Monday 20 October 2025
COLES PARTNERSHIP WITH MICROSOFT TRANSFORMS PEOPLE AND CULTURE EXPERIENCE WITH AI SOLUTION
Coles has rolled out a generative AI assistant to its 115,000 team members, that is saving team members valuable administrative time – giving them more time to help the millions of customers who shop at Coles each week.
The mycoles Assistant was developed as part of Coles’ strategic partnership with Microsoft, with a clear vision to implement cutting-edge AI solutions that drives productivity and enhances the way its 115,000 team members engage with its People and Culture team.
From team members looking for clarity on leave entitlements, to store managers seeking guidance on rostering, the virtual mycoles Assistant can quickly provide answers and point users to the right information and tools.
By handling routine enquiries, the virtual agent affords Coles’ People and Culture team more space to prioritise more complex cases and gives team members more time to help customers.
Coles General Manager of People & Culture Shared Services, Davin D’Silva, said the AI virtual assistant is helping to quickly answer more routine enquiries and is a big hit with team.
“We are already seeing the AI assistant respond to more than 15,000 questions every month, which is ultimately freeing up time for our People and Culture teams to focus on more complex questions from our team.
“This virtual assistant is freeing up time for our team right across the business to focus on what matters most – our customers. In total, we estimate that the mycoles Assistant will save managers and team members a total of more than 30,000 hours every year, which is a massive boost to productivity.”
Microsoft’s secure technology is playing a pivotal role in Coles’ digital transformation efforts, providing a flexible and safe digital environment to innovate with AI.
Coles General Manager of Data and Artificial Intelligence, Caroline O’Brien, said the partnership with Microsoft is helping Coles to build on its strong foundations – as it takes a considered approach to its use of AI.
“It’s exciting to see AI use cases like this come to life, where we are using AI to deliver competitive advantages in the market. We are looking for ways that we can improve the experience for our team, drive productivity and improve the experience of our customers.
Microsoft ANZ Vice President, Jo Dooley, said Microsoft’s ongoing partnership with Coles was delivering real world benefits in a measured and intentional way.
“As the retail industry continues to undergo significant transformation, forward thinking companies are exploring how to leverage technology to better serve their customers and employees. The work is ongoing, but the vision is clear. Coles is proving that AI, deployed thoughtfully, securely and responsibly, can lead to a superior retail experience.”
Coles and Microsoft will continue to explore new opportunities and areas of collaboration as part of their long-term strategic partnership.
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