The Human Edge, Amplified — with Tulsi Keshkamat (Microsoft Teams for Frontline)

What if the technology to transform your frontline already exists — and you're already paying for it?

In this episode of RETAIL IN AMERICA, sponsored by Microsoft, Ron Thurston sits down with Tulsi Keshkamat to unpack one of retail's biggest blind spots: the gap between what frontline technology can do and what most retailers realize they already have. Tulsi shares why Microsoft Teams is far more than a meetings-and-email tool for corporate, and how it's quietly becoming the operating system for the people who actually run the store floor.

The conversation moves from the practical to the profound — from cutting a store walkthrough's documentation time in half with voice-based checklists, to giving every frontline worker a "digital identity," to the bigger truth underneath it all: as AI and agentic commerce reshape retail, the human connection on the floor becomes more valuable, not less. Tulsi's design philosophy says it best — use technology for the mechanics, but leave the meaning untouched, and create more space for it.

For any retail leader weighing how to bring AI and digital tools to their frontline without losing the human core of the work, this is a roadmap — and a reminder of why the people closest to the customer matter more than ever.

In this episode:

• Why there's a massive "awareness gap" around frontline technology — and why many retailers already own the license
• How frontline workers deliver some of the fastest, clearest ROI of any tech investment
• The difference between deploying for big-box operations (inventory, labor) vs. luxury (the associate-customer relationship)
• How voice is removing the "heads-down" drudgery of store walkthroughs and checklists
• Why Teams acts as a platform that reduces the number of apps a frontline worker juggles — not adds to them
• The link between giving managers time back and frontline retention, career conversations, and pride in the work
• Where AI fits: handling the mechanics so humans can focus on judgment, connection, and meaning
• How to start: pick one or two use cases, pilot in a couple of stores, and scale from there

Resources mentioned:

• Microsoft Frontline sessions: aka.ms/frontlineFridays
• Contact the Teams Frontline team: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by Microsoft.

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This episode features a sponsored conversation with Microsoft. Product capabilities and outcomes may vary by organization, and not all results or claims discussed are guaranteed. Any references to features in preview or development are subject to change