Nissin Foods Transforms Global Food Operations with Unified Data Integration Platform

Challenge

Fragmented Data Systems Prevented Company-Wide Analytics and AI Innovation 

Nissin faced the fundamental challenge of integrating data from individually optimized systems that operated in isolation across their complex business ecosystem. Primary business processes including food production, sales, shipping, delivery to wholesalers and retailers, and POS data collection were managed by separate systems, creating data silos that prevented comprehensive analysis. 

The technical complexity deepened with Nissin’s cloud-first approach, requiring iPaaS solutions that could integrate multiple systems seamlessly while supporting business users who lacked extensive IT infrastructure knowledge. The company also needed to support emerging generative AI initiatives, requiring a platform that could handle both structured data integration and serve as a foundation for advanced analytics. 

Solution

Cloud-Based Integration Platform Unified 10 Core Systems with AI-Ready Architecture 

Nissin selected HULFT Square, a cloud-based data integration platform, as the central hub for their data consolidation initiatives. The platform’s comprehensive connector library and proven track record made it ideal for Nissin’s requirements, building on their existing experience with HULFT for internal file transfers. 

HULFT Square’s key advantage was its ability to wrap complex integration technology into user-friendly services that business teams could implement without extensive coding. The platform’s GUI capabilities enabled Nissin’s Data Science Department to focus on analysis rather than infrastructure management. 

The implementation strategy centered on creating a pipeline from various business systems, including SQL Server and Amazon Redshift, to Snowflake, a cloud-based data warehouse. HULFT Square aggregates data from approximately 10 core systems, handling up to 20GB of daily data exchanges while maintaining system stability and reliability. Saison Technology provided strategic partnership support, sharing expertise in both data integration and generative AI implementation to accompany Nissin’s transformation goals. 

Results

Automated Data Workflows Enabled 10x User Growth and Advanced AI Analytics 

HULFT Square transformed Nissin’s data utilization capabilities, delivering measurable improvements across operations. The platform eliminated manual processes that previously required downloading data from core systems using Excel and inputting it into Power BI for analysis. 

User adoption metrics demonstrate successful data democratization. Power BI development users increased by more than tenfold within six months, while report creation grew by more than threefold during the same period. The platform now serves as an essential information source for executive discussions and financial reporting. 

Beyond operational efficiency, HULFT Square enabled advanced analytics capabilities, including generative AI integration for business intelligence. The platform supports inputting unstructured data such as product survey results into Snowflake, analyzing them with generative AI, and providing quantitative results to the marketing department. 

“We’ve reduced data porting time for Power BI by 60%. HULFT Square substantially improves the speed at which we handle and analyze data.”

Kazuyoshi Yamagata, Data Science Office, Nissin Foods

Future Vision

Data-Driven Culture Expansion to Enable Company-Wide Digital Transformation

Nissin envisions HULFT Square as the foundation for comprehensive data utilization across their global operations, with plans to significantly expand data sources and analytical capabilities. The company aims to integrate additional business areas, including sales, marketing, and R&D functions, such as materials and product development, into their unified data ecosystem. 

The marketing field represents an emerging area for growth, where data analysis capabilities can provide competitive advantage. Until now, the systems department had almost no contact with the marketing department, but since this is a field that requires data, the data integration platform is a perfect fit. Nissin’s ultimate goal is creating an environment where business departments can freely access and utilize data collected by HULFT Square, transforming meeting dynamics and decision-making processes while developing company-wide digital literacy.