Ever.Ag and Coles Deploy AI-Driven Planning Across Fresh Meat Supply Chain

Key Takeaways

• Coles Supermarkets has partnered with Ever.Ag to deploy its Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) platform across Coles' fresh meat supply chain, covering beef, lamb, and pork categories.
• The implementation has reduced planning time from hours to minutes through automated data modelling, replacing manual spreadsheet-based coordination.
• The system embeds institutional knowledge and business policies into automated planning rules, improving consistency and reducing operational risk across meat categories.
• Planning outcomes include improved freshness management, better pricing accuracy, and stronger inventory control across Coles' meat operations.
• The next phase of the partnership will shift from volume-based to value-based optimisation, incorporating profitability, operational efficiency, and environmental impact into the same planning models.

Coles and Ever.Ag Deploy AI-Driven Planning Across Fresh Meat Supply Chain

Coles Supermarkets has partnered with agri-food technology company Ever.Ag to bring advanced data science and optimisation modelling to its fresh meat supply chain. The collaboration introduces Ever.Ag's S&OP platform into Coles' beef, lamb, and pork operations, replacing manual planning processes that previously required hours of coordination, spreadsheet management, and reliance on individual institutional knowledge.

The platform automatically ingests and models data from across Coles' operations, generating production and deployment plans with predictive insights and built-in compliance rules. The result is a planning system that applies business policies consistently and adapts to changing demand conditions in near real time.

What the Implementation Has Delivered

Since deployment, Coles has cut planning time from hours to minutes through automated data modelling. Business policies are now applied consistently across all three meat categories, and institutional knowledge that previously resided with individual planners has been embedded into the system's rules and logic. The platform has also improved planning accuracy, supporting better freshness management and pricing decisions across meat categories, and strengthened inventory and production management capabilities.

“Meat is one of the most complex supply chains in food retail. By applying data science at scale, Coles is showing what's possible when advanced analytics meet real-world operations,” said Scott Sexton, CEO of Ever.Ag.

“Our priority is delivering the best experience for our customers. This approach helps ensure the freshest cuts are available at the right price,” said Martin Smithson, Executive General Manager Supermarket Operations at Coles.

Next Phase: Value-Based Optimisation

Coles and Ever.Ag are planning a second phase of the partnership that moves beyond volume-based planning into value-based optimisation. The updated models will incorporate profitability, operational efficiency, and environmental impact alongside existing demand and production variables. This will enable Coles to run scenario simulations, anticipate market shifts, and make planning decisions that balance commercial outcomes with broader operational and sustainability considerations.