Asda Avoids Penalty After Deadline Extension for £800M IT Upgrade

Asda has successfully avoided financial penalties after its former owner Walmart extended the deadline for a critical £800 million IT overhaul. The supermarket had been struggling to migrate its systems away from Walmart’s technology, a process referred to as 'Project Future', which aims to untangle thousands of programs tied to checkouts, administration, and payroll. Despite missing the original February deadline, Asda reported significant progress, successfully migrating many business operations to new systems. However, the project has faced challenges, including a botched IT update that resulted in payroll errors for employees and issues with customer orders. Asda's spokesperson emphasized ongoing positive relations with Walmart, which continues to support the implementation. The extension comes at a crucial time for Asda, which has been experiencing a decline in sales.