(Image: Getty Images)
Morrisons is rolling out new software to improve store workload planning and support teams across its business.
The Bradford-based retailer has announced a partnership with Dallas-based Logile, a global provider of AI-powered connected workforce solutions, to streamline operations across its supermarkets, convenience stores and logistics network.
A key aim of the project is to move away from manual spreadsheet-based planning to a more automated system that supports teams on the ground.
'Our store managers have plans they can depend on'
Alex Rose, head of productivity at Morrisons, said: "Getting colleagues where customers need them most is the heart of what we do, and at our scale you need a reliable, shared foundation to get that right.
"A large supermarket and a local convenience store operate differently so our planning has to flex to those local needs while keeping central support consistent.
"When our store managers have plans they can depend on, they spend less time managing admin and more time supporting their colleagues and serving customers."
What will the new system bring?
The new system will provide greater visibility into daily workload requirements, helping central operations deliver more accurate and actionable insights for stores.
This will allow store teams to spend less time on paperwork and more time serving customers.
The rollout will begin with Logile’s Enterprise Standards Manager, which defines the work required for each operation, and workload planning tools that translate tasks into clear operational needs.
Other modules will support day-to-day planning and performance tracking across the business.
Logile is delivering the programme in partnership with FrontlineXP, which specialises in helping retailers simplify store processes and deliver consistent store-level support.
500 stores and 95,000 people employed
James Freshwater, vice president of UK EMEA and international at Logile, said: "UK grocers are increasingly focused on effectively supporting workload planning and operations, and the ones making progress start by agreeing on what the work actually is.
"Morrisons is doing that across its entire estate, from its largest supermarkets to its logistics sites, and that takes conviction from the top.
"Our part is to make that foundation accurate and simple for their teams to use every day, so the value shows up on the shop floor and in the warehouse."
Morrisons, which began as an egg and butter stall in Bradford in 1899, now operates around 500 stores, 1,700 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, and employs around 95,000 people.
The company also runs an online delivery service and has a wholesale business serving customers across the UK.