Artificial intelligence helps TaperedPlus raise roof

A flat roof design and insulation firm is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity and reshape its design processes through a pioneering university partnership.

Stockton-on-Tees-headquartered TaperedPlus is working with Teesside University on a £270,000 AI-led project following support from Innovate UK. 

TaperedPlus was one of only two businesses selected nationwide to receive the funding, which supports a 30-month knowledge transfer partnership.

Bosses say the project will digitise and automate TaperedPlus’ manual design workflows, building on a previous collaboration that used natural language processing to analyse technical requirements.

They add the next phase introduces deep learning, large language models and AI-assisted tools to improve accuracy, predict errors and enhance business intelligence.

Aman Chahal, chief executive of TaperedPlus, who was recently named runner-up in the Growth Story category at Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Awards, said: “The pace of change since COVID-19 is seven times faster than before and we want to be at the forefront of innovation and act as a disruptor in the roofing industry, driving real and beneficial change. 

“This partnership will help digitise our operations, allowing us to remain competitive by improving productivity and delivering even greater value to customers.”

As part of the project, Sam Ojuri, who has a decade of experience in AI and data science, has been appointed as knowledge transfer partnership associate, and will lead the development of the TaperedPlus Intelligent Design System, alongside academics from Teesside University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies.

Sam added: “This project is about transforming how technical information is captured and processed – turning time-consuming manual workflows into intelligent, automated systems. 

“We’re creating a smart solution that extracts key information, such as measurements and instructions from complex email chains, PDFs and Word files, to streamline the design and specification processes, ultimately futureproofing the business.”

To find out more about TaperedPlus’ collaboration with Teesside University and to hear from Alessandro, Sam and Aman, see here.

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