​Specsavers eyes up Accenture for digital technology venture

Specsavers has chosen Accenture to help manage its technology as the high street optician prepares to become a digital business.

Under the terms of the five-year agreement, Accenture will support Specsavers’ applications and event monitoring to manage the performance of all of Specsavers’ business transactions.

According to both parties, the agreement is designed to help Specsavers reduce operating costs, improve speed to market, and increase the quality of its products and services.

Terms of the deal will see Accenture provide Specsavers with application maintenance, development, testing and infrastructure monitoring services across its IT landscape in 10 countries: New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

“Providing our customers with a great experience is at the heart of everything we do,” says Phil Pavitt, CIO, Specsavers.

“We want to deliver a superior service and make it easy for people to interact with us.

“By delivering cost savings and efficiencies, Accenture will help us provide our customers with an enhanced experience.”

Pavitt says the goal of the project - which includes helping Specsavers consolidate its existing technology landscape - is to provide Specsavers with a more-manageable application portfolio, with decreased risk and enhanced business services, and enable the company to focus on its goal of becoming a digital business.

“A strong IT infrastructure is critical to becoming digital, and businesses can no longer rely on all of the applications they once did,” adds Emma McGuigan, Senior Managing Director, Accenture Technology.

“To compete based on agility and speed, companies need to take these important steps towards faster, flexible and more-liquid applications to support dynamic business needs.

“Specsavers’ investment in its applications and infrastructure will help the company prepare for its future, support revenue growth and defend its market position.

“In addition, it paves the way to create new opportunities to serve their customers better.”