Albert Heijn Empowers Store Employees with AI Assistant

Albert Heijn, a leading Dutch supermarket chain, faced challenges in a tight labor market and aimed to optimize processes for their largely young, part-time workforce. To address this, the company developed a conversational AI assistant within its @AH Employee App using Azure OpenAI, Azure Kubernetes Service, and Azure Database PostgreSQL. The assistant answers store employees' questions related to their tasks and customer service on their mobile devices. The implementation, co-developed with Microsoft and EPAM, was rooted in deep user involvement: store employees contributed to the design, which led to high adoption and usability. The assistant integrates with barcode scanning and floorplanning features for product search and shelf management. Pilots across several stores showcased improvements in process efficiency and employee satisfaction. The tool delivers instant, in-context answers for everyday tasks, reducing the need for managerial support and enabling a more independent workforce. The generative AI platform on Azure ensures scalability and means the solution is ready to roll out to all owned stores. Its cultural impact has been significant, fostering excitement and a forward-looking mindset among staff. The project is setting a new standard for employee digital experience in retail and is expected to contribute to talent retention and workplace productivity. The adoption journey involved iterative prototyping and close feedback, ensuring the solution matched real-world workflows and generational preferences.