So how and why did we create apps to use across the business—not just to drive our main business?
Putting the Partners first
At H-E-B our “secret sauce” is our employees, aka our Partners. We constantly invest in them—and the tools they use—so that they can focus on helping our customers.
But here’s the thing—there’s a wide variety of sauces at H-E-B.
Our in-store workforce is large and diverse—from a high school student working part-time to a certified meat cutter who has been with us for over 30 years. We need solutions that solve problems for both of them, and everyone in between.
One unifying factor: Our Partners are rarely at a computer. They’re on the floor helping our customers. How do you create mobile solutions that work as well for store leaders as they do for bakers and cashiers?
Enter Salesforce and Apple, whose technology we were able to leverage to create functional solutions—and a unified app—that help our stores (and our Partners) run more efficiently.
The PartnerNet App
We started out using Salesforce to provide reports to our store leaders, and then realized we could expand its capabilities. We decided to create an enterprise app that offers a host of features that improve operations.
Our PartnerNet App enables employees to manage their schedules, time-sensitive inbound requests, tickets to keep the business moving, and more—all from their iPhones. We’ve streamlined multiple systems, sunset older applications, and reduced the need for third-party solutions, improving not just our own processes, but our Partners’ lives.
Faster Fixes, Faster Feedback
At the top of the life-changing list is MySchedule. This feature allows Partners to view their hours, post or pickup shifts, or request time off—no matter where they are. No more waiting for their next shift or making a special trip to the store just see their schedule.
That’s not to be taken lightly.
Previously, the only way to know if shifts were available was to drive to the store. Partners might drive out of their way on their day off just to find there were no shifts available. Today, it’s the most-used feature of our app suite, with Partners accessing it one million times per month.
MySchedule gives our Partners flexibility—which is just as useful for a college student with an ever-shifting schedule as it is for a mom who needs to make an adjustment for childcare. The benefits trickle down. Not only does it provide our Partners with more earning potential, but it means fewer shifts go unfilled, making for a better in-store experience.
The app doesn’t just help with scheduling, but with everything that happens once a Partner starts their shift. With the app, our store leaders can track and manage maintenance requests, log work orders for equipment, and monitor progress without opening a third-party tool. On the sales floor and want to provide feedback on a product? Partners can send feedback about products right to relevant parties in the app, too. Those notes are invaluable—we count on our most loyal customers, our Partners, to help us learn what’s working and what isn’t.
