🏢 Client Profile & Project Overview
| Company Name | Sanyo Foods Corporation of America |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food Manufacturing & Sales |
| Location | Garden Grove, California, USA |
| Project Category | ERP Modernization |
| System Implemented | Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central |
| Official Website | https://sanyofoodsamerica.com/ |
【Company Overview】
Sanyo Foods Corp. of America is the U.S. branch of Sanyo Foods Co., Ltd., a major Japanese instant noodle producer. Leveraging decades of heritage and expertise from Japan, the company offers tailored flavor profiles and packaging designed specifically for North American consumers, leading the way in popularizing Asian noodle dishes across North America.
Sanyo Foods Corporation of America modernized its ERP, moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Japan Business Systems Technology (JBS USA Inc.) served as the implementation partner, leading the planning and execution, with Mr. Arai, Accounting Manager at Sanyo Foods Corporation of America, leading the project on the client side.
JBS USA sat down with Mr. Arai to talk about the background, the results, and what’s next.
Sanyo Foods Corporation of America
Mr. Arai （Accounting Manager）
JBS USA contributed significantly to the success of our project through their prompt responsiveness and flexible support.
Project Overview and Background
JBS USA: Can you tell us about the overall scope of this Business Central implementation project?
Mr. Arai: The project was paused for a period and then resumed, taking about a year in total to implement Business Central. We went live in August 2025. It certainly wasn’t easy, but getting to stable operation in the end was a real achievement.
Operational Improvements from Moving to Dynamics 365 Business Central
JBS USA: Now that you’ve been using Dynamics 365 Business Central, what changes have you noticed?
Mr. Arai: The biggest changes have been speed and ease of use. With the old Dynamics GP, even pulling a report required a certain level of skill. With Business Central, we can get the information we need right away, and in a lot of cases we can generate a report with a single click. We spend less time searching for things day to day, and our overall efficiency has improved quite a bit.
JBS USA: What about Business Central’s flexibility and scalability?
Mr. Arai: I’d say it’s very strong. It’s easy to connect with our banking systems and other external tools, which gives us confidence as we think about growing the business going forward. It doesn’t feel like just a system swap — it feels more like an ERP that grows with you as you use it.
Comparing Microsoft Dynamics GP and Dynamics 365 Business Central
JBS USA: Moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central, was there anything that needed extra attention?
Mr. Arai: Dynamics GP had a feature that let us pull very detailed journal data in a list view, and that was genuinely useful. With Business Central, getting the same information sometimes means pulling from a few different places, which takes a bit more effort. That said, Business Central’s advantages far outweigh that, and I think that particular gap is something we can address through further process improvements and creative use of the system going forward.
Challenges Encountered During the Dynamics 365 Business Central Implementation
JBS USA: What challenges stand out to you from the implementation process?
Mr. Arai: The double-entry period before go-live — running the old and new systems in parallel — was tough. For about three months, we had to enter data into both systems at the same time and reconcile any differences, which put real strain on the team. On top of that, we had to explain those discrepancies to headquarters, and explaining “why the numbers don’t match” was genuinely difficult.
JBS USA: So there were challenges specific to ERP implementation.
Mr. Arai: Exactly. Even when you understand the logic behind it, actually managing it day to day isn’t simple. But we worked through those challenges one at a time, and it ultimately led to stable operations.
Current State of Dynamics 365 Business Central Operations — and Room for Improvement
JBS USA: How would you describe the current state of your Dynamics 365 Business Central operations?
Mr. Arai: Overall, we’ve become more efficient, but there’s still room for improvement. We still use Excel alongside the system for some inventory and cost-calculation work, and there’s some manual reconciliation at month-end. We’re not fully running everything through the system yet, and that’s something we’re continuing to work on.
What’s Next: Automation and Data Utilization
JBS USA: What areas are you looking to improve going forward?
Mr. Arai: The big theme is automation. Specifically, we’re looking at things like:
- Automating bookkeeping through bank integration
- Streamlining accounts payable (AP) processing
- Using AI for invoice data entry
For invoice processing in particular, we’re hoping that automatically capturing data received by email could meaningfully reduce our workload.
JBS USA: What about on the data side?
Mr. Arai: Some of our data — logistics costs, for example — is still managed in Excel. Visualizing that in a tool like Power BI would let us make decisions faster.
JBS USA’s Performance as a Dynamics 365 Business Central Implementation Partner
JBS USA: Finally, how would you evaluate JBS USA’s support throughout this project?
Mr. Arai: The team moved quickly and supported us with real flexibility. Even through mid-project scope changes and difficult stretches, they stayed right alongside us the whole way. They’re a partner we could trust with the project, and I think they contributed significantly to how this turned out.
Summary
With JBS USA’s support, Sanyo Foods Corporation of America modernized its ERP — moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central — and achieved:
- A significant improvement in operational speed and usability
- A flexible ERP foundation built for external system integration
- Room to grow into automation and AI going forward
At the same time, areas like inventory management and cost calculation still have room for improvement, and continued work in these areas is expected to drive further gains. ERP modernization isn’t just a system upgrade — it’s part of building the foundation for sustainable growth, and this is one example of that succeeding.
If your company is considering implementing an ERP system or looking to ensure a successful rollout, we invite you to sign up for a free consultation with JBS USA.
