The Challenge
The CIO of an iconic apparel and accessories retailer was two years into a planned one-year POS and EMV compliance upgrade when they reached out to Sophelle for help. He knew his team didn’t have enough experience in the new compliance standards and they were struggling with poor requirements and no testing protocols for certification. To make matters worse, project delays were causing more requirements to be added and executive leadership was not happy.
Sophelle’s Assessment
Through initial discovery, Sophelle found the following:
- Experience with EMV certification processes was needed to
- Experience with the payment software company, bank, and payment processor was needed to
- Expertise was required for EMV and payment solution certification best practices.
- Project management processes needed improvement to handle new requirements being introduced midstream.
Solution
Sophelle landed experienced payment solution experts. The project was led by a Sophelle Subject Matter Expert with years of hands-on experience with many other leading retailers. Sophelle provided a Project Manager and Technical Analyst who had worked with the same bank and payment software. And Sophelle executives oversaw the project to ensure its success.
Sophelle changed the project approach to incorporate payment solution best practices such as self-assessment protocols and scheduled testing. Sophelle introduced new project management processes to incorporate greater discipline and accountability. Sophelle leveraged its vast experience with the bank and payment processor to recommend altering their approach to minimize slack in the timeline. Sophelle was able to reuse many of its test assets to reduce test cycle time and increase test coverage and quality.
Result
The project was a phenomenal success. The CIO said, “I had no right to ask Sophelle to do what they did, but they did it.” Sophelle completed what the CIO had hope would be a nine month project in only six months… and came in under budget.
Sophelle, an experienced provider of management and technology consulting services to the retail industry, helps both emerging and Fortune 500 clients achieve their business and technology objectives by delivering sound, flexible strategies, and reliable, efficient solutions. We help retailers create compelling customer experiences in stores, online, and throughout the customer journey because we are committed to client success and satisfaction. Sophelle generates measurable value in the areas of IT strategy, selection, implementation, and support. Sophelle’s No Surprises approach delivers solutions on time and on budget. For more information visit www.sophelle.com
