Integrated Planning Produces Efficiency and Collaboration at RFG
Integrated budgeting and forecasting across finance, supply chain, and sales enhances performance, improves alignment, and empowers the finance team.
RFG Foods (Pty) Ltd is a leading, internationally recognised food producer, renowned for its diverse portfolio of products that includes canned foods, fresh produce, jams, juices, and meats. Operating in a highly complex and fast-paced environment across Southern Africa, RFG needed to adopt a cutting-edge planning solution to unify and streamline its business operations.
"The integrated planning solution powered by IBM Planning Analytics has been a game-changer for our business. It has transformed how we approach planning, enabling us to collaborate more effectively and focus on driving growth.“
Firaz Rahman, Head of Group Finance
Automation and Efficiency:
Automated data integration with ERP and advanced planning models eliminated manual processes, saving time and reducing errors.
Data Accuracy and Transparency:
A single version of the truth enabled more informed data driven decision-making, with consolidated insights from across the organisation.
Enhanced Agility:
Real-time updates and robust analytics allowed RFG to adapt quickly to market demands and internal changes.
Solutions:
Finance, Supply Chain and Sales
Technologies:
Partner:
RFG faced significant inefficiencies due to a heavy reliance on manual processes and Excel-based planning. The lack of integration with their ERP system meant that crucial data—such as sales figures, production costs, and inventory levels – was fragmented across systems, creating silos and limiting visibility. Reporting processes, being largely manual, were labour-intensive and prone to errors, further compounding inefficiencies.
Identifying and Tackling Key Obstacles
To address these issues, RFG turned to IBM Planning Analytics. Starting with a sales model integrated with their ERP for real-time actuals, the solution was gradually expanded to include Finance and Supply Chain functions. This iterative approach ensured the system evolved to meet RFG’s unique needs while delivering immediate value.
The finance team benefited from advanced budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting capabilities, providing real-time insights into areas such as fixed assets, capital expenditure, and segment profitability. For sales, the unified budget and forecast processes consolidated data across plants and product lines, enabling accurate revenue projections and detailed variance analysis.
The budgeting and forecasting process was further improved with automated supply chain models that streamlined cost tracking and levy management on materials like plastics. Together, these innovations created a fully integrated, collaborative platform for planning and decision-making.
Delivering Meaningful Outcomes
The adoption of IBM Planning Analytics has fundamentally transformed how RFG operates. Automated processes have replaced manual, error-prone workflows, significantly increasing efficiency and accuracy. Data consolidation into a single source of truth has enhanced transparency, enabling the organisation to make decisions with greater confidence. These improvements have streamlined operations across Finance, Sales, and Supply Chain, fostering collaboration from all areas across the business.
Additionally, the agility provided by real-time updates and robust analytics has equipped RFG to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and internal priorities. By embracing integrated volume driver planning, the business is now better positioned to focus on strategic growth initiatives while continuing to deliver exceptional value to its customers.
