Leading Dairy Producer: AI-Powered QA
Leading Dairy Manufacturer in Zimbabwe: AI-Powered QA that Cut Audit Prep Time in Half
Confidentiality Notice
To honour the non-disclosure agreements we sign with every client, we have anonymised company names and any uniquely identifying details in the case studies that follow. All results, metrics, and implementation insights are real. Only the identities are withheld to protect our clients’ confidentiality.
The Client
A leading Zimbabwean dairy manufacturer producing UHT milk, cultured milk, maheu, yoghurt, butter, custard and dairy juice blends.
The Challenge
Despite robust processes, the client's QA team faced persistent bottlenecks:
- Investigations took too long
- RCA work was manual and time-consuming
- SOPs were hard to find when needed
- Onboarding was slow and inconsistent
- Report creation and visualizations were time-pressed
- Excel proficiency varied across the team
These issues slowed decisions and increased non-conformance risk.
Objectives
Together, we set five clear goals:
What XcellentAI Built
Customer-Complaint Assistant (per product line)
Ingests complaint forms and lab results, then surfaces data-driven probable causes and recommendations.
Root-Cause Analysis (RCA) Assistant
Applies 5 Whys and Fishbone, pulls SOPs and deviation logs, and drafts CAPAs.
SOP Repository Assistant
Makes QA/Production/Warehousing SOPs (PDF/Word/scans) instantly searchable.
Onboarding Assistant
Teaches the Quality Plan, dairy knowledge and all lab procedures with built-in knowledge checks.
Enterprise AI Integrations
We embedded Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT to transform routine QA work:
- • Copilot for Excel & Word: Rapid QC trend analysis and automated CAPA report drafting
- • Gemini for Gmail & Drive: Auto-summarized deviations and compliance-mapping
- • ChatGPT: Secure connectors, adaptive onboarding quizzes, and SOP updates
Results & Impact
Operational Outcomes
- Investigations: Time to gather data for complaint handling cut by ~50%
- RCA Quality: Standardized, data-driven CAPAs reduced issue recurrence
- Documentation: 30–50% time savings on QA documentation; 70% faster email/report prep
- Onboarding: New QA hires reached competency in under two months
Business Outcomes
- Labor Efficiency: Automated 20–30% of daily admin tasks, freeing 200+ hours/year
- Non-conformities: Standardization drove an estimated 50% drop in non-conformities
- Audit Prep: Real-time analysis and auto-reporting halved preparation time
- ROI: Achieved more than 100% ROI within the first year
Tech Stack
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Excel/Word/PowerPoint/Outlook for analysis, reporting, and communications
Google Gemini
Gmail/Drive/Google Apps for exception surfacing and regulation mapping
ChatGPT
Custom QA assistants with secure connectors and adaptive training
Governance, Risk & Change Management
The solution aligned with multiple international standards:
- • ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System
- • ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System
- • ISO/IEC 42001:2023 AI governance (risk & impact assessment, data/model governance)
Key mitigations included human-in-the-loop validation, early staff involvement with training, and IT-led security controls (ISO 27001 practices).
Why It Worked
Clear KPIs
Measurable targets tied to real QA pain points
Embedded Solutions
Assistants integrated where work actually happens
Rapid Payback
Lightweight investment with quick, measurable returns
What's Next
The client is expanding the program with task-oriented AI agents and exploring AI Enterprise plans for enhanced security and scale.
Want Similar Results?
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