BONVITA is committed to digital innovation and has launched ‘Bonnie’, an AI-powered chatbot that helps staff access internal knowledge quickly – simply, efficiently and in more than fifty languages. Thanks to Microsoft technologies such as Azure OpenAI and SharePoint, lengthy searches, inconsistent answers and unnecessary waiting times are now a thing of the past.
BONVITA: Ask Chatbot „Bonnie“
Find knowledge faster with an AI chatbot – structured, multilingual, and available 24/7
Challenge
Need for centralized, location-independent access to knowledge with consistent answers
Solution must work without complex prompts
Answers should be simple, precise, and in natural language to quickly deliver the desired information
Solution
Complete migration of all departments to the Azure Cloud
Development of a chatbot based on Azure OpenAI and the novaCapta Web App Starter Kit
Integration with Azure AI Search for indexing and processing internal content (e.g., SharePoint)
Automated answer generation via backend service and multilingual output through the web app
Separation from external data sources to avoid hallucinations
Benefit
Multilingual use possible – on smartphone, tablet, or laptop via text or voice, both for input and output
Centralized, curated knowledge accessible without complex prompting
Fast, 24/7 knowledge access without searching, waiting times, or lengthy research
No connection to external sources – minimal risk of AI hallucinations and maximum data security
High transparency and control over content, access, and processing
The collaboration with novaCapta was focused, professional, and truly collaborative. Bonnie is an important step in our digital evolution – clear, secure, and future-ready.
Werner Echsle
Managing Partner & Founder
BONVITA Group
With Bonnie, I instantly find what I need – whether it’s a recipe guideline, hygiene information, or quality standard. Just ask, and the answer comes right away. It saves both time and stress in the kitchen.
Sascha Pauli
Chef and Co-owner of 5 Gastronomic Facilities
BONVITA Group
Round-the-clock AI-powered access to knowledge: Bonnie in action at BONVITA
BONVITA combines culinary excellence with a strong spirit of innovation – a combination that has fueled the company’s successful growth. To support this growth digitally in the long term and further optimize processes, BONVITA relies on modern technologies. Together with novaCapta, the company transitioned from local infrastructure to the Azure Cloud – a future-proof move that also laid the foundation for additional digital solutions.
“We found that recurring questions often led to time-consuming coordination. To make the high demand for information in the kitchens and at headquarters more efficient, we needed a solution that is understandable for everyone, available at any time, and technologically up to date,” explains Werner Echsle, Managing Director of the BONVITA Group, about the development of “Bonnie.”
AI Meets Practice: How the Internal Chatbot Works
In collaboration with an interdisciplinary project team, BONVITA developed the internal chatbot “Bonnie Bonvita” – an AI-powered assistant that supports kitchen and headquarter staff in quickly and easily accessing reliable information. The solution is based on Azure OpenAI, the WebApp Starter Kit, and Azure AI Search. Content from SharePoint (“Bonvita Campus”) is intelligently indexed, processed, and made available via a secure, responsive web application.
Bonnie receives user queries, uses Azure AI Search to identify relevant SharePoint content, generates precise answers with ChatGPT, and delivers them directly in the chat window – including relevant links to documents or pages. A built-in FAQ page offers quick orientation with the most frequently asked questions and suggested follow-up queries. For additional accessibility, both audio input and text-to-speech output are available.
A feedback function allows employees to provide comments on answers. The internal IT team can review these, trace sources, and improve content – enabling continuous optimization. The chatbot works exclusively with verified internal data – with no connection to external sources or the internet. This ensures high information security and minimizes the risk of incorrect or misleading answers (“hallucinations”).
Bonnie as the Knowledge Hub of the Future: Reliable. Personal. Available Anytime.
One standout feature is Bonnie’s multilingual capability: she can communicate in German, English, Turkish, Russian, French, Arabic, and more – making information access easier for BONVITA’s diverse team. Emotional design also played a role: Bonnie has a face, wears a chef’s jacket, neckerchief, and cap – making her feel like a colleague from the kitchen. She was very well received during the test phase.
The chatbot delivers consistent, verified answers – no matter who asks or when. Web-based forms can be filled out and submitted directly, speeding up additional processes. Thanks to responsive design, Bonnie works on any device – from smartphones and kitchen tablets to laptops at headquarters. According to BONVITA, the technical implementation was “perfect”: the project was carried out in short feedback cycles with high transparency and a clear user story.
Bonnie is currently in a targeted pilot phase with selected employees and kitchen professionals. Feedback has been consistently positive – both in terms of technical performance and user acceptance in daily operations. In the future, other
departments such as marketing and work organization will also be integrated. Step by step, Bonnie is becoming the central hub for internal knowledge – understandable, reliable, and always available.
Company profile: BONVITA Group
The BONVITA Group is a medium-sized family business headquartered in Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg. At over 100 locations in Germany and Austria, the company provides 360° services for communal catering. For more than 25 years, BONVITA has been managing and cooking for canteens in businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, daycare centers, and its own facilities.
Technologies used
We’d be happy to advise you on your project
My team and I look forward to hearing from you.
Alexander Elkin
Head of Applications & Data
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