Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1543967
16 STiR coffee and tea | 2026 Quarter 1 Spring (Mar/Apr/May) TEASY: 24/7 AI Tea Consultant Wollenhaupt Tee GmbH's new AI-powered tea chatbot, TEASY, expands the company's dedication to digital customer orientation. The application, which launched last January, is aimed at customers, retail partners, and interested parties — providing 24/7 support for questions about product ranges, preparation, flavor profiles, and the origin and use of the products. The AI chatbot enables well-founded consultancy even outside of traditional service hours, which is particularly helpful for B2B businesses in the trade and food and beverage sectors. With TEASY, Wollenhaupt Tee GmbH has implemented an AI-pow- ered tea bot tailored to the tea industry's specific requirements. The AI is based on curated, professionally verified content from the company website and provides sound tea knowledge in an understandable, accessible way at any time, particularly when personal consultation is not possible. "Wollenhaupt has always stood for tea expertise and quality," says managing director Dirk Wollenhaupt. "With the AI chatbot, we are making this knowledge digitally usable as support for our customers and partners in the trade. Whether it is questions about the range, product selection, or preparation tips: TEASY delivers fast, reliable answers." The bot provides precise information on: • Preparation, dosage, and storage • Flavor profiles and product recommendations • Possible applications in gastronomy, specialist retail, and concept stores • Product range, recipe ideas, and current tea trends • Origin, quality, and characteristics of individual teas Wollenhaupt launches digital service for specialist and wholesale trade. Photo credit: Wollenhaupt Tee GmbH By facilitating range selection, strengthening sales conversations, and improving the customer journey, both online and at the point of sale, the AI bot provides genuine support. At the same time, customers receive reliable information promptly, precisely, and independently of service hours. By Diana Jendoubi China Standardizes Its Tea Supply Chain China's State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standardiza- tion Management Committee) recently released the official national stan- dard, Technical Specifications for Tea Supply Chain Management, effective April 1, 2026. As the first national protocol of this kind, its release marks a breakthrough in the standardization and systematization of the Chinese tea industry's supply chain. For traditional tea companies whose development has been limited by inadequate supply chain management, this protocol is of significant value. The standard stipulates the technical and management measures and requirements for each stage of the tea supply chain, including procurement, processing, packaging, warehousing, transportation, and sales. This will not only help tea companies reduce operating costs through unified supply chain management standards but also promote improvements in product operational levels and management efficiency, enhance product quality stability, and provide authoritative guidance to help tea companies achieve full-process quality control, efficiency improvement, and cost optimization. By standardizing the entire supply chain, it achieves full control and traceability from the tea garden to the teacup, building a more comprehensive system within the industry. From a broader perspective, this protocol is also a crucial support for China's tea industry in integrating into the modern global distribution system and participating in international competition. Against the backdrop of consumption upgrading and globalization, the standardization and transpar- ency of the supply chain have become key elements in enhancing the international reputation of Chinese tea brands. The national standard was spearheaded by Huangshan Xiaoguan Tea Co., Ltd., in collaboration with several governmental institutions and associations, as well as multiple representatives from the private tea sector. Xiaoguan Tea's ability to lead the formulation of national standards for the tea industry supply chain stems from its long-term investment in the entire tea industry chain. The company has taken the lead in building a modern industrial system that connects upstream and downstream operations, while traditional tea companies still largely rely on workshop-style production. Xiaoguan Tea's super factory, based in Huangshan city's high-tech zone, the first Industry 4.0 smart factory in China, achieves efficient linkage between fully automated production lines and intelligent warehousing systems, with each tea leaf undergoing multiple quality control tests. The mature Industry 4.0 model also provided important practical reference for the formulation of new national standards. By Mainbayar Badarch As leaders in supply chain processing and innovation, the Xiaoguan Tea company spearheaded the new initiative to formulate national standards for the Chinese tea industry. Photo credit: Xiaoguan Tea Tea Report