Barbeques Galore is working to lay data foundations and identify “priority areas” for AI use across its business, formalising its efforts with a new strategy and roadmap.
Barbeques Galore
The retailer outlined its artificial intelligence plans in a LinkedIn post, where it said it would also tap Kodora.ai to help with the work.
Kodora.ai, which builds solutions using both Microsoft and H20.ai, will now “[identify] priority areas” for Barbeques Galore and set out a “broader roadmap to work through”, Barbeques Galore CEO Angus McDonald told iTnews.
McDonald said Barbeques Galore is already deploying process automation and machine learning technologies in several parts of its business.
However, it has ambitions to “embed AI into the fabric” of the company, chasing improvements around decision-making, supply chain efficiency and consumer data visibility through AI solutions, including generative AI.
McDonald said the development of a company-wide AI roadmap marked “an important resetting of the horizon” for AI in Barbeques Galore.
“The rapid development of AI is opening up a new frontier in business process improvement that will have a tremendous impact on every industry over coming years,” he said.
Melbourne-based consultancy and AI tool developer Kodora will now help Barbeques Galore build a “more robust foundations around data” and introduce the use of GenAI.
“While we have a number of our team exploring these technologies already in our business, we felt it important to bring in the expertise of Kodora.ai to help establish the right frameworks and foundations to support successful adoption,” said McDonald.
Barbeques Galore sells outdoor cooking appliances, outdoor furniture and accessories and has over 90 stores across the country.
Over the past four years, the retailer has also implemented a new enterprise resource planning system, customer relationship management (CRM) order management system, as well as a cloud-based online marketplace platform.
