Levi Strauss is a brand with almost 175 years of history that has set itself the goal of leading innovation in Artificial Intelligence within the retail sector through strategic projects. “Levi was the inventor of jeans, so we have always felt comfortable being pioneers,” says Sheena Kunhiraman, vice president of People Systems and HR Analytics at Levi Strauss & Co., referring to the transformation projects promoted by the company.
The company is developing two large transformation projects simultaneously. The first focuses on the relationship with its customers, whom they call “fans” to recognize the exceptional level of loyalty that Levi’s jeans arouse, and which is materialized in different consumer-oriented projects.
“At Levi’s we are committed to becoming a company completely focused on our fans, with a consumer-oriented model that places the customer at the center of everything we design and offer,” explains Shirk. The other big bet takes shape in projects aimed at modernizing and simplifying the employee experience. Both initiatives, and all these projects, have technology as a key piece. “This goal is only viable with advanced digital solutions,” adds Shirk.
Handling large volumes of data
In the past, inconsistencies hindered how employees connected to meetings, used applications, and managed access to them, making it difficult to move forward on various internal projects. “Our biggest challenge was the differences in the way devices were delivered to employees,” explains Willem Lock, Director of Customer Services at Levi Strauss & Co.
For Lisa Stirling, vice president of Finance in the US and Canada, the shift to a more direct consumer-oriented model brought with it an avalanche of documents and records that directly impacted financial projects. “Now we have to handle a lot more data,” he says.
Ryan Katreeb, CFO at the company, experienced first-hand how overwhelming the volume of data had become and how it was affecting his analytics projects. “I’ve gone through two different devices and neither supported the workload I needed,” he explains. Those tasks included summarizing about 20,000 lines of data into a monthly report, a key requirement for several strategic projects. “It was very frustrating,” he admits.
Building consistency and a modern foundation
Currently, Levi Strauss & Co. has security as a priority in all its technological processes and projects. “One of the first steps on our path was to deploy Microsoft Intune on all the company’s devices,” explains Michael Womack, vice president of Technology Services at Levi Strauss & Co., referring to one of the most relevant projects.
The implementation of Microsoft Intune helped unify and simplify reporting, making it easier to execute new projects. “Now, wherever any employee is, when they receive a new laptop, they simply log in and their applications are installed automatically,” says Lock. “Reporting and project planning are much easier,” he adds. This advancement also accelerated the migration to Windows 11, which has become a standard within the company and the basis for future projects.
Accelerate the pace of business
A standard endpoint management solution and a solid operating system have been the basis for Levi Strauss & Co.’s next strategic move: promoting new projects supported by the full potential of Artificial Intelligence. This led the company to opt for the Surface Copilot+ PC as a platform for these projects.
Katreeb, who previously feared his team would crash while processing large volumes of data for different projects, describes the change as “phenomenal.” “My anxiety level has gone down a lot,” he says.
The combination of Windows 11 and Copilot+ PC takes productivity to the next level and accelerates the execution of key projects. “Having Microsoft 365 Copilot integrated into Windows 11 and my daily tools makes everything part of my workflow,” says Katreeb.
Jason Gowans explains why new hardware makes a difference in project delivery. “A Copilot+ PC with Windows 11 makes everything much easier and helps us deliver a top-notch experience to our employees,” he says.
Reduce project deadlines
With AI capabilities at their fingertips, employees can focus on business goals and advance their projects faster. “Bringing Copilot to the entire workforce gives us the opportunity to innovate at the pace the market demands,” says Womack, highlighting the direct impact on corporate projects.
The combination of Windows 11 and Copilot+ PC takes organizational productivity to the next level and accelerates the execution of key projects
Stirling and his team put that innovation into practice by creating a Copilot agent to audit documents and simplify processes, one of the most ambitious projects in finance. Kunhiraman experienced a similar situation when he and his team developed a Copilot agent to help employees find information about benefits, adding new automation projects.
Become a pioneering company
What is the next step for a company that has always been a pioneer? Levi Strauss & Co. works together with Microsoft in the creation of Rivet, one of the company’s most strategic projects. This solution will make Microsoft Teams the single access point for employees and make it easier to coordinate future projects.
All of this, combined with devices such as the Copilot+ PC, helps Levi Strauss & Co. boost its Artificial Intelligence projects and move towards an innovative future of retail. “Copilot is a tool that brings us closer to that fan-centered model, allowing us to make faster and more efficient decisions in our projects,” concludes Derek Shirk.
