How does an international group with 900 retail locations deploy an AI assistant for its sales network and IT support in four languages? The Schmidt Group shares its experience in this webinar hosted by Alban Costa, CEO of Wikit, and Stéphane Hesler, Head of IT Support and Retail Deployment. Topics covered: project background, key milestones, measurable results, and tips for a successful large-scale AI deployment.
Key Takeaways from This Webinar
- The Schmidt Group has rolled out two AI agents: Woody for in-store sales associates and Nano for headquarters staff, integrated into the sales management tool and Microsoft Teams, respectively.
- The project covers four languages (French, English, Spanish, and German) to support an international network of 900 retail locations.
- The results are measurable: more than 2,000 active users per month, more than 3,000 monthly conversations, and a steady decline in the number of incidents despite the network’s growth (-10.7% in 2024, -12.4% in 2025).
- The initial situation: 70% of support inquiries were requests for assistance, traditional channels were overwhelmed, and salespeople were wasting productive time searching for information.
- Project governance was entrusted to the business teams, not to the IT department alone, which was a key factor in the project's success.
- Data security and the selection of a scalable AI solution were identified as non-negotiable criteria from the outset.
Deploying an AI Assistant for an International Sales Network: The Schmidt Group's Challenge
From Overload of Support to Autonomy for Field Teams
Before the AI rollout, the Schmidt Group’s support team was facing a structural imbalance: 70% of support requests were for functional assistance rather than technical issues, which overwhelmed the teams and caused significant time loss for in-store sales associates. The challenge was to restore their immediate autonomy on the sales floor while refocusing support expertise on complex cases.
Woody and Nano: Two AI agents designed for two distinct populations
The project was organized around two assistants with distinct scopes of work:
- Woody is the AI assistant dedicated to the sales network: he supports sales representatives directly within their sales management tool, answers their business-related questions, and automatically creates tickets via the IWS connector.
- Nano is available to headquarters employees via Microsoft Teams, with the same level of integration.
Both agents work in four languages, reflecting the group's international scope.
The results: a decline in incidents despite the network's growth
The rollout has produced tangible, documented results. The number of incidents decreased by 10.7% between 2023 and 2024, and then by an additional 12.4% between 2024 and 2025, even as the number of stores continued to grow. More than 2,000 active users interact with agents each month, generating more than 3,000 conversations. Support teams are saving time on managing and updating knowledge bases.
The Five Key Factors for Success According to the Schmidt Group
Drawing on this experience, Stéphane Hesler and the Wikit teams share their recommendations:
- Define a clear functional requirement before choosing a solution,
- Implement the necessary organizational changes,
- Emphasize the importance of the testing phase,
- Entrust the governance of the AI project to the business teams
- Make safety a key consideration from the very beginning.
