How to turn AI experiments into real business value: a case from Albert Heijn

2026 is shaping up to be a game-changer for business innovation. While many organizations are investing heavily in AI pilots, the majority struggle to translate experimentation into measurable results. A collaboration between EPAM and leading retailer Albert Heijn highlights a different path: one focused on validating business value before scaling technology.

“A large share of AI initiatives fail to deliver return on investment,” notes Ksenia Sartori, Director Digital Engagement at Empathy Lab by EPAM. “This isn’t due to technical limitations but because organizations lack a clear framework for deciding which ideas deserve development. Most innovation doesn’t fail because technology doesn’t work but because nobody checked if the idea should exist in the first place.”

To address this gap, EPAM and Albert Heijn established a dedicated innovation stream operating alongside core product teams but with the autonomy to explore new opportunities. The initiative combines business strategists, designers, technologists and data experts, supported by external perspective and cross-industry experience.

Prove the value first
Ksenia's team prioritizes value discovery: identifying real user needs, potential financial impact and strategic relevance before committing significant resources. “For Albert Heijn, one practical outcome of this process is an AI-powered employee assistant, which we developed through direct engagement with frontline employees,” says Ksenia. “Working with Albert Heijn and Microsoft, we started the process with a workshop on user empathy and ideation, then validated ideas with low-fi prototyping and in-store testing. This paved the way for an MVP and UX/tech architecture discovery.” The conversational employee assistant earned EPAM the Microsoft’s 2025 Innovate with Azure AI Platform Partner of the Year Award.

This approach also reflects a broader shift in how organizations view AI’s role. Instead of focusing solely on efficiency gains, companies like Albert Heijn are exploring how technology enables deeper personalization, richer customer experiences and capabilities that were previously unattainable.

Technology can’t be your only ‘win’
“Cost savings keep you competitive today, but customer relevance is what keeps you alive tomorrow,” says Ksenia. “As we navigate an increasingly complex AI landscape, our experience in working with Albert Heijn suggests that success depends less on the number of pilots launched and more on the systems put in place to convert ideas into impact.”

In the age of AI, your advantage comes not from the technology itself, but from how you decide to use it. “Technology is available to everyone. You get a competitive edge by combining the right tools with real engagement from the people who use them. You need the right change ambassadors in your team, and often that means bringing in external experts.”

For Albert Heijn, that’s where the collaboration with EPAM and Microsoft proved valuable, building on the deep technical expertise of both partners and EPAM’s proven innovation case studies for clients like Mars, Hugo Boss and Reckitt.

Dynamic approach to the ‘buy vs build’ debate
The collaboration also revealed a key insight: the traditional ‘buy vs build’ debate no longer holds. Rapid technological change requires a more dynamic strategy – one that combines external solutions, internal development, customization and continuous reassessment aligned with long-term business goals.

“If you ‘buy’ only,” says Ksenia, “your capability remains generic and limited by the capabilities of your external vendor. If you ‘build’ only, you’ll end up being too slow.”

Systemic innovation requires the right partners
In partnership with EPAM, Albert Heijn has been on an innovation and experimentation journey since 2023, resulting in a proven method to turn hundreds of ideas into uses cases that are already in production and delivering value.

“AI is no longer just a side project or a handful of experiments. It’s transforming how businesses create value and spark demand,” notes Ksenia. “The real challenge is integrating innovation into your business and turning it into a repeatable engine for growth.”

Ksenia also emphasizes that value-driven innovation doesn’t replace traditional technology and product R&D but complements them. It explores and tests new value propositions and business opportunities, reducing the risk of investing in ideas that won’t work.

“When your innovation focus is on delivering value, the key question is not ‘Can we build it?’ but ‘Should we?’”