BRF - SAP Innovation Awards 2025
Winner in the Cloud ERP Champion and Industry Leader category: BRF, a global food giant, leverages SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) for supply chain management to drive digital transformation and growth. By using AI and advanced analytics, BRF improves forecast accuracy, optimizes inventory, and enhances planning. Collaborative forecasting and real-time data alignment increase operational efficiency, enabling BRF to manage its extensive operations and adapt quickly to market changes. Entry #5245 Download the DocumentPUBLIC
Entry Pitch Deck
BRF
Jorge Serpa / Gilberto Andretta
Food Industry
Enhancing innovation: daily supply chain
demand planning with SAP Business AI
Entry Pitch Deck
BRF
Jorge Serpa / Gilberto Andretta
Food Industry
Enhancing innovation: daily supply chain
demand planning with SAP Business AI
COMPANY NAME:
HEADQUARTERS:
INDUSTRY:
WEBSITE:
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:
Company information
2
BRF S.A.
Itajaí, Brazil
Food Industry
https://www.brf-global.com/en/
Nearly 100,000
One of the largest food companies in the world, BRF, founded ~90 years ago, is present in 120+
countries. Its purpose is to offer increasingly tasty and practical quality food - for people and their
pets around the world - through sustainable management of its chain, from farm to fork.
Owner of brands Sadia, Perdigão and Qualy, the company focuses on actions centered around
fundamental commitments to safety, quality and integrity.
The company bases its strategy on a long-term vision and aims to generate value for almost
100 thousand employees worldwide, more than 415 thousand customers, and approximately
9 thousand integrated producers in Brazil, all its shareholders, and for society.
From grain purchases to freight and logistics services, BRF monitors their partners to ensure that
the Company's quality and sustainability principles are replicated by our suppliers around the
globe.
PUBLIC
HEADQUARTERS:
INDUSTRY:
WEBSITE:
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:
Company information
2
BRF S.A.
Itajaí, Brazil
Food Industry
https://www.brf-global.com/en/
Nearly 100,000
One of the largest food companies in the world, BRF, founded ~90 years ago, is present in 120+
countries. Its purpose is to offer increasingly tasty and practical quality food - for people and their
pets around the world - through sustainable management of its chain, from farm to fork.
Owner of brands Sadia, Perdigão and Qualy, the company focuses on actions centered around
fundamental commitments to safety, quality and integrity.
The company bases its strategy on a long-term vision and aims to generate value for almost
100 thousand employees worldwide, more than 415 thousand customers, and approximately
9 thousand integrated producers in Brazil, all its shareholders, and for society.
From grain purchases to freight and logistics services, BRF monitors their partners to ensure that
the Company's quality and sustainability principles are replicated by our suppliers around the
globe.
PUBLIC
CHALLENGE: SOLUTION: OUTCOME:
Enhancing Innovation: Daily Supply Chain Demand Planning
with IBP
3
Time for planners to accurately access and analyze
demand and forecast data versus from disparate
spreadsheet to a central SAP IBP dashboard.
SAP IBP is integrated in a process that touches
500,000 thousand deliveries per month to 415+
thousand customers representing 5 million tons of
food produced per year.
Jobs (scheduled tasks) per month ensuring that the
planning processes are automated and streamlined
including the use of SAP Business AI.
33% Faster
BRF
500K 6,000+
Seeking innovative solutions is essential to advancing
digital transformation and driving BRF's growth. The
use of advanced technologies and Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is fundamental to overcoming supply
chain management challenges. 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 our operation.
Using SAP Integrated Business Planning (SAP IBP) for
Supply Chain, BRF can analyze vast data sets, improve
forecast accuracy, monitor order trends, and enable
proactive decision-making.
BRF tracks the end-to-end process including:
▪ Using daily forecasts for ongoing decision support
▪ Enabling simulation agents to produce different scenarios
and what-if situations
▪ Collaborating on forecasts with cross-teams
BRF leverages advanced analytics to improve supply chain
planning, which helps adapt to market changes, optimize
inventory levels, and enhance replenishment planning.
