Brazilian Agro-Cooperatives Transform Management with New ERP
Brazilian agricultural cooperatives, numbering over a thousand, play a crucial role in the country's rural economy, collectively handling R$ 438.2 billion annually. Despite their economic significance, many of these cooperatives have been reliant on generic management systems not tailored to their specific legal and accounting needs. Addressing this gap, SOLTERRA SOLUÇÕES INTELIGENTES S.A. has introduced the ST7 COOP, a comprehensive ERP system specifically designed for the agribusiness cooperatives sector.
The ST7 COOP system integrates artificial intelligence and features 27 modules, offering tools for accounting, CRM, inventory management, logistics, and more. It is compatible with various databases and can be deployed on-premises or via cloud solutions. The system's development is rooted in the vision of SOLTERRA's CEO, Luis Carlos Crema, who identified the need for a tailored management tool in 1993 after encountering a farmer struggling to manage costs.
A key feature of the ST7 COOP is its 'cooperative act' mechanism, which tracks each member's contribution to the cooperative, aligning with Brazilian cooperative legislation. This is a significant enhancement compared to generic systems, where such functionality is not inherently supported but rather adapted.
Launching ahead of the implementation of the Contribution on Goods and Services (CBS) tax in January 2027, the system is poised to help cooperatives navigate new tax requirements. The CBS will replace the PIS and Cofins taxes, introducing rural producers into a formal tax regime for the first time. SOLTERRA estimates that without an integrated management system, cooperatives could face losses of R$ 265,000 per R$ 1 million transacted.
Moreover, the ST7 COOP's native artificial intelligence, IA-ST7, allows for advanced functionalities such as voice-commanded reporting, automated quotations, and growth scenario simulations. In one case, the system advised a cooperative with a R$ 5 billion turnover to consider ethanol production as a viable expansion path.
According to Crema, the ability of the system to respond to specific queries and its learning capability are significant advantages, offering personalized insights and efficiencies for cooperative management. This positions the ST7 COOP as a pioneering software solution with no direct equivalent in the global market, according to a study by a leading American database and enterprise technology company.
