USA – Conagra Brands Inc., a leading packaged food company, has partnered with Microsoft and Ernst & Young (EY) to implement artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that will drive new efficiencies and capabilities across its operations.
Based in Chicago, Conagra is leveraging generative AI and intelligent automation to enhance various aspects of its business, including IT, supply chain, research and development, demand science, branding, and design.
This initiative is focused on a “human-centered approach” to provide employees with resources that speed up decision-making, efficiently process large datasets, and promote growth.
Conagra employees utilize tools such as Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to increase productivity and automate routine tasks.
Microsoft is also assisting Conagra in testing solutions to optimize complex manual processes within its production facilities.
One notable effort was a two-day “hackathon” where Conagra and Microsoft developed automated product-labeling procedures to improve the accuracy of key information on product labels, thereby enhancing traceability and quality assurance.
In collaboration with EY, Conagra is exploring the potential of generative AI models to develop branded imagery for marketing and advertising projects. This collaboration aims to scale, accelerate, and streamline content creation through iterative collaboration with the Conagra team.
The teams are currently assessing existing design processes and product images, fine-tuning datasets, and training AI models to create images that can be adapted to specific brand requirements.
“As we implement new solutions available to us through collaborations and emerging technologies, we are not only realizing measurable results now but identifying opportunities for future growth,” said Azeem Kapadia, senior director of AI strategy at Conagra. “These new digital capabilities will benefit our entire team, sharpen our focus, and better shape how we operate and innovate throughout Conagra.”
The projects with Microsoft and EY underscore Conagra’s commitment to the “responsible use of AI across the company” by prioritizing employee-centric AI strategies.
Other AI initiatives at Conagra include analyzing complex data systems to monitor consumer preferences and emerging trends, which help fuel product innovation and meet demand challenges.
Additionally, AI tracks supply chain processes, providing better visibility into shipments and identifying loss-prevention opportunities.
“We have established a strong technology foundation that enables our employees to identify, prioritize, and build fast and flexible solutions powered by AI for the benefit of the entire company,” commented Tracy Schaefer, senior vice president and chief information officer at Conagra. “These initiatives, which blend IT and business strategy, will help Conagra introduce new dynamic approaches for our business and respond quickly to industry trends.”
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