Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU), the nation’s largest baking company and maker of iconic brands such as Sara Lee®, Entenmann’s® and Thomas’®, decided to improve demand forecasting to reduce food waste while maintaining product freshness and availability. Operating 59 bakeries and 11,000 delivery routes, BBU faced a difficult balance between minimizing overstocks and preventing stock-outs in a highly variable perishables market.
To modernize its operations and empower its 20,000 employees, BBU deployed Zebra’s AI-driven demand intelligence solution, integrating real-time data, predictive analytics and machine learning to provide more accurate forecasts and optimize production and delivery planning. The platform provides granular visibility into every SKU, store and week, enabling route planners and operators to collaborate seamlessly and make data-driven decisions faster.
As a result, BBU reached up to a 30% reduction in forecast errorsimproving control accuracy and maintaining more than 80% forecast accuracy even despite the unprecedented volatility of the pandemic. By transforming its forecasting process and uniting its frontline and production teams through a single intelligent platform, Bimbo Bakeries has strengthened its ability to deliver fresher products, minimize waste and improve customer satisfaction across its national network.
