Email (local
business hours)
Phone, Chat, Email,
Live Screen Sharing
(24/7)
Phone, Chat, Email,
Live Screen
Sharing, TAM (24/7)
Response Time <12 hours <1 hour <15 minutes
3rd Party Software Support - Beta ü ü
AWS Trusted Advisor - Beta ü ü
Infrastructure Event Management Contact Us for
Pricing
ü
Direct Access to Technical Account
Manager (TAM)
ü
aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport

4. Supporting activities through peak
Starting in
Development
1. Cloud Surgeries
• Regular cadence – every week
on-site
• Attend morning stand-ups
• AWS service updates
• Deep-dive on AWS topics – HA
on singleton instances
During Testing and
Peak Trading Days
2. Infrastructure Event
Management (IEM)
• Whilst non functional test
runs were happening
• During Peak Trading Days
(Cyber Monday)
• Heightened level of support
from AWS engineers
Continued Operations
3. Service Review Calls
• Held with the Ecommerce
team
• Track activity and issues
• Run through open and closed
Support Calls
Cloud Surgery

5. Andrew McKinnon
Environment Architect, Shop Direct
Shop Direct: leveraging the cloud
to drive success in digital retail

6. Our purpose

7. Our brands
!
• Explosive growth !
• Very largest brand £0.7bn!
• Heritage proposition!
• Limited growth online!
• Huge market potential!
• Double digit growth !
YOUNGER FAMILIES! STRIVING FAMILIES! MATURE 50+!

8. Our transformation
SURVIVAL-LED!
2003-07!
Integration and
consolidation!
BUSINESS-LED!
2007-12!
Catalogue to!
etail capabilities !
CUSTOMER-LED!
2012-today!
Vision for world!
class digital !

9. Why cloud?
Scale of our business! Fluctuating customer
demand!
Reduce !
cost base!

10. Why AWS?
• Flexible and dynamic
• Efficient and reliable
• Highly cost-effective

11. Project goals
Improve
stability!
Increase
flexibility!
Enhance agility! Reduce
costs!

12. The project itself

13. The different stages
• Provisioned supporting environment
• Produced standalone ‘test’ offering for Very.com (former
international brand)
• Repeatedly built and tore down environments based on
configuration in Amazon accounts
• Class size selection
• Brand by brand migration

14. The challenges
Starting from
nothing!
Scaling!
up!
Decoupling
systems!
Keeping on
track!

15. Overcoming the challenges
• Support of AWS and Oracle Consulting
• Automation – repeatable build
• Flexibility to fail fast
• Building blocks for innovation

16. The benefits
Increased site
availability!
Record order!
rates recorded!
Increase in online
sales!

17. The long term picture
Optimised!
storage!
Personalisation via
big data!
Experimentation!
at scale!

18. A few pointers
• Don’t change for change’s sake
• S3 as delivery mechanism
• Decouple – use application web service
calls wisely
• Use your Amazon account team

19. Supporting activities going forward
Cloud Surgeries
• Regular cadence – every 2
weeks on-site
• Deep-dive on AWS topics – blue
green deployment and scaling
Environment Right-Sizing
and Cost Reduction
• Utilise new Instance Types
• Using new Billing and Cost
Management Information
• Exploring Reserved
Instances
Support New Strategic
Initiatives
• Professional Services Team
Engaged
• Leveraging cross industry
knowledge
Cloud Surgery