Australian supermarket chain Coles is using data science and optimisation modelling technology from Texas-based Ever.Ag to ensure meat arrives at its stores fresh.

Agri-food technology company Ever.Ag has introduced fresh meat supply chain technology across beef, lamb and pork categories.

Historically, planning for meat supply required hours of manual coordination, spreadsheets and deep institutional knowledge. Now, using Ever.Ag’s S&OP platform, Coles automatically ingests and models data from across its operations, producing optimised production and deployment plans complete with predictive insights and built-in compliance rules.

Since implementation, Coles has cut planning time from hours to minutes through automated data modelling. It has applied business policies consistently across beef, lamb and pork, and reduced operational risk by embedding institutional knowledge into the system. This has led to improved customer responsiveness to meet changing demand and improved planning accuracy to support the management of freshness and pricing across meat categories.

Strengthened planning capabilities support more efficient production and inventory management.

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

Martin Smithson, executive general manager at Coles, added: “Our priority is delivering the best experience for our customers. This approach helps ensure the freshest cuts are available at the right price.”

Looking ahead, Coles and Ever.Ag plan to move from volume-based to value-based optimisation, incorporating factors such as profitability, operational efficiency and customer outcomes into the same planning models. This next phase will enable Coles to simulate scenarios, anticipate market swings and make decisions that balance efficiency with environmental impact.

Ever.Ag delivers market intelligence, risk management and software that enable smarter, more sustainable operations across dairy, livestock, crops and agribusiness sectors.

For details of the installation at Coles, see ever.ag/resource/case-study/coles.

Founded in 1914, Coles (www.coles.com.au) operates around 850 supermarkets in Australia and has more than 120,000 employees.