Coles partners with Microsoft for digital transformation
Australian retailer Coles has announced a partnership with Microsoft and its Azure cloud platform.
The strategic partnership has been signed to accelerate Coles’ digital transformation, with the implementation of Azure technologies said to offer improvements for staff and customers.
One of the main goals of the partnership is to increase efficiency and productivity. Coles’ applications will be migrated to Azure, and Coles will also make use of Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 enterprise resource planning software and Office 365.
Coles Chief Information and Digital Officer Roger Sniezek said: “This strategic partnership builds on our long-standing relationship with Microsoft and will enable the Smarter Selling pillar of our strategy through efficiency and pace of change. We’re very confident that Microsoft will empower us to achieve more.
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“By moving to the Azure cloud we will be able to simplify our operations and deliver at pace. The Azure-based Enterprise Data Platform will allow us to execute advanced analytics and artificial intelligence across all areas of our business at extreme scale. Dynamics 365 will power a few of our business units, driving simplicity, speed, and robust processes. Coupled with the innovation lab and full executive support from Microsoft, this is an incredibly broad strategic partnership that demonstrates Coles’ commitment to win together with our team members, suppliers and the communities we serve in our second century.”
Coles also touts the potential for the deployment of AI in the service of data analytics, powering innovations in its stores and supply chain.
Judson Althoff, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Worldwide Commercial Business, said: “As the retail industry continues to undergo massive transformation, forward thinking companies are exploring how to leverage technology to better serve their customers and employees. We are excited to bring our global retail experience to Coles. Through our partnership, we will support Coles to provide personalised, seamless experiences for shoppers using AI, offer a more productive workplace for team members through modern collaboration tools and help them unlock better business insights through our advanced analytics solutions.”
