Tech firm rises with Hovis AI deal

A Yorkshire-based tech company is helping baker Hovis knead greater efficiency into its operations.

IntelliAM, based in Sheffield, has expanded its commercial partnership with the iconic bakery brand.

The new agreement represents a ninefold increase on the original contract and will see full deployment of IntelliAM’s AI platform across multiple Hovis manufacturing sites.

As part of the expanded deal, bosses say IntelliAM will integrate smart sensor interfaces across production lines and provide ongoing consultancy services designed to improve reliability, productivity and asset availability. 

They add that the anticipated efficiency gains are expected to deliver a full return on investment within the first year, supporting Hovis’s goal of AI-driven, proactive manufacturing.

IntelliAM’s expanded deal builds on its initial September 2024 project with Hovis, which delivered gap analyses, criticality assessments, and tailored maintenance strategies at three key sites.

Success from that project laid the groundwork for the wider rollout.

Tom Clayton, chief executive of IntelliAM, which was founded in 2023 and now works with a quarter of the world’s top 100 FMCGs and half of the top 12 food and beverage manufacturers, said: “This expanded contract represents a significant milestone for IntelliAM, validating the commercial value of our AI-driven solutions. 

“We are proud to be deepening our relationship with Hovis and to be helping them lead the way in transforming UK manufacturing productivity.

“IntelliAM exists to transform productivity in the manufacturing industry. 

“We are committed to powering a new industrial revolution through artificial intelligence and machine learning – helping manufacturers tap into billions of machine data points to enable intelligent asset management and deliver transformational change.”

Chris Bradley, chief operations officer of Hovis Limited, added: “We are pleased to be making this next step investment in IntelliAM's services and AI platform, following a detailed analysis of the outcomes from our initial engagement.”

The announcement comes shortly after IntelliAM co-hosted its Connected Performance Summit with SKF at Sheffield’s Cutlers’ Hall, attended by more than 150 senior decision-makers from top food and drink brands including Mars, PepsiCo and Diageo. 

The event highlighted how connected technologies and AI-driven maintenance are transforming modern manufacturing.

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