BRF, as one of the world’s largest food companies, is
transforming efficiency and productivity standards in the
production chain, developing solutions that make
processes more agile, simple, and efficient.
With 44 production units, 103 distribution centers
delivering 500,000 thousand deliveries per month to 415+
thousand customers, representing 5 million tons of food
produced per year, the scale is enormous.
BRF is one of the top 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
~400+ planners and monitored by the BRF board,
directors, and stakeholders.
PUBLIC
Enhancing Innovation: Daily Supply Chain Demand Planning
with IBP
3
Time for planners to accurately access and analyze
demand and forecast data versus from disparate
spreadsheet to a central SAP IBP dashboard.
SAP IBP is integrated in a process that touches
500,000 thousand deliveries per month to 415+
thousand customers representing 5 million tons of
food produced per year.
Jobs (scheduled tasks) per month ensuring that the
planning processes are automated and streamlined
including the use of SAP Business AI.
33% Faster
BRF
500K 6,000+
Seeking innovative solutions is essential to advancing
digital transformation and driving BRF's growth. The
use of advanced technologies and Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is fundamental to overcoming supply
chain management challenges. 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 our operation.
Using SAP Integrated Business Planning (SAP IBP) for
Supply Chain, BRF can analyze vast data sets, improve
forecast accuracy, monitor order trends, and enable
proactive decision-making.
BRF tracks the end-to-end process including:
▪ Using daily forecasts for ongoing decision support
▪ Enabling simulation agents to produce different scenarios
and what-if situations
▪ Collaborating on forecasts with cross-teams
BRF leverages advanced analytics to improve supply chain
planning, which helps adapt to market changes, optimize
inventory levels, and enhance replenishment planning.
BRF, as one of the world’s largest food companies, is
transforming efficiency and productivity standards in the
production chain, developing solutions that make
processes more agile, simple, and efficient.
With 44 production units, 103 distribution centers
delivering 500,000 thousand deliveries per month to 415+
thousand customers, representing 5 million tons of food
produced per year, the scale is enormous.
BRF is one of the top 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
~400+ planners and monitored by the BRF board,
directors, and stakeholders.
PUBLIC
GLOBAL CHALLENGES
Challenges
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
PUBLIC 4
Countries’ food agency regulations, requirements, and practices such
as Halal, sustainability, and others, significantly impacts BRF, when it
comes to demand and forecast planning with SAP IBP.
These challenges include:
▪ Demand Segmentation - Categorization of products and forecast
demand for each segment must be accurate.
▪ Production and Certification Constraints - Food regulations can
impose constraints on production, such as dedicated production
lines, specific certifications, and assessment of what-if scenarios.
▪ Shelf-Life and Expiry - Some regulations may impact product
shelf-life due to specific ingredient requirements or packaging
guidelines.
▪ Inventory Levels - Stricter regulations require higher safety stock
levels to ensure continuous supply, as any non-compliance can
lead to sudden drops in demand or recalls.
SAP IBP assists BRF in meeting these requirements by ensuring
compliance, optimizing supply chain performance, and helping meet
customers demands more effectively.
For BRF, implementing SAP IBP brings numerous benefits, but it also
comes with its own set of business challenges including:
▪ Intricated Supply Chain - Modeling multiple suppliers, plants,
distribution centers, and stakeholders.
▪ Demand Volatility - Addressing seasonality, trends, and
products’ shelf life to accurately forecast and plan.
▪ Products’ Shelf Life – Optimize inventory level to reduce losses.
▪ Promotion and New Product Introduction (NPI) Planning -
Planning for events and campaigns accurately
▪ Regulatory Compliance - Complying with stringent regulations,
requirements, and standards.
▪ Process Alignment - Aligning business processes with best
practices along with training and change management.
▪ Data Quality – Ensuring one company-wide version of the truth.
Addressing these challenges has enabled BRF to improve
operational efficiencies and enhance decision-making.
Challenges
BUSINESS CHALLENGES
PUBLIC 4
Countries’ food agency regulations, requirements, and practices such
as Halal, sustainability, and others, significantly impacts BRF, when it
comes to demand and forecast planning with SAP IBP.
