Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Zimpapers Business Hub
CONFEDERATION of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has been gradually positioning itself to engage members and connect them with the resources they need to adopt and adapt digitisation, as a factor of competitiveness.
In an article on its LinkedIn, CZI said Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more common in global manufacturing, helping companies improve product quality, reduce waste, and make faster, data-informed decisions.
However, CZI said Zimbabwean manufacturers face rising costs and tighter margins, with one question continuing to arise: “How can we effectively utilise AI in a manner that aligns with our operations?”
This came through strongly in the 2024 CZI Manufacturing Sector Survey Report, which showed that only 34 percent of firms are satisfied with their current technology, suggesting that most firms still lack advanced or automated systems that could support AI integration.
Yet, with energy costs rising, skills gaps widening, and supply chain uncertainty persisting, the opportunity to apply technological tools to improve productivity is now more important than ever.
“At our recently held masterclass on Digitalisation and AI for Manufacturers, one thing became clear: AI doesn’t have to start big. It just has to start,” said CZI.
“As highlighted in the session, over 4 000 AI applications have been developed in just the last six months alone.
“While navigating these tools can be complex, CZI is positioned to support its members by facilitating engagement with AI consultants who can help identify tailored, cost-effective solutions for their operations. And with the right focus, it can solve real production problems using the data and expertise manufacturers already have.”
CZI presented five ways in which Zimbabwean firms can begin using AI, saying that companies can tackle one production problem at a time, use the data they already collect, build internal capability function by function, use AI to support human decisions, not replace them, and build from success, not theory.
