• Challenge: Engineer-to-order (ETO) processes require the laborious processing of complex technical specifications.
• Solution: GEA, together with NTT DATA and Microsoft, has developed an AI-powered application that automatically analyzes quotes, identifies relevant requirements, and assigns them to the appropriate departments.
• Benefits: Reduced manual work, lower risk of errors, and faster project implementation thanks to clear allocation and description of tasks.
• Competitive advantage: Customers receive accurate, consistently high-quality quotes faster, increasing the chances of successful contract awards.
• Deployment: GEA plans to roll out the solution initially in the Business Unit Separators of the division GEA Separation & Flow Technologies in 2025.
• Hannover Messe 2025: Presentation of the solution at the Microsoft stand G06, Hall 17.
• Customer event: 1 April, 5 p.m. at the Microsoft stand.

Complex Engineer-to-Order (ETO) processes present companies with major challenges due to the extensive technical specifications and high demands on the preparation of quotations. GEA, together with NTT DATA and Microsoft, has developed a solution that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies to structure this process and make it more efficient. This enables companies to generate precise and consistently high-quality quotes more quickly, thus increasing their chances of winning business. GEA, NTT DATA, and Microsoft will showcase this solution at this year’s Hannover Messe and invite visitors to an exclusive customer event on April 1 at 5 p.m. at Microsoft booth G06 in Hall 17.

In late 2024, GEA approached NTT DATA and Microsoft with a clear request: to develop a solution that would make the ETO process more efficient and reduce the high level of manual effort involved. Together, they created an AI-powered application that extracts relevant requirements from technical specification documents and classifies and assigns them to the appropriate departments. This speeds up the processing of tenders, reduces the risk of errors, and enables a structured and transparent distribution of tasks.

“Until now, the processing of complex tenders required a lot of manual effort, was risky and took a long time,” says Dirk Hejnal, Chief Service Officer of the GEA Separation & Flow Technologies division. “We actively sought a solution and approached NTT DATA and Microsoft with our requirements. By combining our expertise, we developed a practical application that will significantly improve our processes in the long term. Furthermore, consistently high-quality quotes and proposals give us and our customers a clear competitive advantage.”

Thanks to close collaboration, the solution was implemented in a short time. “GEA provided a clear vision that sparked the momentum for this project,” explains Torsten Albrecht, Senior Vice President and Head of Industry at NTT DATA DACH. “By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we successfully addressed the complex requirements and designed an innovative, market-ready AI-powered solution. The excellent partnership with GEA and Microsoft has been crucial to the successful realization of this project, which impressively demonstrates the tangible advantages that AI provides to companies.”

Edith Wittmann, General Manager Enterprise Commercial at Microsoft, adds: “Our cloud platform provides the foundation for innovative applications – but it takes close collaboration with an experienced industrial company like GEA to create solutions that truly work in practice. The partnership with GEA and NTT DATA has been extremely productive and highlights how technology can optimize industrial processes.”

At Hannover Messe 2025, visitors will have the opportunity to see the solution at Microsoft booth G06, Hall 17. In addition, GEA, NTT DATA, and Microsoft invite interested parties to an exclusive customer event at the Microsoft stand on 1 April at 5 pm.