The world of work, post- pandemic has seen massive transformation driven by trends in Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These advancements have led to a 360- approach in how businesses across various industries operate.

In Central and West Africa, Nestlé continues to drive these technological advancements across its operations in over twenty-five countries. The company has recently launched an internal initiative dubbed ‘’DIGITAL BAR’’. This program is part of efforts to enhance employee knowledge in Information Technology tools and equip teams with the right skills to make their work efficient and effective. The Digital Bar is a platform for employees to ask question to the IT teams and seek clarification for any challenges they have.

‘’Without a doubt, the digital revolution is in motion and employees must take advantage of the opportunities to be digitally savvy and have more of analytical knowledge and understanding. That way, they are better prepared!’’. Mauricio Alarcón, Market Head, Nestlé Central and West Africa.

At the global level, Nestlé has been focusing on using artificial intelligence, cloud-based mobile applications, big data, to digitally transform its operations. As of 2023, the annual IT spending of Nestlé was estimated at $1.4 billion. Nestlé Central and West Africa is a beneficiary of this spending earmarked for technology transformation, leading to the development of AI tools for employees.

Upskilling employees through Digital Bar

While the Digital Bar seeks to upskill employee knowledge in new technology trends, it is also to provide real time solutions across the various CWAR sites. There are tools readily available to functions cutting across supply chain, finance, HR, communications, marketing, sales, and manufacturing.

Some of the tools include Viva Insights, Synthesia, Co-Pilot, Mural, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Power Bi, NesGPT. The Digital Bar which opens every last Friday of every month across Nestle CWAR sites and is expected to help address the IT concerns of employees while equipping them with the requisite digital skills to make use of the existing platforms.

These tools are helping employees to leverage artificial intelligence, embrace automation and effectively utilize data in their line of work from the factory to the office.

‘’If you do not leverage AI, you will surely be left behind! This is why we encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunities that AI and digital tools present to have an efficient and improved work life’’, Frank Osei-Karikari, Head of IT, Nestlé CWAR.

The digital revolution scene keeps evolving and businesses in Central and West Africa must remain up to date with the trends, providing advanced solutions to improve employee and consumer experience.