Germany-based GEA, a leading technology supplier for the dairy and food industries, has developed an AI-driven solution to streamline engineer-to-order (ETO) processes. Partnering with NTT DATA and Microsoft, GEA aims to enhance the efficiency of quotation generation for complex dairy equipment. The AI-powered system automates requirement extraction, reducing manual effort and errors.
GEA, a leading technology supplier for the dairy and food industries, has introduced an AI-driven solution to enhance efficiency in the engineer-to-order (ETO) process. The company partnered with global IT firms NTT DATA and Microsoft to develop this innovative system, which automates the extraction of technical requirements for dairy equipment manufacturing.
Complex ETO processes, particularly in the dairy sector, require precise quotations that align with extensive technical specifications. Traditionally, this has been a time-consuming and error-prone manual process. With GEA’s new AI-powered tool, relevant requirements are automatically extracted from technical specification documents, classified, and assigned to the appropriate departments. This speeds up tender processing, minimizes errors, and improves overall efficiency in dairy equipment sales.
Dirk Hejnal, Chief Service Officer of GEA’s Separation & Flow Technologies division, highlighted the impact of the new solution:
Processing complex tenders manually was labor-intensive and time-consuming. Our collaboration with NTT DATA and Microsoft has resulted in a solution that significantly improves our processes, ensuring consistently high-quality quotes and enhancing our competitive advantage.”
The AI solution was rapidly developed through close collaboration among the three companies. Torsten Albrecht, Senior Vice President at NTT DATA DACH, emphasized the role of cutting-edge technologies in addressing the industry’s needs, while Edith Wittmann, General Manager at Microsoft Enterprise Commercial, praised the strong partnership that led to practical, real-world applications of AI in industrial settings.
This AI-powered quoting tool is expected to transform how dairy processing equipment manufacturers handle tenders, reinforcing GEA’s position as a leader in dairy technology innovation.
