The Home Depot is rolling out a new, homegrown app developed to help store associates prioritize tasks more effectively. The app, dubbed Sidekick, is a new addition to hdPhones, The Home Depot's mobile devices dedicated to improving the associate and customer experience.

Powered by machine learning (ML), the app guides associates to prioritize the highest demand product, which shelf to restock, and the location of the excess product on overhead shelves. Sidekick saves time and increases productivity for associates by:

Leveraging a cloud-enabled ML algorithm to determine which tasks are actionable and when they should be completed
Utilizing machine vision to detect and fill out-of-stock products, as well as to locate products in stores
Alerting specific associates which tasks need to be completed first via a common tasking engine
Showcasing where and how to complete a task in a dashboard with associate and manager views
Integrating with other platforms to ensure all data and task prioritization is up-to-date and aligned with broader business needs
"The first step to customer service is being in stock with the right product that's easy to locate," says Muzammil Akram, vice president for store technology of The Home Depot. "Equipping our associates with innovative technology is one key factor in delivering on that initiative. Sidekick is the perfect addition to hdPhones because it utilizes a data-driven approach to help our associates prioritize which tasks will benefit our customers the most."

The Sidekick release closely follows the launch of hdPhones, a customer service-driven device developed in collaboration with Zebra Technologies, HPE and Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company. With the widespread rollout of hdPhones, The Home Depot became the largest user of the latest generation of Zebra devices. Since the launch, The Home Depot has rolled out more than 99,000 devices, removing friction from the home improvement retail experience across all U.S. stores.

While hdPhones empower Home Depot associates, The Home Depot mobile app allows customers to quickly and easily locate products on their own within any store, find out how many are available, look up product reviews and DIY tips, and much more.