Why a DigitalRetail Academy at Carrefour?
Veronique Cornier: We have 320,000 employees within the Carrefour group. Our challenge is to get everyone on board without exception in order to transform our traditional distribution group – admittedly already equipped with e-commerce resources – into a “DigitalRetail company” that places digital and data at the heart of its model. Thanks to this academy, we have powerful programs to acculturate to digital and tech. By 2024, the DRA will have trained all of the group’s employees.
How did you organize the training for this DRA?
We have structured them into four main topics: digital commerce (which of course includes e-commerce, but also all the new digital solutions for doing business differently), the technology and the data rather intended for our experts, and the digital mindset.
Does everyone follow the same training?
No, because we take into account the specific needs of each other. This is why we have developed a wide range of training courses adapted to each internal audience.
✔️ What do you offer in-store operations in this DRA?
They are already used to training via an e-learning platform. We have therefore added a chain of digital training courses. They can thus find very didactic 20-minute videos that explain how data, the cloud, big data, etc. work. The objective: to involve each employee in the digital transformation of Carrefour.
✔️ And your head office business managers, what are they training in?
They need a broad spectrum of training that ranges from acculturation to in-depth knowledge of certain subjects (without going as far as expertise, however). They improve their skills in particular in the use of data or the handling of useful dashboards for the management of the activity.
✔️ What’s in store for Tech Experts in the DRA?
One might think that they do not need to be trained since they are experts. On the contrary, they are looking for top-level training to stay at the cutting edge. Among the training systems, we have a partnership with Google which gives them access to the Coursera platform, where they can train for a year on one or more subjects of their choice. The training is open to all the countries of the group.
You organized a competition called Cloud Heroes for your tech and data talents, for what purpose?
Our idea was to unite our tech and data talents during an inter-country competition. And it was a resounding success: 1,100 people connected all over the world on a Friday in June at 2 p.m. (Paris time). They challenged each other for 3 hours on Google dataviz solutions using BigQuery. In the end, three winners and very positive feedback from the teams.
You have a young apprentice from Institut Mines-Telecom Business School in your direction. What does it bring you?
Yes, Lewis Delbauche joined us at the start of the year as part of his work-study program at IMT-BS. As he is familiar with metaverses, he proposed to deal with this subject within the framework of the major trade show that we organized on all the group’s digital initiatives. In addition, Lewis also takes care of our blog Horizons by Carrefour, through which he highlights, with a young and dynamic look, our subjects related to digital.
And what is your role?
Since 2022, I am director of digital transformation at Carrefour. I have 3 missions: setting up the DigitalRetail Academy, ensuring change management around digital and developing digital talents. These are cross-functional missions that require coordination with all departments, in particular the group’s HR teams, and the digital teams in all countries.
A word from Lewis Delbauche, IMT-BS apprentice at Carrefour
“As part of my work-study program at IMT-BS, I joined Carrefour’s digital transformation department more than a year ago. I found it fascinating to see the emergence of both the DigitalRetail Academy and all the digital innovations serving business. My colleagues appreciate my versatility, I believe. As I am interested in digital, I am delighted to be able to carry out projects with passionate teams. It’s also very stimulating to involve all the employees who ask to know more. My only regret ? Time has passed too quickly! IMT-BS gave me the right reading keys to succeed in integrating myself into a CAC40 group in full transformation. For 3 years, my school has been training me in digital subjects, which has allowed me to be proactive within my company. It’s an exceptional opportunity and, I hope, a career booster! »
