Sainsbury's IT chief hits back

Sainsbury's IT director says the retailer's computer systems are not to blame for the widely publicised problems with its supply chain.

Maggie Miller says the £140m write-off of technology assets announced last October was purely financial and the company is continuing with its previous IT strategy (Computing, 21 October).

Speaking exclusively to Computing, Miller defended the role of her department and partner Accenture in Sainsbury's recent supply chain problems.

'If we had IT issues to the extent reported in the general press, then one would expect us to have a large remedial programme in place,' said Miller. 'We haven't made any changes to our systems at all, because none was necessary.'

Miller says Sainsbury's has not decommissioned any systems as a result of last October's business review. She says the write-off related to system still in use, or not yet implemented.

'We have not made any unplanned changes or modifications. Nor have we changed our remaining rollout plans for the IT platform,' she said.

Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King had cited IT problems as a factor in the company's recent poor performance.

'Our supply chain systems and automated depots are not fully operational. And the IT systems that were built to back up that have not delivered,' he said in October.

But Miller says King was referring to systems outside the scope of the central IT platform.

'There was a lot of talk about problems with supply chain systems. This referred to the warehouse control systems in the automated warehouses, which had always been outside the scope of the internal IT team and Accenture,' she said.

'In November, the board asked that these systems be brought within [our] scope in order to improve their reliability. Our future rollout plans have not been changed and some of the new key directors are very pleased with the new systems.'

Miller is due to leave Sainsbury's at the end of March and will be succeeded by Angela Morrison, director of European strategy at Asda and formerly in charge of its IT.