AI-driven solutions for efficiency and innovation in the food industry

At one of our customers, we are currently implementing an advanced quality control process using AI technology. Traditionally, quality control is often a subjective process where human reviewers visually inspect products. This can lead to variations in the assessment depending on the experience and insight of the person performing the inspection.

Using Computer Vision, a branch of artificial intelligence that enables computers to analyse and interpret visual information, we are transforming this process. Computer Vision allows us to objectify visual inspections by applying fixed criteria and algorithms to each product being inspected. This allows us to achieve a more consistent and accurate assessment.

The benefits of this approach are clear: improved accuracy, increased efficiency and less reliance on human interpretation. In addition, the use of AI makes it possible to detect abnormalities or defects that are difficult for the human eye to detect. This leads to a higher quality level of the final products and helps our customer meet even the strictest quality standards.

Conclusion

• Increase operational efficiency and reduce errors.
• Detect deviations or defects faster.
• Increase the quality of your end products.

In B2B, automating orders can be an essential aspect to increase operational efficiency. B2B customers place orders through various channels, such as a web portal or via representatives. In doing so, it is noteworthy that orders still often arrive via mail or PDF documents. Previously, a team member had to manually read those PDFs and type the information into the ERP system.

By deploying AI, you can have those PDFs automatically read, interpreted and extract all the relevant information needed to process the orders. That data is then automatically loaded into the ERP system. Mainly in the initial phase, it is still necessary to manually check the results, especially in case of ambiguity, but also to identify any inaccuracies. These are then flagged for further checking.

You can also choose to place the orders directly in your e-commerce portal, instead of traditionally working through an ERP. Then, based on the customer information in the order, a customer account can immediately be created in the e-commerce portal. This allows them to fill their next order directly in the e-commerce portal. This optimised ease of use has the potential to trigger a behavioural change in your customers.

Conclusion

• Increase operational efficiency and reduce errors.
• Make the ordering process easier and faster for your customers.
• Ensure seamless integration of orders into your systems.

So far, we have mainly talked about generative AI. But you can also use the predictive power of AI in sales and marketing. Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) give us the ability to combine all sales data from past years with current trends in the market, such as API data. By using different data sources, you can make predictions about customers’ buying behaviour through predictive AI.

A good example is integrating a weather API, where historical weather data is included in the analysis. This goes beyond just comparing week to week: it also includes the impact of external factors such as holidays, exact days of the week … As a result, you can more accurately predict the impact of weather on consumer buying behaviour and more easily anticipate changes in demand for specific products. You can even predict when is the right time to schedule a specific marketing campaign. What happens if we give a 10% discount on part of our range this weekend? By analysing historical data, AI allows you to make a very accurate prediction.

Based on that data, companies can also better anticipate inventory levels. This allows you to act proactively. Allowing companies to better meet customer demand and avoid excess stock.

Conclusion

• Improve your marketing strategies with accurate forecasting.
• Optimise your inventory management and reduce costs.
• Anticipate customer needs and improve customer satisfaction.

Email marketing personalisation is nothing new: adding your customer’s name in the subject of your email or matching products based on purchase, it’s been done for years. With AI, you can go a step further: hyper-personalisation! It involves generating personalised pieces of text or images based on AI prompts that use customer data. This way, you make each newsletter unique and relevant to the recipient.

In a B2B context, you can map the history of your customer or prospect and use generative AI to create a tailored message. You can also use the predictive power of AI to calculate the optimal time when to contact your customer or prospect and what message or action to offer then. Hyperpersonalisation makes every customer interaction more valuable.

Conclusion:

• Increase customer engagement with personalised emails.
• Maximise the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
• Build stronger customer relationships through relevant and timely communication.

Content creation is often the first thing people think of when using AI. This is because AI allows you to easily scale your content efforts, allowing you to generate content quickly and on a large scale. But let’s take it a step further! Integrations with a Product Information Management (PIM) system are a valuable next step.

This goes beyond just generating product descriptions: it extends to a full SEO strategy. We can generate meta titles and meta descriptions that are SEO-friendly, and we can enrich product information with your brand values directly in your PIM. This guarantees unique texts, especially important for manufacturers who need to be GS1-compliant, and whose products are also sold at different retailers.

How do you differentiate yourself from other online players offering exactly the same products? By writing AI prompts in such a way that you get unique and SEO-optimised content!

Conclusion:

• Save time and resources through efficient content creation.
• Increase your online visibility with SEO-optimised texts.
• Ensure consistent brand communication and compliance.