PIPELINE PLANS FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

From new megastores to improved results we’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved over the last 12 months. But our triumphs didn’t just happen by chance – they’re all a result of vigorous planning and behind-the-scenes pipework.

Looking back at 2016

As a newly merged business, Dixons Carphone has come on leaps and bounds over the past year. We’ve not only had a great year from a sales perspective, but our customer experience statistics are also the best they’ve ever been (not to say there isn’t lots more to do!). Add to that another 50 brand new 3-in-1 stores (now nearly at 300), containing a Carphone Warehouse within a Currys PC World superstore – and you could say it’s been a pretty great year for us!

Plumbing investments

Not all of our successes are visible though. We’ve also started to invest in our back office plumbing to improve our systems, ensuring that we have an up-to-date infrastructure sitting behind support functions like HR and Finance. And that’s where I come in.

As the chief corporate plumber it’s my job to work behind-the-scenes; I’m not involved in the daily operations of the business. Instead, my role is to make sure our ‘pipes’ are ready. Throughout the year, my team and I work on supply chain projects to ensure our infrastructure can cope with demand, which is especially important at this time of year.

Surprisingly however, the lead up to Christmas isn’t an especially busy time for me. This is because the preparation for the festive period is done months in advance and our projects from the year are already performing. So instead, my team and I must watch how the plumbing copes and think of ways we can improve it for the next busy period.

Preventing leaks

When it comes to plumbing, there are of course going to be some leaks. One particular challenge we were faced with this year was how we would set up our services business. Before they came together, Dixons Retail and Carphone Warehouse each had a service company: Knowhow and Geek Squad. And, with so many different elements, merging the two has been a challenge.

But, to fix this potential leak, we set up a team that is totally focused on combining the two businesses – working on the transition full-time from start to finish, to ensure the projects success. For us, it’s all about putting the right people on the job. We’re extremely people-focused here and it’s our team that drive our success.

The year ahead

So what’s in store for 2017’s plumbing? With nobody really sure of what Brexit will bring, we’ll be particularly focused on where we invest during this time of uncertainty. To make sure we maximise returns both for the year ahead and the years to come, we’ll spend our money wisely and change our delivery model where it’s appropriate. But whatever happens we’ll continually transform, change and focus on the things that really matter to our customers.

Planning for the future

My New Year’s resolution is to build and lead one virtual change community across Dixons Carphone, where everybody works in a common language to deliver the best possible outcome for both our customers and our stakeholders. At the moment we don’t have that, so we need to build our own way of getting stuff done here at DC to ensure the very best outcomes for our business.

When laying pipework for the future, it’s crucial that you know what the business’ end goal is. You’ve got to really understand the company’s requirements before you do anything. Whatever the project, the key is to understand the output you want from the plumbing, otherwise your plans and preparations could go to waste.

Interested in a career in planning and strategic project delivery? Find out more about Project Management jobs at Dixons Carphone.