~74 Years from Soybeans, the Next Move is AI~

Marusanai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture; President and CEO: Hiroyuki Inagaki; hereinafter "the Company") has introduced an AI agent※1 into the concept sheet creation process of its product planning operations starting June 2026, as part of its DX (Digital Transformation) initiatives. This implementation has achieved a reduction of approximately 49% in the time required for information gathering, analysis, and documentation.

For the development of this AI agent, the Company has utilized the corporate integrated AI agent platform "OPTIS One" provided by Optis Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture; CEO and President: Kazuki Tomita; hereinafter "Optis")

※1 AI agent: An AI system designed to consistently support tasks such as information gathering, analysis, and document creation for specific business purposes. Unlike general conversational AI, it is a specialized system incorporating business knowledge and decision-making frameworks.

Background and Objectives

Since 2020, the Company has been promoting DX and received the "DX Certification" from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in January 2026. Under the guiding principle that "DX begins with BX (Business Transformation)," the Company has prioritized reviewing its core business processes before introducing new tools.

In product planning operations, significant time was being spent on gathering information, conducting analysis, and preparing documents for concept sheets, making it difficult for staff to focus on planning discussions and decision-making. To address this challenge, the Company introduced an AI agent into this process.

Implementation Results

With the introduction of the AI agent, the time required per concept sheet for information gathering, analysis, and documentation has been reduced by approximately 49%, from an average of 34 hours before implementation to an average of 17.5 hours after implementation. The time saved will be redirected toward deeper exploration of consumer needs, refining product concepts, verifying quality and feasibility, and discussions with relevant departments, aiming to enhance the overall quality of product planning.

※ The evaluation of impact is limited to the information gathering, analysis, and documentation processes related to concept sheet creation, not the entire product planning process.

Comments

President and CEO Hiroyuki Inagaki

The Marusan Group has grown through products primarily based on soybeans, such as miso and soy milk. Our growth has been supported by a mindset that values tradition while fearlessly embracing change and challenges. With the introduction of this AI agent, we are creating an environment where our staff can focus more deeply on planning activities. Going forward, we will continue to drive business transformation through DX and contribute to society through food.

Executive Director for DX, Kinya Yamaguchi

This initiative emerged from our comprehensive review of product planning processes. By having AI support tasks such as information gathering and document creation, we are enabling our staff to concentrate on planning discussions and decision-making. We expect this to improve both the speed and accuracy of product planning. Importantly, this initiative is not merely about introducing a new tool—it is closely integrated with a fundamental review of our business processes.

Kazuki Tomita, CEO and President, Optis Co., Ltd.

We deeply resonate with Marusanai's emphasis on reviewing business processes. Unlike general conversational AI, this AI agent is built on the "OPTIS One" platform, organizing business knowledge, decision-making criteria, and creation processes within a business context, enabling consistent, context-based decision support. We will continue to support Marusanai as a close partner in their DX journey.

Future Outlook

This initiative is part of the Company's DX promotion efforts outlined in its Fourth Medium-Term Business Plan, beginning with a review of business processes. It is positioned as a direct measure toward achieving the disclosed KPI: "Reduce survey and documentation costs related to proposal creation by 5% (company-wide)."

Going forward, building on the results achieved in product planning, the Company will gradually expand the application of AI agents across the entire organization to further advance business transformation.

Related Information

・About the Company's DX Promotion: https://www.marusanai.co.jp/company/management/mdx/

・Medium-Term Business Plan (GoPW): https://www.marusanai.co.jp/company/management/gopw/

・About "OPTIS One": https://optis.co.jp/products

About Marusanai Co., Ltd.

・Headquarters: 1 Arashita, Akinicho, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture 444-2193

・Representative: President and CEO Hiroyuki Inagaki

・Capital: 865 million yen

・Founded: March 1952

・URL: https://www.marusanai.co.jp/

・Business: Manufacturing and sales of plant-based milks led by soy milk, and plant-based foods. Sales for the fiscal year ending September 2025 were 32.8 billion yen.

About Optis Co., Ltd.

・Headquarters: 3-4-10 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture

・Representative: CEO and President Kazuki Tomita

・Founded: April 2025

・URL: https://optis.co.jp/

・Business: Providing the corporate integrated AI agent platform "OPTIS One," along with comprehensive support for implementation, business reform, and operation and improvement services.