Building smarter, together: How Vendies are solving real problems with AI
At Vend, we believe the best ideas often come from those closest to the work, and that with the right tools, anyone can turn smart ideas into impactful solutions. That’s the spirit behind Bob the Builder, a brand-new program that empowers employees to tackle real business challenges using AI, low-code tools, and a whole lot of curiosity.
What is Bob the Builder?
Bob the Builder is a hands-on, AI-powered innovation program for employees across Vend. Over one tertial, a group of builders spends 20% of their time learning practical skills in automation, rapid prototyping, and creative problem-solving, then putting those skills into real projects.
No tech background? No problem. This program is built for problem-solvers of all kinds. Whether you’re in marketing, HR, finance, tech or product, if you see opportunities to work smarter and want to build something better, Bob the Builder is for you.
“The goal isn’t just to train people, it’s to enable them to independently build solutions that improve productivity, increase quality, and drive innovation within their teams and across the company,” says Ian Vännman, Director of dAI Unlocking Opportunities, Product.
What makes a great builder?
We’re not looking for coders, we’re looking for doers. People who:
Make things happen — Bringing ideas to life, whether through grit or smart shortcuts
Learn fast — Being curious and open to change.
Solve real problems — Looking beyond your own role to find opportunities across teams.
Think creatively — Testing, experimenting, and iterating toward practical solutions.
What’s been built so far?
Three of our first Bob the Builder participants recently demoed their prototypes, each one a creative solution to a real workflow pain point.
1. A custom AI assistant that helps our team review listings in Tori faster and more accurately.
It’s connected to our internal rule documentation and trained to understand the kinds of decisions we make every day, from standard policies to more complex cases.
“Before Bob the Builder, I was just an average ChatGPT user with zero tech background. Now I’ve built something that’s saving my team time every day. It supports real decisions, understands how we work, and I can keep improving it myself. I’ve learned how much impact you can have with the right training, the right tools, and deep domain knowledge,” says Marjatta Kurunsaari, Platform/Ad Fraud Prevention
2. An automated car ad video generator with voiceover
“I came into the program with curiosity and an idea, but no prior experience – and left being able to build a functional prototype that generates car ad videos with voiceover. The program gave me not only the skills to build, but also a deeper understanding of how AI is already reshaping what’s possible today, and how it will unlock even more opportunities in the future,” says Fredrik Amundsen, Business Developer Mobility.
3. Keeping AI knowledge knowledgeable.
An early-stage AI solution to manage HR content in a way that’s smart, lean, and flexible.
“AI is smart, but it’s not psychic. I came to learn more about the technical uses of AI, but I’m leaving with the reminder that what really matters is understanding the tools, your context and your people, and how to bring them together effectively,” says Ruth Rostrup, Employee Experience and Process.
What’s next?
This is just the beginning. The pilot cohort kicked off in June, and in Week 43, Bob the Builder will open again, for a bigger group of Vendies ready to build the future of work.
Whether employees want to automate repetitive tasks, solve persistent bottlenecks, or just explore what’s possible, Bob the Builder is their sandbox.