[Supporting Client Prosperity with 'DX'] Iwata Sangyo Group Strengthens Support for Digitization of Ordering Operations - Providing Solutions for Operational Efficiency and Management Improvement

Iwata Sangyo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Akimasa Iwata) is strengthening its DX promotion support in the restaurant and hotel industries as a "client prosperity support company." As an agency for Infomart Corporation, we support the digitization of ordering operations and work to improve our clients' management through operational efficiency, paperless environments, and labor-saving accounting processes.

In the food service and accommodation industries, labor shortages and increased operational burdens are becoming serious issues, and there are still many paper slips and manual entry tasks remaining on-site. We support operational reform through digitization not just as a food wholesaler, but as a partner closely aligned with solving our clients' challenges.

This time, we would like to introduce the case of Ariake Resort City Co., Ltd., which introduced Infomart's "BtoB Platform for Ordering."

Implementation Case 1: Ariake Resort City Co., Ltd.

Paperless transition of a 30cm stack of delivery slips on the desk. Achieved a 90% reduction in billing amount checks and accounting entries.

Established: June 1990

Business activities: Hotels and inns

Head office location: 1558 Honide, Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture

Corporate site: https://greenland.co.jp/hotels/verde/

POINT

Import purchasing CSV data into accounting software to reduce errors and effort

90% reduction in time for confirming amounts on delivery slips and invoices, and data entry

Inventory function eliminated Excel entry and document management for inventory tables

About the Company Overview and Main Operations

Operating the official hotel of a popular amusement park.

Michio Mori, Purchasing Section, Administration Department (hereinafter, Mori): We are a group company of Greenland, operating the official hotels "Hotel Verde" and "Hotel Blanca" adjacent to the amusement park. Because we also have a golf course operated by Greenland, our guests vary depending on the season, including those using the amusement park or golf course, business users, and school trip groups. I feel very rewarded in my work when I hear the cheers from the roller coaster or hear guests returning to the hotel say, "That was fun today."

I understand there were challenges in managing the purchasing of supplies.

Yukari Haraguchi (hereinafter, Haraguchi): The accounting processing for purchased items was a manual task done while looking at slips. First, the purchasing department would look at handwritten order forms from various departments like food and beverage or general supplies, and type the product names and quantities into Excel one by one. We summarized that by supplier and placed orders via FAX. After that, we entered the order details into the accounting software. This work took 2 hours every day, and sometimes up to 3 hours. Upon delivery, we entered the delivery slips into Excel one by one. To check for missing deliveries, we verified the order details entered into the accounting software against the delivery slips. If there was a delivery error, we would call the supplier to check. Confirmed delivery slips were filed and used to check contents or compare prices when necessary. Furthermore, we created and managed a separate Excel sheet to check the on-site delivery slips against the billed amounts from suppliers.

Mori: For the monthly inventory, we collected documents for the previous month's and current month's remaining stock from each department, entered them into Excel, and calculated the current month's consumption. It was a situation where we had to open multiple Excel files, and that work could waste 1 to 2 days.

"Hotel Blanca," the official hotel adjacent to Greenland

Solving the hassle of matching purchase amounts and inventory with IT tools

What prompted you to consider improving your operations?

Haraguchi: Much of our daily work time was spent summarizing and entering order forms, searching for slips, and filing. Slips had piled up 30cm thick on the desk. Seeing that, the president pointed out, "Are you still doing that?" That was the trigger. It was right when DX was being promoted throughout the company, so the purchasing department decided to tackle it as well.

Mori: We considered various services for system implementation, and in February 2024, we adopted Infomart's 'B to B Platform for Ordering.' The biggest deciding factor was that many companies were using it. Also, when we were considering the implementation, the invoice system was about to start, so we judged that Infomart was superior in terms of usability and certainty in legal compliance.

Haraguchi: When we first introduced it, it took time for some staff to get used to it. As is common in the accommodation industry, our staff in areas like the kitchen have a high average age and are uncomfortable with computers and smartphones. Therefore, we decided to first have younger employees who were accustomed to smartphones and tablets learn the operations and then teach the other employees. In this way, it permeated without any major confusion or problems.

Various Implementation Effects in Each Operation

Were there any effects from implementing IT?

Haraguchi: There was a huge effect. First of all, because the person in charge in each department was able to order directly, the work of the purchasing department summarizing handwritten order forms, entering them into Excel, faxing them, and filing them was eliminated. When you want to check order details, it's easy to do with the "Transaction Calendar" function on the screen, so the work of searching for a specific slip from a 30cm-thick pile of slips was also eliminated. Now we almost never use paper. Operations that took 2-3 hours a day have been reduced by over 90%.

Mori: The time-saving effect of the monthly inventory due to the inventory function is also clear. Until then, each site wrote the remaining quantity on a paper inventory sheet, and the purchasing department collected them and entered them into Excel. Because the sites are now able to input inventory data directly on the system, the work of collecting and entering tables in the purchasing department has been eliminated. The purchasing department also takes inventory of warehouses with consumables such as detergent, but it has become easier because it is just a matter of matching the number of delivered products with the actual items.

How is the invoice management work?

Haraguchi: In the past, if the billed amount did not match the amount in the accounting system, it was necessary to turn over the slips one by one to check which department, when, and which product's amount did not match. With ordering using the system, if there is a change in the delivery quantity or amount, it is immediately reflected in the system, so there is no discrepancy in the amount.

Mori: The work of checking invoices and compiling monthly settlement materials was also shortened. In the past, we had suppliers send invoices by mail or fax by the 4th of every month, and we always made reminder calls. For suppliers using Infomart's ordering system, we are now able to instantly and accurately check the billed amount on the screen. Because the format of the invoices has been standardized, the burden of deciphering disparate formats has also been eliminated.

Haraguchi: The input work into the accounting software was also resolved. Since we only need to output the billing information automatically journalized by Infomart's accounting linkage function as a CSV and upload it to our accounting software, the biggest advantage is that both input time and input errors have been eliminated. Journaling is reflected in the accounting software by setting an account item for each product. It was painstaking to set account items for each of the more than 4,000 products at the time of implementation, but it has a significant impact on reducing monthly work that far exceeds that effort.

Regarding Future Prospects for DX