These challenges include:
▪ Demand Segmentation - Categorization of products and forecast
demand for each segment must be accurate.
▪ Production and Certification Constraints - Food regulations can
impose constraints on production, such as dedicated production
lines, specific certifications, and assessment of what-if scenarios.
▪ Shelf-Life and Expiry - Some regulations may impact product
shelf-life due to specific ingredient requirements or packaging
guidelines.
▪ Inventory Levels - Stricter regulations require higher safety stock
levels to ensure continuous supply, as any non-compliance can
lead to sudden drops in demand or recalls.
SAP IBP assists BRF in meeting these requirements by ensuring
compliance, optimizing supply chain performance, and helping meet
customers demands more effectively.
For BRF, implementing SAP IBP brings numerous benefits, but it also
comes with its own set of business challenges including:
▪ Intricated Supply Chain - Modeling multiple suppliers, plants,
distribution centers, and stakeholders.
▪ Demand Volatility - Addressing seasonality, trends, and
products’ shelf life to accurately forecast and plan.
▪ Products’ Shelf Life – Optimize inventory level to reduce losses.
▪ Promotion and New Product Introduction (NPI) Planning -
Planning for events and campaigns accurately
▪ Regulatory Compliance - Complying with stringent regulations,
requirements, and standards.
▪ Process Alignment - Aligning business processes with best
practices along with training and change management.
▪ Data Quality – Ensuring one company-wide version of the truth.
Addressing these challenges has enabled BRF to improve
operational efficiencies and enhance decision-making.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES WHY SAP
Objectives
5
BRF selected SAP IBP based on a proven, data driven, planning tool to
help anticipate and respond quickly to risks and opportunities.
▪ SAP leads the market in supply chain transformation.
▪ SAP provides a broad range of capabilities that support demand
planning, inventory optimization, supply planning, sales and
operations planning, along with a forward-looking roadmap
▪ SAP provides short- to long-term forecast accuracy through AI-
powered algorithms, statistical modeling, demand sensing, and
automated outlier correction.
▪ SAP has a strong global presence, ensuring that BRF with
international operations can address local and global requirements.
▪ SAP has a deep understanding of food industry best practices and
provides guidance and expertise based on successful deployments.
▪ SAP enables planners to make well-informed decisions with tools
designed for them, promoting automation and allowing planners to
concentrate on value-added tasks.
To support BRF's growth, the company sought to adopt a scalable
and flexible solution that could optimize demand planning and supply
chain management. The adoption of the SAP Integrated Business
Planning (IBP) platform aims to achieve several objectives such as:
▪ Increasing forecast accuracy: Using statistical models and
machine learning algorithms to improve planning accuracy.
▪ Optimizing inventory management: Determining optimal inventory
levels, reducing stockouts, excess inventory, and obsolescence.
▪ Improving logistical efficiency: Aligning strategic, tactical, and
operational planning across different departments (e.g., sales,
marketing, finance, supply chain).
▪ Ensuring regulatory compliance: Supporting risk management and
contingency planning to comply with regulations.
▪ Promoting sustainability: Implementing practices that reduce
environmental impact and promote sustainable development.
PUBLIC
Objectives
5
BRF selected SAP IBP based on a proven, data driven, planning tool to
help anticipate and respond quickly to risks and opportunities.
▪ SAP leads the market in supply chain transformation.
▪ SAP provides a broad range of capabilities that support demand
planning, inventory optimization, supply planning, sales and
operations planning, along with a forward-looking roadmap
▪ SAP provides short- to long-term forecast accuracy through AI-
powered algorithms, statistical modeling, demand sensing, and
automated outlier correction.
▪ SAP has a strong global presence, ensuring that BRF with
international operations can address local and global requirements.
▪ SAP has a deep understanding of food industry best practices and
provides guidance and expertise based on successful deployments.
▪ SAP enables planners to make well-informed decisions with tools
designed for them, promoting automation and allowing planners to
concentrate on value-added tasks.
