The crucial switch here is the transition from monolith systems to microservices, and the speed and functionality this offers. The main challenge here is the switch itself. Designing these new interfaces can be challenging. Therefore, the biggest investment for companies is time spent in educating themselves with the new system. Once understood, however, it is much easier to operate. By developing with services, not servers, AWS applications are accessed on an ‘as required’ basis, as opposed to the ‘always on’ operation of monolith systems. This transition allows flexible scalability through the application’s vast availability, and a removal of cost when idle.

Velasco gave several current examples of these benefits in action, including Reuters ability to process 4000 requests per second, and Capital One’s auto scaling architecture, which ‘runs itself’ and ‘scales itself’. Commenting on AWS optimisation, he explained that ‘it runs in tandem alongside existing systems… but runs optimally when all functions become serverless’. 

We Created A Landscape

Mauro Rallo, CTO of foryouandyourcustomers Amsterdam, shared his experience in implementing AWS for HEMA’s ever-evolding multichannel landscape. He described this development as more of a ‘complex ecosystem of more than 20 different applications’. By using the Exploded View model – an architecturally inspired blueprint connecting analogue and digital output – a deep and integrated analysis was made between the various layers of business operations (customer, experience, organisation, performance, asset and data). The analysis identified the requirement for a more flexible and automated infrastructure – enter AWS. The infrastructure Amazon’s serverless system provides, created an elasticised and self-reliant system to support and develop HEMA’s on- and offline functions. The system’s power and efficiency was demonstrated in the Christmas sales spike.

Rallo echoed Velasco’s pinpointing of time and learning as the main challenge when switching to AWS. That said, he noted that once mastered, the serverless system is a joy to use. Mauro’s discussion outlined the ground-breaking synchronisation of processes that AWS provides – a toolbox of applications allowing comprehensive integration of on- and offline processes. ‘One of our values at foryouandyourcustomers is “surprisingly simple”’ and this is exactly how he described his experience in using AWS applications to create integrated digital infrastructures for businesses. ‘We wanted to find surprisingly simple solutions for our customers, and [AWS] is one of them’.

HEMA’s new vision called for a digital strategy that focused on what really matters, not on the accessories around it. For HEMA, what really matters is the customer experience. To focus on consumer experience requires a functional and reliable digital landscape. This is where AWS comes in, providing automated and flexible scaling. The focus of foryouandyourcustomers lies on functionality. AWS provides the architecture to allow HEMA to focus on customers and experience, with a centralised and synchronised system that would take care of logistics and organisation within itself.