The perfect fit: Unlocking new value with GenAI
KPMG is helping a global footwear leader expand artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and develop powerful new applications
The perfect fit: Unlocking new value with GenAI
KPMG is helping a global footwear leader expand artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and develop powerful new applications
Client
Leading global footwear retailer
Industry
Consumer and retail
Primary Goal
Unlock new capabilities and value through GenAI development and deployment
Technology
AI platform leveraging GenAI LLMs, data integration, automation, and cloud tools
Our client, a leading global footwear retailer and innovator, was intrigued by the dynamic potential of generative AI (GenAI). But the company knew that chasing technology in the name of “innovation” was not a winning strategy. Delivering impactful change begins with your people, so the company asked KPMG to help it build and deploy a secure framework and environment for GenAI-enabled solutions that focused on technology development as well as business adoption and value creation. Here’s how KPMG helped this client empower its people, deploying several new GenAI-driven innovations for multiple teams.
Client transformation journey
A key consideration from the start was not to simply chase technology for the sake of technology. This is about being business led, and technology enabled. In other words, how can AI and modern tech enable and accelerate desired business outcomes? How can AI help the growth agenda, drive efficiency, and improve workforce and customer experience? What value can we capture for Sales and Marketing, HR, Finance, or any other key function? How do you empower your workforce? The client really appreciated the impact and linkage to key value levers.
Martin Sokalski
Principal, Advisory, US Technology Leader for Consumer & Retail, KPMG US
KPMG began working with the company on a series of agile initiatives to expand its overall AI/GenAI awareness, establish a secure development framework, and test and launch initial proof-of-concept (POC) use cases for several different business functions. Our KPMG resources on this project have included teams from technology strategy and architecture, emerging technologies, AI centers of excellence (CoE), and enterprise innovation. This cross-functional group quickly provided the client with extensive on-the-ground AI and GenAI experience and capabilities. We also brought in subject matter specialists who cover more than a dozen different business functions to help nail down recommendations and leading practices for functional value capture.
The secure new AI platform went live for corporate staff and has already produced multiple value-creating business solutions. We continue to work closely with the company on platform operations, optimizations, and ongoing AI-enabled business transformation.
Here’s a closer look at three key foundational initiatives to date:
Our work kicked off with a KPMG Ignition session, a deep-dive innovation workshop that included:
Next, we worked with client teams to establish an overall roadmap for adoption and scaling of the AI platform in a test environment. Key steps in this POC phase included:
The client’s custom AI platform was rolled out in a live production environment for the company’s more than 4,500 global corporate staff, and KPMG continues to work with the company to enhance and scale the platform. Key steps in this phase included:
“People, process, and technology.” It’s a tried-and-true mantra to guide enterprise performance and innovation. But for our client, there’s a reason that “people” comes first. Empowering its people has always been core to the company’s culture and values. And it’s why user adoption and enablement is the top key performance indicator for the company on its AI and GenAI initiatives. For our client, success is about much more than simply identifying new cost savings or improving operational efficiencies. It’s about giving its people the tools they need to continuously expand their capabilities, drive innovation, accelerate growth, and thrive in the workplace.
Our teams have extensive experience with both AI and GenAI technologies. We’ve helped clients with a wide range of AI and GenAI initiatives, including overall AI strategy; jumpstarting the AI journey; trusted AI; empowering the workforce through L&D, change, adoption, and value capture; and technology deployment, support, and optimization. We’re here to guide you with an AI strategy that elevates your business, drives value, ignites growth, and sparks innovation. You can with AI.
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