To support BRF's growth, the company sought to adopt a scalable
and flexible solution that could optimize demand planning and supply
chain management. The adoption of the SAP Integrated Business
Planning (IBP) platform aims to achieve several objectives such as:
▪ Increasing forecast accuracy: Using statistical models and
machine learning algorithms to improve planning accuracy.
▪ Optimizing inventory management: Determining optimal inventory
levels, reducing stockouts, excess inventory, and obsolescence.
▪ Improving logistical efficiency: Aligning strategic, tactical, and
operational planning across different departments (e.g., sales,
marketing, finance, supply chain).
▪ Ensuring regulatory compliance: Supporting risk management and
contingency planning to comply with regulations.
▪ Promoting sustainability: Implementing practices that reduce
environmental impact and promote sustainable development.
PUBLIC
USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE PROJECT
Project or use case
OVERALL USE CASE
6
BRF is a recognized early adopter of the use of SAP Business AI, Joule, and machine learning. For SAP IBP they are utilizing demand planning and sensing,
statistical modeling, forecast accuracy and embedded analytics, time-series analysis, and exception management enabled by the following:
▪ Algorithms - Combines traditional time-series forecasting, regression and predictive modeling, and machine learning to produce more precise daily
forecasts.
▪ Master Data Analytics – Artificial intelligence improves data quality, enhances the planning processes, and supports better decision-making.
▪ Order Patterns - Leverages demand sensing to automatically adapt to order patterns and downstream demand signals like point-of-sale data with the
ability to fine-tune the forecasts.
BRF is amongst the first customers to successfully incorporate SAP IBP with Joule (slide 13) to leverage the SAP Help Portal and a Chatbot for assistance,
and conversational search, with a roadmap for further deployments going forward including the planning assistance with the add-in for Microsoft Excel.
BRF uses SAP IBP for both short-term and long-term strategic planning. In the short term, BRF relies on SAP IBP for daily visibility of sales, production
planning, and stock variations. This approach is crucial for our end-to-end process. Also, It is priority for planning day-to-day availability of inventory / stock. In
addition, for exports, close market monitoring is essential to adjust production, shipping, and minimize losses.
In the longer term, BRF sets monthly and quarterly sales KPIs and uses SAP IBP to track progress and adjustments, such as launching sales campaigns or
increasing production. Accurate forecasting is vital as it directly impacts sales goals.
BRF relies on SAP IBP to provide demand and production data for the Annual Budgetary Run. This process contributes to major strategic decisions for the
following year, hence it is extremely critical.
PUBLIC
Project or use case
OVERALL USE CASE
6
BRF is a recognized early adopter of the use of SAP Business AI, Joule, and machine learning. For SAP IBP they are utilizing demand planning and sensing,
statistical modeling, forecast accuracy and embedded analytics, time-series analysis, and exception management enabled by the following:
▪ Algorithms - Combines traditional time-series forecasting, regression and predictive modeling, and machine learning to produce more precise daily
forecasts.
▪ Master Data Analytics – Artificial intelligence improves data quality, enhances the planning processes, and supports better decision-making.
▪ Order Patterns - Leverages demand sensing to automatically adapt to order patterns and downstream demand signals like point-of-sale data with the
ability to fine-tune the forecasts.
BRF is amongst the first customers to successfully incorporate SAP IBP with Joule (slide 13) to leverage the SAP Help Portal and a Chatbot for assistance,
and conversational search, with a roadmap for further deployments going forward including the planning assistance with the add-in for Microsoft Excel.
BRF uses SAP IBP for both short-term and long-term strategic planning. In the short term, BRF relies on SAP IBP for daily visibility of sales, production
planning, and stock variations. This approach is crucial for our end-to-end process. Also, It is priority for planning day-to-day availability of inventory / stock. In
addition, for exports, close market monitoring is essential to adjust production, shipping, and minimize losses.
In the longer term, BRF sets monthly and quarterly sales KPIs and uses SAP IBP to track progress and adjustments, such as launching sales campaigns or
increasing production. Accurate forecasting is vital as it directly impacts sales goals.
BRF relies on SAP IBP to provide demand and production data for the Annual Budgetary Run. This process contributes to major strategic decisions for the
following year, hence it is extremely critical.
PUBLIC