Case Studies

ArcherPoint Helps Nissin Foods USA Integrate and Streamline with Microsoft Dynamics NAV

The Challenge

Nissin Foods USA certainly has not had difficulty keeping busy. In the U.S. alone, Nissin has two production facilities and 800 employees. However, their 20-year-old accounting and business management system was beginning to be a liability rather than an asset. In addition to being outdated, the system was not integrated. The legacy accounting software and homegrown sales, manufacturing, and distribution systems were not on “speaking terms,” which made the company vulnerable to errors and inefficiencies. These issues needed to be addressed.

The company had two challenges. First, because the individual systems were not integrated, the same data was being entered over and over again, which increased errors and inefficient use of employee time. Reporting and analysis was costly and time-consuming.

Second, Nissin needed up-to-date accounting software powerful enough to run a multi-million dollar company, yet “friendly” enough to make it easy to customize for Nissin’s needs and employees. Software requiring teams of consultants and trainers was simply out of the question.

When the company’s management team assessed the situation, the first move was to hire experts to review business processes. This was a very smart move because even the best software systems cannot make up for inefficient business processes. So, in 2003, Nissin USA hired Deloitte for the job. In the end, Deloitte recommended changes to business processes and a new business management system.

The Solution

Once it was decided that a new business management system was in order, the management team at Nissin USA looked to familiar names like SAP, Oracle, and J.D. Edwards, to name a few, as well as Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Deloitte had recommended Microsoft Dynamics NAV as a possibility because of its reputation in the manufacturing industry as well as its flexibility. That recommendation went a long way. Nissin realized that they could get better functionality and greater flexibility for a much more reasonable price with Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

Once the decision to go with Microsoft Dynamics NAV was made, Nissin USA began to look for an implementation partner to work with Deloitte. Deloitte turned to Greg Kaupp, a long-time Microsoft Dynamics NAV consultant and partner at ArcherPoint, who had previous Microsoft Dynamics NAV collaboration with Deloitte. “When we heard about Nissin’s unique requirements, we knew we were the right partner with the right solution for the job,” said Kaupp. “We were anxious to show them the capabilities of Dynamics NAV and our ability to help Nissin meet their goals.” The project commenced in March 2004 and went live in February of the following year. In addition to implementing the core Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution, ArcherPoint worked with Nissin to address their complex trade promotion requirements as well as implement an integrated traffic management system.

The Results

The benefits Nissin USA realized were immediate and ongoing, even after three years. The company enjoys the ability to capture detailed transaction data and analyze it on the fly, a luxury not possible with their legacy system.

But the benefits of the new system don’t stop with the software. Nissin USA is thrilled with ArcherPoint as their partner. “ArcherPoint has a thorough understanding of our business,” said Yohei Ujita, manager at Nissin USA. “Their people have a strong accounting background. When we first implemented the new system, ArcherPoint guided us through until we felt comfortable running the system.”

Another benefit the company didn’t expect came as a result of a new regulation passed by the FDA. In December 2005, the FDA mandated traceability to all food manufacturers in the U.S. Because Nissin USA had Microsoft Dynamics NAV in place by then, and a strong partner in ArcherPoint, it was possible for Nissin to comply with the regulation. With the former system, it would have been impossible to meet this mandate, especially the requirement for reporting within 24 hours of an inquiry from the FDA.

What’s next for Nissin? “We’re very happy with our solution, and we plan to continue to upgrade to the latest releases of Microsoft Dynamics NAV as they become available,” said Yohei Ujita, manager, Nissin Foods USA.

Learn More

Learn more about Nissin Foods USA.