As a global leader in the food industry, BRF is renowned for its commitment to quality and innovation. Recently, the food giant won the SAP Innovation Award in the category Cloud ERP Champion and Industry Leader with its supply chain management solution based on SAP Integrated Business Planning (SAP IBP).
By using AI and advanced analytics, BRF managed to improve forecast accuracy, optimized inventory, and fine-tuned planning. Collaborative forecasting and real-time data alignment now increase operational efficiency, enabling BRF to manage its extensive operations in over 127 countries and adapt quickly to changes in these markets.
About BRF
Headquartered in Itajaí, Brazil, BRF owns well-known brands such as Sadia, Perdigão, and Qualy and employs nearly 100,000 people. The company’s dedication to sustainability and excellence has made it a trusted name in households around the world.
Project outcomes that scale
With 44 production units, 103 distribution centers delivering more than 500 million deliveries per month to more than 415,000 customers, representing 5 million tons of food produced per year, the scale of the achieved improvements is immense.
“BRF is transforming efficiency and productivity standards in the production chain, developing solutions that make processes more agile, simple, and efficient,” said Gilberto Andretta, executive technology manager at BRF. “We are one of the leading SAP IBP organizations achieving daily demand planning and sensing, statistical modeling, forecast accuracy and embedded analytics, time-series analysis, and exception management, which is integral for our more than 400 planners.”
By using SAP IBP, the process of accurately accessing and analyzing demand and forecast data is 33 percent faster.
Award-winning solution
For BRF, seeking innovative solutions is essential to advancing digital transformation and driving growth. The company considers the use of AI as fundamental to overcoming supply chain management challenges.
“The transformation of BRF’s supply chain through SAP solutions has made it easier to integrate processes, predict future trends, and respond quickly to market needs,” said Miriam Hahn, customer success manager for SAP Brazil, who is working with BRF on its supply chain journey. “This journey highlights the strong partnership between SAP and BRF.”
Using SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain, BRF can now analyze vast data sets, improve forecast accuracy, monitor order trends, and enable proactive decision-making.
Ensuring that forecasts and delivery deadlines are accurate requires detailed and flexible planning, enabling a quick response to changes, increasing operational efficiency and accuracy. Additionally, consolidating real-time information, aligning financial and operational planning, and improving interdepartmental collaboration are fundamental steps for BRF’s operation.
Use of artificial intelligence
BRF is a recognized early adopter of SAP Business AI and SAP’s AI copilot Joule. By integrating AI-driven insights, the food giant can accurately forecast demand, optimize inventory levels, and ensure timely delivery of products. This advanced technology helps BRF anticipate market trends, adjust production schedules, and reduce waste — ultimately leading to improved efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Within SAP IBP, BRF is utilizing demand planning and sensing, statistical modeling, forecast accuracy and embedded analytics, time-series analysis, and exception management. Examples where AI is improving the business include:
- AI algorithms combine traditional time-series forecasting, regression and predictive modeling, and machine learning to produce more precise daily forecasts.
- Used for master data analytics, AI intelligence improves data quality, enhances the planning processes, and supports better decision-making.
More to come
BRF is among the first customers to successfully incorporate SAP IBP with Joule to leverage the SAP Help Portal and a chatbot to assist BRF employees.
Currently, BRF is deploying a “brownfield” SAP S/4HANA Cloud implementation upgrade of the existing SAP ECC system based on its successful established SAP environment. The company is in the process of incorporating SAP S/4HANA Cloud features and capabilities, while retaining much of the existing infrastructure and core data services. In addition to SAP S/4HANA and the cloud-based SAP Ariba solution for procurement, BRF is also running SAP SuccessFactors software for human capital management (HCM).
“BRF is an early adopter for many of SAP’s AI services and our strategic partner in the region,” said Caio Granzotto, account director for BRF at SAP Brazil. “As a next step, they plan to use SAP IBP’s AI assistant to improve supply chain processes and simplify the work of their planners. The company is also considering order-based planning using additional AI algorithms.”
