What: H&M will soon reveal its secret weapon to fight supply chain woes and unite the business, from front to back, with data: Google Cloud.

Why it is important: H&M and Google Cloud are on the verge of disclosing a strategic partnership that will inject more intelligence into the very core H&M.

Their connection isn’t brand new, as the companies have been working together for some time. But this will mark a new threshold in the partnership. The work includes a so-called “data mesh,” a system designed to offer more access to all types of data and events from multiple parts of the business spanning stores and e-commerce, as well as its brands’ ecosystem and suppliers.

H&M may be an ideal match as a partner, as the fashion retailer is no stranger to data intelligence. The company employs its own data engineers and analysts. Their work goes into everything from demand prediction and trend-spotting to optimizing for a more sustainable supply chain — an issue that Google Cloud also advocates.

H&M to go big with AI