Sept 3 - Starbucks ( SBUX ) is rolling out a new system

for counting inventory that uses artificial intelligence

technology to its more than 11,000 company-owned stores in North

America by the end of September, the global coffee chain

announced on Wednesday.

The system has workers scan inventory shelves with a

handheld tablet equipped with software intended to automatically

count goods and flag those in low supply.

Starbucks ( SBUX ) Chief Technology Officer Deb Hall Lefevre said in

a statement that the system enables faster replenishment and

more consistent availability of in-store items, such as cold

foam, oat milk and caramel drizzle. "Customers can enjoy

beverages their way, every time - and partners spend less time

in the backroom and more time crafting and connecting," she

wrote.

Lefevre said the technology has already been rolled out to

thousands of stores where it has caused inventories to be

counted eight times more frequently.

The technology is provided by NomadGo, which has provided

similar inventory counting services to other chains, such as a

franchisee for Taco Bell and KFC, according to its website.

"Since the dawn of time, inventory has been a manual,

tedious, and inaccurate task," NomadGo CEO David Greschler said

in a release. The release said NomadGo's technology is a "unique

synthesis of on-device 3D spatial intelligence, computer vision,

and augmented reality."

Starbucks ( SBUX ) said the rollout is part of a larger plan for

optimizing its supply chains.

Starbucks ( SBUX ) CEO Brian Niccol, an AI enthusiast, has deployed

other technology in recent months, including "Green Dot Assist,"

a virtual assistant for workers, and "Smart Queue," which

sequences customer orders.