Niab

About Niab

Founded in 1919, Niab is one of the UK's leading plant and agricultural science organisations. Its crop research and field trials play a crucial role in how the world grows its food.

With regional centres across the UK, Niab's staff spans scientists in laboratories, agronomists in fields, specialists in fruit orchards and glasshouses, and teams working alongside major external partners. This includes DEFRA, the UK government body that oversees agricultural and environmental policy.

The Challenge: Everyone Has Different Notes

With staff spread across so many sites and disciplines, keeping a shared, accurate record of organisational decisions was challenging. "Meetings were a bit chaotic," says Head of HR Operations Brooke Hornby. "There was no standardised structure or follow-up. It was kind of, 'let's rock up and see what happens.'"

"People were taking their own versions of the notes," Brooke recalls. "So when you actually got everyone back together, they had different versions of events." In scientific work — where precision and shared understanding are especially important — a fragmented record can be costly.

Brooke also had a personal stake. "I've got ADHD and dyslexia, and trying to have a conversation, take notes, and remember what I'm doing next just didn't work very well," she explains. "I was looking at systems for me."

“There was no standardised structure or follow-up.

It was kind of, ‘let’s rock up and see what happens.’”

Brooke Hornby
Head of HR Operations
Niab

The Solution: One, Trusted Version of Events

Brooke's criteria were clear: any solution had to keep data secure and be simple to use. Standalone meeting summarisation tools existed, but without Microsoft 365 integration, they weren't an option — particularly for an organisation managing sensitive research and external partnerships.

When she came across Decisions, the security question was answered quickly. "I checked where the data goes. The fact that Decisions plugged into Teams and Microsoft was important."

Decisions uses native Teams transcripts to deliver AI Recaps after each meeting, stored directly in Niab's Microsoft 365 environment. Meeting organisers can review, edit, and add to the recap before it's shared.

This meant one meeting record with decisions and action items, one place to find it, and no more differing versions of events.

The Business Case: From Data to Buy-In

Finding the right tool was one thing. Getting organisational buy-in was another. Brooke made the business case for Decisions with data. She surveyed staff across Niab and asked how many meetings they attended, how long notes took to write up, where they kept them, and what was frustrating about meetings.

The findings told a clear story: 60% of staff spent up to an hour on notes after every meeting, and only 1 in 5 had a system to keep track of notes and actions. Only 1 in 4 meetings had a shared space for notes, even though most meetings involved multiple teams.

Brooke packaged the data into a staff presentation, titled From Planting to Planning: Why We're Changing the Way We Manage Meetings, and used it to build an internal change management campaign.

It worked. Niab ran a Decisions pilot before committing to a full rollout, with hands-on support from the Decisions team throughout.

Meetings in the Field, No Desk Required

Decisions adoption spread quickly, from HR and finance to Niab's science teams and board. But for an organisation where meetings often happen away from a desk, the Decisions mobile app proved just as important as the Teams integration.

Niab's staff can just tap a button in the app to start the AI Notetaker. The conversation is transcribed as it happens, and an AI Recap is ready when the meeting ends. All it takes is a phone.

Brooke recalls running a meeting with a colleague who was out in a field in a combine harvester, and teams have spoken about holding meetings in glasshouses and polytunnels using the mobile app. "They don't have to keep on top of the notes while they're trying to have a discussion," Brooke says.

“I’ll take myself for a ‘walk-and-talk,’ put the Decisions app on, and brain dump at it.

Then I’ve got a summary of all the things I mentioned.”

Brooke Hornby
Head of HR Operations
Niab

Brooke herself uses Decisions in a way she hadn't anticipated: as a thinking tool. "A lot of the time, I process verbally rather than in writing," she explains. "I'll take myself for a 'walk-and-talk,' put the Decisions app on, and brain dump at it. Then I've got a summary of all the things I mentioned."

The Results: Better Records, Time Saved

After Decisions was in place, Brooke ran another survey. The results were definitive: 88% of staff members said Decisions saves them time every week, 6 in 10 reported better notes and action-tracking, and 71% said they'd recommend Decisions to a colleague.

The impact is reaching beyond Niab's internal meetings, too. Niab has referenced its adoption of Decisions in continuous improvement documentation submitted to DEFRA, and Brooke's team is now encouraging international partners to use Decisions in their joint meetings. "It'll help everybody," she says.

A Habit Across the Whole Organization

When Brooke recently onboarded a new team member, Decisions was the first thing she introduced. The logic was simple: new employees have a lot of meetings, and information overload is real.

"All you have to do is put Decisions on, and it will take your notes for you," Brooke explained to her new teammate. "When things have calmed down, you can go back and go, 'Oh yeah, that makes sense now.'"

Brooke is working to make Decisions part of the formal onboarding process across Niab. Whether it's formal or not, the habit is already there. "It's second nature now," she says. "When you have a meeting, the question is, 'Have you put Decisions on?'"

Key Outcomes [✓]

Better Records, Better Follow-Through

6 in 10 team members report improved quality of notes and action-tracking

Time Saved Every Week

88% say Decisions saves them time each week

Meetings Without Desks

Field teams hold effective meetings from vehicles and glasshouses

Adopted at Every Level

From field crews to the board, Decisions is standard practice

Secure Within Microsoft

All meeting data stays inside Niab's Microsoft 365 environment