Retail Support Without the Hassle: Our AI Project withCity Beach
In the fast-paced world of retail, providing immediate support to staff at the point of sale (POS) can make all the difference. Recently, we had the opportunity to work with one of Australia’s leading retailers, City Beach, to develop a conversational AI agent. The goal? To create a solution that reduces IT support demands while being cost-effective and easy to use.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the project, how we approached the problem, and what we learned along the way.
The Challenge
City Beach found that their POS staff were frequently contacting IT for help with everyday tasks like processing refunds, handling Afterpay, or closing the store. These interruptions not only slowed down operations but also created a heavy load for their IT support team.
They needed an efficient solution that could help staff get answers quickly without escalating routine issues—and they didn’t want to break the bank in the process.
The Solution
We built a Microsoft AI conversational agent using Microsoft Azure services. The agent is designed to provide instant, step-by-step answers to staff questions by indexing and understanding documentation stored in SharePoint.
Key features include:
- Contextual Understanding: The bot doesn’t just link to documents; it delivers detailed instructions for questions like “How do I process a refund?”
- Cost-Effectiveness: By using Azure OpenAI and Azure Search, the solution avoids the need for individual Copilot licenses, saving City Beach thousands of dollars each month.
How It Works
The bot uses Microsoft’s Azure tools to keep things simple yet powerful:
- Azure OpenAI: Powers natural language understanding, so the bot can interpret and respond to queries.
- Azure Search: Quickly indexes SharePoint documents, making it easy to retrieve answers.
- Web App Service: Hosts the bot as a web-based application, easily accessible to retail staff.
For example, if a new employee asks, “How do I close the store?” the bot provides clear, step-by-step instructions directly from their internal policies.
Why It Matters
This conversational AI isn’t just about answering questions—it’s about creating a smoother workflow:
- New or inexperienced staff can quickly get up to speed without needing constant help from colleagues or IT.
- IT teams spend less time on repetitive queries, focusing instead on higher-value tasks.
- Customers benefit from faster service at the POS.
What’s Next
City Beach is already exploring future enhancements, like integrating the bot into Microsoft Teams for even easier access. There’s also potential to use the bot for tasks like generating tickets in ServiceNow or providing deeper analytics on common queries.
Key Takeaway
This project highlights how Microsoft AI can be tailored to solve real-world challenges in cost-effective ways. For City Beach, the result was reduced IT workloads, empowered staff, and significant savings on licensing costs.
We’re excited to keep sharing insights like these. If you’re curious about how AI can help your business, follow along on LinkedIn for more projects and lessons learned!
