M&S has deployed an artificial intelligence-based platform to unify employee communication channels and simplify in-store operations for 80,000 colleagues working across 700 stores.

The High Street retailer’s collaboration with supply chain management platform JDA has deployed Microsoft Team technology to help stores co-ordinate staff and ensure they are working the right shift at the right time.

The retailer is one also one of the first JDA customers to leverage new integration with Teams, so colleagues can connect and collaborate via desktop or mobile. The platform gives data analytics in one place to help staff see and swap shifts, review their schedule and make changes to working patterns.

M&S retail, operations and property director Sacha Berendji said: “Working with JDA and key ecosystem partners, we now have a powerful, efficient, insight-driven advanced scheduling system in place that allows us to be more agile in the way we run our store operations.”

Mark Morgan, chief revenue officer at JDA, added: “We’re proud to play such a vital role in M&S’ transformed workforce management strategy, delivering capabilities like long-range staffing, the ability to build optimal and accurate schedules, coupled with the self-service requirements today’s workforce demands.”

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