How UK grocery suppliers are using AI disruptors now to cut complexity, lift availability and give teams back time for customers and retailer collaboration
AI is no longer a future promise for grocery supply chains. It is already reducing complexity in order management, availability and claims, freeing up fulfilment teams to focus on what makes the biggest difference: servicing customers and collaborating with retailers.
At our recent ambient supplier meeting, led by Gauthier De Beer, Simply Supply Chain's Lead Consultant for Customer Fulfilment, we welcomed Procuros and DUVO.ai to explore how AI, process mapping and EDI order capture tools can help transform supply chain operations, improve efficiency and reduce manual processes.
With over 10 years leading customer fulfilment transformation for SC Johnson, comprising Lean, robotics, analytics and process automation, Gauthier brings unrivalled experience in helping businesses improve customer-facing operations through smarter processes, systems and organisational development.
» Customer Fulfilment Excellence
Moving from transactional processing to proactive management and value-added services
Many suppliers still rely on time-consuming manual processes, disconnected systems and repetitive off-system administrative tasks to process orders, resolve product availability and data quality issues in order to maintain customer service levels.
Procuros demonstrated how AI-powered order capture and integration technology can simplify these processes. By connecting trading partners through EDI and capturing orders received via email, PDF and Excel, the technology can pre-validate information before transferring it directly into ERP systems, reducing manual intervention and improving data accuracy.
DUVO.ai provides a complementary approach to understanding the process flaws, work-arounds and gaps in how teams work, using AI interviews to map existing business processes in real-time, identifying the inefficiencies and opportunities to fix, automate or eliminate repetitive tasks across the functional ecosystem.
Potential benefits extend beyond productivity and efficiency.
Reducing transactional workload creates opportunities to reinvest capacity into higher-value work, such as joint availability and promotional planning with retailers, root-cause problem solving and proactive customer insight, transforming fulfilment as a driver of growth rather than just a cost of serving customers.
WATCH DUVO.ai in Action
» AI in practice, not theory
We were also joined by Ross Eggleton, former Supply Chain Director at Morrisons, who presented DUVO through STROS Partnerships.
Ross's extensive operational experience brought an invaluable practical perspective to the discussions. Through real-world examples, he helped bust some of the AI myths, highlighting where the opportunities lie and how available technologies can make an immediate impact and deliver significant benefits.
One example highlighted DUVO's work with European online grocer Rohlik, where DUVO helped lift product availability from 78% to 93% in two weeks and cut promotional set-up effort by up to 70%.
Successful AI adoption starts with understanding how processes really work, including the workarounds and manual fixes that systems rarely capture. The message was clear: find the inefficiencies, build the evidence, then automate where it delivers measurable value.
But technology alone won’t deliver customer fulfilment excellence. Better data, less manual work and greater visibility lay the foundations for stronger retailer-supplier collaboration, and that collaboration is where excellence is won.
» Technology enables efficiency. Collaboration delivers excellence.
This is why Simply Supply Chain is launching a dedicated Joint Supply Chain Planning Workgroup for 2027, helping suppliers move beyond retrospective KPI reviews towards proactive, collaborative planning with retailers.
The initiative will draw on SSC’s expertise in customer fulfilment and operational transformation, helping suppliers strengthen retailer relationships, spot risks earlier and build more joined-up supply chain plans.
The goal is to combine smarter operations with stronger collaboration to deliver lasting improvements in customer fulfilment and trading performance.
» Be part of the conversation shaping the sector
Our supplier membership forums bring suppliers together to explore emerging technologies, share practical experience and work on industry initiatives that tackle real operational challenges.
The opportunity isn’t just to keep pace with change. It’s to help shape it
Join our 2027 supplier membership programmes and contribute to the discussions, innovations and collaborative initiatives driving improvements across the UK grocery supply chain.
- Customer Supply Group – for ambient suppliers
- Drop & Drive Supply Group – for chilled suppliers
- Joint Supply Chain Planning Workgroup – for both ambient & chilled suppliers
📩 hello@simply-sc.com or visit www.simply-sc.com.
Sources and further reading
- Procuros - AI-powered order capture, EDI integration and automated data validation. Source: Procuros One-Pager, presented at the Customer Supply Group meeting.
- STROS Partnerships - Ross Eggleton's presentation, What I'm Seeing Since Morrisons, 14 October 2026.
- DUVO Customer Stories - Practical examples of AI-enabled process automation and customer outcomes.
- Simply Supply Chain - Joint Supply Chain Planning Workgroup.
