Bruning advances its digital transformation with an SAP S/4HANA upgrade, led by Insi

Bruning is one of the largest auto parts manufacturers in Latin America, supplying the agricultural, road, automotive, construction, and many other industries that depend on reliability, scale, and technology. With more than seven decades of history, the company has grown on a foundation of innovation, disciplined processes, and the strength of its people.

In recent years, Bruning has accelerated its digital transformation to sustain that growth. Implementing SAP in 2018 was a major milestone, and the company has now taken the next step by moving to the latest version of the system, at a decisive moment shaped by Brazil's Tax Reform and an ongoing drive for efficiency.

Why upgrade now: Tax Reform and the push for efficiency

Brazil's Tax Reform was one of the main drivers of the upgrade. New tax requirements have put pressure on companies across every sector, and Bruning was no exception.

Context: Brazil is phasing in a sweeping overhaul of its consumption tax system, beginning in 2026. The reform consolidates several federal, state, and municipal taxes into a new value-added model. For companies operating in the country, it means updating ERP and tax-compliance systems to meet firm government deadlines or risk disruption to day-to-day operations.

According to Mauricio Cavalli, IT Coordinator and the project's technical manager, the Tax Reform was what pushed the company to make a major move on SAP. The legislation brought tight deadlines and real operational risks, including the possibility of being blocked from issuing invoices if the company was not compliant in time.

This situation called for strategic vision and agility. As Vanderlei Giovani Benetti, Operational Excellence and IT Manager and lead of the upgrade project, put it: the strict deadlines set by the legislation had a direct and significant influence on the project's decisions.

Upgrading ahead of the reform's rollout was not only a technical choice. It was a move to protect continuity, competitiveness, and operational security.

The partnership with Insi: a shared purpose connecting technology and people

Choosing Insi to lead the upgrade was a natural decision. The relationship between the two companies began in 2018, during the original SAP S/4HANA implementation, when Bruning decided to migrate from its in-house system to a robust ERP platform. What brought the organizations together then was not only technical expertise, but the purpose behind their brands.

Reno Schmidt Junior, CEO of Bruning and the project's sponsor, says he found in Insi a company whose purpose was close to Bruning's own. He notes that Bruning's mission is to generate prosperity by connecting people and technology, and that Insi shares this view by treating technology not as an end in itself, but as a tool for transformation. That cultural alignment strengthened a partnership built on depth, trust, and a long-term outlook.

The alignment shows in how the teams work: integrated, collaborative, and without barriers, in a mindset the CEO describes as "working without badges." In the upgrade project, that approach was essential to accelerate decisions, reduce risk, and keep the focus on what mattered most.

Benetti adds that Insi fully grasped the urgency and the challenges of the moment, helping to structure a project aligned with the real need. The consultancy made the difference, he says, by understanding Bruning's needs and the context the company was working in.

The joint effort kept the plan matched to a demanding reality: limited time, high complexity, and a direct impact on operations.

The strength of people: engagement, learning, and growth

More than a system upgrade, the project rallied people across the company. Everyone involved pointed to team participation as the factor that set the project apart and secured its success.

Ângela Priscila Oliveira, Project Management Analyst and the project's PMO, highlights that having a team fully dedicated to the project was one of the clearest positives. That commitment made the transition smoother and built maturity, integration, and knowledge sharing across teams.

It reflects a belief held throughout the company: technology amplifies human work, strengthens capabilities, and gives people room to act more strategically.

This is exactly where the purposes of Bruning and Insi meet: technology in service of human growth, not the other way around.

Results: greater efficiency, stronger integration, and better decisions

The move to the latest version of SAP S/4HANA delivered immediate gains:

• greater operational stability;
• better integration across modules and processes;
• more efficient decision-making;
• a technology foundation ready for upcoming tax requirements;
• stronger internal structure and communication between areas. As Benetti explains, the updated SAP lets Bruning operate with the full potential of the tool, enabling safer decisions and continuous process improvement.

With the upgrade complete, the company is ready for the next stages of the Tax Reform, something many organizations will still be scrambling to address. The updated system also makes new solutions possible, opens the door to further digitization, and reinforces the technology foundation for the years ahead. In Benetti's words, the new version prepares the company for the next phase of its digital transformation.

A more prepared, connected, and digital future

Bruning's vision for the future remains firm: keep growing sustainably, with technology and people as inseparable pillars. Reno sums it up by saying the goal is to keep advancing the company's purpose, working side by side with partners who share the same essence.

He sees the road ahead as a shared journey, bringing together the team's knowledge, the strength of the internal culture, and the technologies that support the business. As long as both companies stay aligned to "generate prosperity together," he says, Bruning and Insi will keep moving in the same direction.

The upgrade marks an important turning point. Bruning continues on its path of evolution, now with a solid technology foundation for the next years of digital transformation: more modern, more integrated, and even more true to its purpose.

With modern technology, a trusted partner, and engaged teams, Bruning is well positioned to meet the changes in the tax landscape, increase efficiency, and keep delivering value to customers, employees, and its entire supply chain.