Overview
- A Bloomberg presentation reported July 9 revealed Starbucks is developing proprietary, AI-assisted replacements for Microsoft Dynamics 365 (inventory) and IBM TRIRIGA (maintenance).
- The enterprise technology team is targeting some internal systems to be live by the end of 2027 if testing succeeds and development stays on schedule.
- Starbucks says it spends about $400 million a year on software and is reviewing contracts as part of a broader $2 billion cost-cutting plan, with the tech division aiming to cut roughly $30 million this fiscal year.
- The company is using AI-assisted coding to speed development and has tied AI adoption into some tech employee bonus metrics, which shifts how teams work and are evaluated.
- News of the move drove premarket falls in enterprise software stocks and signals a wider trend of large firms insourcing AI, though past store-level AI trials have failed and operational risks remain before full rollout.