What's in IT?
Simon Liebling, IT Director
Alliance Healthcare IT provides a wide range of systems to keep the nation's prescriptions flowing from manufacturers through to pharmacies, doctors and hospitals.
We work closely with our colleagues throughout the business in the UK and internationally to ensure that new solutions meet our future needs and that existing systems operate seamlessly day in day out.
We like to make IT a fun place to work with plenty of variety ensuring there's never a dull moment.
The IT department
Based at our Head Office in Chessington, Surrey, the IT department is divided into four key functions:
IT Service Delivery
IT Service Delivery is the first point of contact for IT issues and requests within the company via the IT Service Desk and then onwards to either the application support teams within Service Delivery or Alliance Healthcare Division Production Services. We support all IT applications used within the company using our own knowledge and skills to fix known and common problems or by liaising with system experts from vendors or with the Alliance Healthcare divisional development teams. We also look after the PC, laptop and printer estate - buying, building and fixing them as necessary. We work closely with all the business teams at Head Office and at the Service Centres, along with our colleagues in Solutions Delivery and Production Services. The work we do is varied, challenging and rewarding, often problem solving complex issues under pressure to ensure the smooth running of all our IT systems. This requires good IT technical skills and knowledge of business. It is this variety that attracts our people along with the knowledge that doing an excellent job means that the company can continue to provide the best service to our customers.
IT Solution Delivery
The IT Solution Delivery Team is responsible for delivering all the new projects into Alliance Healthcare. The business engagement is facilitated by a Business System Manager who is responsible for certain business functions such as Finance, HR or Sales. Working with their function, they define the IT strategy and identify areas for improvement. Once approved, projects are managed and implemented by a team of project managers, business analysts, developers and testers. Current projects include web based portals, Business Intelligence, Sales Force Automation and large Infrastructure transformation projects.
Production Services
Production Services are responsible for the operation and technical support of our IT infrastructure. Operating on a 24/7 basis, we work closely with our colleagues within Service Delivery team to ensure that IT services are available to our business customers as and when required. We are also work with Solutions Delivery team to design and build new infrastructure required to deliver new business initiatives. Working within Production services is both challenging and rewarding due to the demanding and sometimes unexpected nature of the work we do.
IT Architecture
The IT Architecture team is a small team that helps make sure the UK Wholesale organisation is aligned with the group wholesale organisation as well as with Boots in Nottingham to make optimum use of IT. Specialist skills include business process, data and web. The team operates in a challenging and stimulating environment which provides immense job satisfaction as well as the opportunity to significantly influence the company IT direction.
Meet our people
Faiz, Service Desk Agent
"I enjoy working here as the people are great to work with"
I have been working for Alliance Healthcare for more than 6 years.
I started at the Chessington Service Centre as a warehouse operative, and I now work as part of the IT Service Desk team. My role involves providing support for any hardware or software related issues to the business. I enjoy working here as the people are great to work with and it is satisfying to know that I'm helping others to make a positive difference to the company.
Guy, Service Delivery Manager
"As long you are prepared to take on new challenges and learn new skills then there are always new opportunities"
I started work at Alliance Healthcare (UniChem as it was then) in 1983 as a junior programmer working on PC systems such as the pharmacy ordering system and the controlled drugs stock control system. I then designed and built customer and product profitability systems before moving into a business analysis role working on Y2K re-developments on our mainframe systems.
I then transferred into a Business Intelligence role and project managed the implementation of our first, and then our current, data warehouse systems.
Following the merger with Boots I spent a lot of time travelling to Nottingham helping to align the two companies' data and to build joint reporting systems.
I am currently working as a Service Delivery manager driving improvements to the reliability of our logistics systems and the efficiency of our support processes.
Over the years the company has grown and evolved and the technology we use is always changing. I have found that as long as you are prepared to take on new challenges and learn new skills then there are always new opportunities. I have not got bored yet.
Edna, Support Specialist
"I have worked on most platforms and applications, and have gained an invaluable insight into the business"
I joined Alliance Healthcare (then UniChem) in September 1989 as a Computer Programmer and have since been promoted a number of times to Senior Computer Programmer, Business Analyst and now I'm a Support Specialist.
In my roles I have worked on most platforms and applications - Warehouse & Sales Order Processing Systems as well as systems which have been developed In-house. This has given me a good understanding of the business processes, which is invaluable.
I have worked for Alliance Healthcare for over 21 years, during which time I have also raised my 3 children, who in turn have provided me with 3 wonderful grandchildren.
There are two main reasons I'm still here after 21 years - firstly it is the people, not only my team and IT department but all the people across all departments and service centres. You feel part of one big team, which includes the teams based in Italy and France.
The second reason is that no 2 days are the same so I'm always learning something new!
Ann, Business Systems Manager
"Alliance Healthcare has provided me with a number of opportunities in a company with a fast pace of change"
I joined Alliance Healthcare in 2004 as a Senior Business Analyst. After only a year I was promoted to Project Manager to support a new system implementation.
The merger with Boots in 2006 brought my team a lot of opportunities, and we worked closely with our colleagues in Nottingham to align both our product and supplier files. During this time I joined IT Leadership team and became the Communications Champion. I embraced the challenge of raising the profile of the IT department within the organisation.
In 2007 I was promoted to Information Manager and took on responsibility for the Workflow development team. Being a very customer focused person I enjoyed both the service and the projects side of my role. I also became the Data Protection officer responsible for Alliance Healthcare's compliance with the 1998 Data Protection Act.
The partnerships we have built with some of the UK's leading pharmaceutical manufacturers has given me the opportunity to work with external customers and the challenges and I have enjoyed the challenges this brings.
In November 2008 my daughter was born and I returned from maternity leave to a brand new role - Business Systems Manager (BSM). This is a business partnering role where I work with key stakeholders to define and support their IT roadmaps.
Alliance Healthcare has provided me with a number of opportunities in a company with a fast pace of change and I look forward to progressing my career further.