Riachuelo’s Builders Program Accelerates Internal Automation with AI Developed by Employees
2–3 minutes
Two human resources professionals at Riachuelo created, in just 12 days, a platform that automates steps in performance evaluations, without any prior programming experience. The initiative is part of Builders, an internal program that encourages employees to develop artificial intelligence solutions for the challenges in their own areas.
Builders: An Internal AI Incubator
Builders emerged after employees created, on their own, more than 1,500 artificial intelligence agents for individual tasks. Faced with the lack of scale of these projects, the company structured a formal program to expand its impact. Participants use AI tools to create interfaces, dashboards, and automations, while the technology team steps in when integration with central systems, handling of sensitive data, or resolution of technical problems is required. In the first cohort, 120 individual mentoring sessions were offered.
Ongoing Projects and Their Results
One highlight is the WFM Hub, a platform that organizes employee schedules in stores. Implemented in August, the tool replaced spreadsheets that only allowed viewing one week of operation, now gathering information for the entire month, identifying demand peaks, and sending alerts. Riachuelo estimates that this change could generate savings of between R$ 20 million and R$ 25 million.
Another project, focused on career and performance management, is available to approximately 33,000 employees. Automating administrative steps in evaluation cycles could free up 3,600 hours of work per year. The process, conducted twice annually, includes forms, calibrations, reminders, and report consolidation.
In the credit area, an AI agent cross-references registration and corporate information to flag inconsistencies and risks. The tool analyzes approximately 3,000 proposals per day and has the potential to protect R$ 6 million in risks. The final decision, however, remains in the hands of a human analyst.
Expected Financial Return
The company estimates that ten Builders initiatives will generate, by 2026, a potential return of R$ 16 for every R$ 1 invested. The calculation considers impacts on task automation, risk mitigation, revenue recovery, and replacement of third-party licenses, compared to a direct investment of approximately R$ 300,000 planned for the same year. Riachuelo did not disclose how much of this return has already been realized.
Training and Culture of Innovation
Builders faces a common challenge in retail: the lack of internal knowledge about artificial intelligence. A recent survey showed that 46% of executives consider this the main barrier to adopting the technology. The program seeks to fill this gap by training employees to develop practical solutions, valuing mastery of business processes and the desire to optimize them more than prior technical training.
Concrete Example: Career and Performance Platform
The career and performance platform, created by Melissa and Filipe, specialists in the field, illustrates the program’s potential. Previously, evaluation cycles required time from leadership and HR. A ready-made market solution would cost the company more than R$ 1.5 million per year, not to mention months of implementation. Neither of them had prior programming experience, reinforcing the idea that business expertise is the builders’ differentiator.
Conclusion: Automation in Service of People
Artificial intelligence in Builders does not replace human judgment. In performance evaluations, AI can suggest tone adjustments in texts written by managers, recommend contributions to development plans, and automate administrative tasks, but the evaluation and final decisions remain with the responsible humans. The same applies to credit, where AI flags risks, but approval or rejection is up to the analyst.
