Perform Partners Helped a Global Retailer Avoid £15M in Costs, Earning Double Recognition at the UK IT Industry Awards

Perform Partners has been recognised with two nominations at the UK IT Industry Awards 2025 for its successful delivery of a complex global data centre exit for a major international retailer. In under ten months, the ten-person change squad completed a transformation that could span several years, helping the retailer avoid over £15 million in licence renewal costs and modernise its global infrastructure.

Delivering Change at Pace, with Precision

Across industries, many organisations face the challenge of balancing operational continuity with the need to modernise ageing technology estates. Renewal costs often rival the investment required for transformation, yet the perceived risks of disruption delay progress.

Our recent engagement demonstrates that modernisation can be achieved efficiently and safely when executed with strong governance, discipline, and collaboration. The Perform team completed a global transformation in less than a year, proving that pace and precision can coexist in enterprise change. The project replaced legacy infrastructure with a hybrid multi-cloud environment, built to enhance agility, resilience, and governance while maintaining uninterrupted operations throughout delivery.

Recognised for Excellence: UK IT Industry Awards 2025

For this project, Perform Partners has been shortlisted in two categories at this year’s awards: Team of the Year and Technology Refresh Project of the Year,  acknowledging both the calibre and the scale behind the team’s delivery.

Team of the Year

The team’s nomination recognises their ability to manage a highly compressed timeline and significant risk profile without compromise. Our team maintained clear alignment between multiple suppliers and internal stakeholders, ran parallel workstreams to sustain momentum, and demonstrated exceptional adaptability even when faced with challenges.

When an unplanned event emerged mid-project, the team restructured delivery sequences and introduced additional releases, safeguarding operations during the retailer’s trading blackout period. Their ability to remain composed and decisive ensured delivery remained on schedule and disruption was avoided.

Technology Refresh Project of the Year

This category highlights the innovative delivery model applied to a complex, global enterprise environment. By adopting a minimum viable platform strategy, Perform Partners initiated migrations early while simultaneously enhancing governance and security. This innovative approach enabled rapid progress without compromising control or compliance.

The project delivered a modern, hybrid multi-cloud ecosystem across AWS VMC, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, IBM Cloud, and on-premise platforms. It cut technical debt by more than half, significantly strengthened security and compliance, and provided the retailer with a stable foundation for ongoing digital growth. The result is a future-ready environment that paves the way for further modernisation, optimisation, and the adoption of emerging technologies.

“This programme stands out as one of the most dynamic and high-impact transformations we’ve delivered. Coordinating multiple migrations, six major suppliers, and a vast portfolio of global applications, our team achieved seamless delivery at pace and scale. I’m incredibly proud of how our people combined precision, collaboration, and adaptability to not just meet expectations but to set a new benchmark for delivery excellence.”
— Paul Rhodes, Co-Founder & Director, Perform Partners

Celebrating Industry Achievement

Both shortlistings reflect the impact of that work; not just in what was delivered, but in how it was delivered. They recognise a disciplined, collaborative approach that made a complex global transformation both achievable and sustainable.

Now in its 15th year, the UK IT Industry Awards, jointly organised by Computing and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, remain among the most respected accolades in the UK technology sector. Judged by independent panels through live presentations, the awards celebrate measurable delivery and innovation across projects, teams, and organisations, driving excellence in IT.