From code freezes and load testing to doorbuster inventory challenges, Hanuman Gali discusses the technical and operational steps retailers need to take before peak shopping season. by Doug Green “Peak doesn’t start on Black Friday.” That is one of the central messages from Hanuman Gali, Senior Technical Architect, in the second episode of Technology Reseller News’ multipart series on preparing IBM Sterling Order Management System (OMS) environments for peak retail demand. Speaking with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, Gali explains why successful Black Friday and holiday operations depend on decisions made months before customers begin shopping. Building on the first episode’s overview of peak readiness, this discussion examines the practical steps IT teams must take to protect system performance, maintain customer satisfaction and avoid costly disruptions. From governance and capacity planning to load testing and inventory management, Gali offers a detailed look at what retailers need to get right. Peak Readiness Begins Months Before Black Friday Retailers often focus on the days immediately preceding Thanksgiving and Black Friday, but Gali argues that preparation should begin two to three months earlier. Problems that surface during major sales events frequently originate from maintenance, cleanup or testing activities overlooked in September or October. He recommends establishing clear governance procedures, including code and configuration freezes, well ahead of major promotional events. Code freezes are especially important because last-minute production changes can introduce unexpected performance issues. Even changes that perform well in testing environments may behave differently under actual production conditions. Allowing several weeks between the final changes and major sales gives technical teams time to evaluate stability and address problems before transaction volumes increase. Building an Effective War Room Peak-season preparedness also requires a coordinated operational response. Gali describes an effective war room as more than a meeting place: it is an organized system of personnel, responsibilities, escalation procedures and resources designed to support continuous operations. Teams should establish rotating shifts to provide 24/7 coverage and ensure that everyone knows exactly how to respond when an issue occurs. The objective is to eliminate uncertainty during an incident. Instead of searching through documentation or determining responsibilities while systems are under pressure, teams should have established procedures and the right technical resources immediately available. This preparation can significantly reduce response times when problems threaten sales operations. Planning for Twice the Expected Traffic Retailers typically provide forecasts based on daily or hourly order volumes, but Gali emphasizes that technical teams must translate those projections into more detailed system requirements. IBM Sterling OMS environments must account for order lines, units, inventory availability requests, returns, transaction throughput and other activities that contribute to overall system load. Gali recommends preparing systems to handle 1.5 to 2 times forecast demand, recognizing that unexpected promotions, viral product demand or even a competitor’s outage can dramatically increase traffic. The consequences of underestimating demand extend beyond lost transactions. Customers who cannot complete purchases during time-sensitive promotions may abandon the retailer altogether, creating lasting damage to customer satisfaction. Load Testing and the Doorbuster Challenge Effective load testing requires an environment that closely mirrors production, including infrastructure, network connectivity, storage and system capacity. Gali cautions that testing against an undersized environment can produce misleading results, leaving teams unprepared for actual shopping conditions. He also emphasizes that production customer data should not be used in lower testing environments. One particularly interesting challenge involves doorbuster promotions, where thousands of shoppers may simultaneously attempt to purchase the same limited-availability product. These transactions can create database contention as multiple requests attempt to access and update the same inventory record, slowing performance and potentially affecting order processing. Gali explains how Sterling OMS capabilities for handling high-demand items, including hot SKU management and safety stock configuration, can help retailers manage these situations. The key is identifying likely doorbuster products, configuring the appropriate controls and testing them before peak demand arrives. Preparing for What Comes Next This second installment provides a practical framework for organizations responsible for keeping retail order management systems operating during the industry’s most demanding period. Gali’s message is that peak readiness requires a combination of early planning, realistic capacity testing, disciplined change management and operational coordination. The series continues with a deeper examination of database health, messaging, integrations, monitoring and alerting, operational runbooks, security certificates, housekeeping and post-peak activities. Together, the episodes offer retailers and their technology partners a comprehensive approach to maintaining reliable IBM Sterling OMS operations through the holiday shopping season.