How AI can streamline procurement operations in Tanzania’s evolving supply chains

Dar es Salaam: For years, businesses across Tanzania’s manufacturing and distribution landscape have grappled with the inefficiencies of manually processing Local Purchase Orders (LPOs).

Time that could be directed towards expansion, customer service and operational excellence is instead consumed by tedious administrative work.

Across East Africa, companies spend an estimated 20+ hours every week manually keying LPO data arriving as PDFs, emails or handwritten scans into their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

In Tanzania, where supply chains are rapidly expanding and competition is stiffening, these inefficiencies create a ripple effect: slower decision-making, delayed deliveries, stock-outs, customer complaints and ultimately, suppressed revenue growth

Although Tanzanian manufacturers and distributors have made significant investments in automation for assembly, packaging, inventory and quality control, the procurement function has remained largely manual. The issue has not been a lack of tools, but a lack of tools built for the realities of African markets.

Many global procurement automation solutions fail to understand or adapt to the inconsistent formats, non-standardised documentation and unique trading dynamics common in Tanzania.

This, however, is beginning to change.
A wave of homegrown software innovators is now applying artificial intelligence to bridge the gap between unstructured documents and structured, actionable orders. These solutions are tailored to local contexts, making them strong fits for Tanzania’s fast-growing FMCG,
beverage, retail, agriculture and industrial sectors.
One such solution is Eva Docs.ai by Solutech an AI engine built specifically to interpret the
messy, inconsistent LPO formats that dominate African trade.

The tool reads LPOs submitted via email or upload, maps products accurately, extracts quantities and pricing according to customer-specific price lists, applies correct tax configurations and posts
validated orders directly into ERPs.

By using advanced machine learning, Eva Docs.ai eliminates manual data entry errors and ensures uniformity across procurement workflows a critical need for Tanzanian companies working with large distributor networks and regional sales teams.

Early adopters in East Africa, including Highlands Drinks Limited, Text Book Centre,
Steelwool Africa and Maxam Limited, report transformative impact.

Depending on the business, manual processing time has dropped by 10–15 hours per week, order-to-delivery cycles have reduced from days to hours, and document errors have fallen by 40–50 percent.

These are not incremental improvements; they are operational shifts that directly influence profitability.

For Tanzania, where the government continues to prioritise digital transformation, industrial growth and improved ease of doing business, AI-led procurement automation stands out as a practical accelerator. Yet, as with any emerging technology, adoption mindsets vary.

Some businesses clearly recognise AI as a strategic lever for efficiency and growth, while others particularly those rooted in manual workflows, remain cautious.

But the direction of travel is unmistakable. In a future where speed, accuracy and agility will define market winners, procurement automation will no longer be optional. It will be a fundamental capability that distinguishes organisations ready for regional competitiveness from those tethered to outdated processes.

To remain ahead, Tanzanian companies must move past hesitation and begin implementing intelligent tools that deliver measurable impact today not years from now. The case for AI-driven procurement automation is no longer theoretical; it is a proven pathway to resilience, operational excellence and sustainable growth.

The writer is Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer, Solutech Limited.