Facing pandemic-era disruption, Ajinomoto Foods North America (AFNA), which creates and markets foods and spices for consumers under brands such as Tai Pei and José Olé, partnered with EY Consulting to enhance visibility and modernize logistics planning. Powered by Blue Yonder and Oracle solutions, AFNA implemented new capabilities to optimize shipments and improve carrier selection.
The partnership between AFNA, EY, and Blue Yonder resulted in multiple bene ts. AFNA reduced the number of carriers it partners with by more than half, streamlining distribution and receiving processes at its plants and with co-packers, and across more than 1,000 transportation lanes. The new solution also lets AFNA more easily view carriers’ rates and on-time performance, among other information, than was possible with spreadsheets, says. “We transitioned from a static process using spreadsheets to a continuous improvement process with actionable analytics,” Verdin says.
AFNA build multi-stop and multimodal shipments, while also laying the foundation for real-time tracking, which is yet to be enabled. While AFNA had been using emails and PDFs to communicate with its logistics partners, it now connects through an electronic document interface. This offers a seamless, trackable system for communications both internally and with vendors. Now that AFNA is electronically connected to its carriers, it no longer needs to fax bills of lading. Its new system also highlights invoices where the dollar amounts fall outside the parameters AFNA has established. This bene ts both AFNA and its carriers, as AFNA now can more quickly review its bills. Just as it did when implementing the resource planning solution, AFNA partnered with EY to con rm the nancial return the TMS was generating. The two teams also worked together to train employees and logistics partners on the new system, using a train-the-trainer approach. “We want to make sure that after we leave a partnership, the client’s employees are self-suf cient,” says Oksana Chausova, a partner with EY, responsible for business transformation. The goal in training is to create a positive environment so employees know they can make mistakes and experiment without fearing the consequences, she adds.
up to speed on the system. Previously, when the super-users were promoted or otherwise left the team, it generally took some time for their replacements to learn the macros they had incorporated into the spreadsheets. Warehouse recurring fees and the costs to redeploy products to other distribution centers were slashed by up to 50%, while inventory write-offs dropped by up to 40%. In addition, on-time delivery performance has climbed. AFNA can now be con dent it will have the right product, in the right place, at the right time, to better serve its customers. Overall, the DRP helped AFNA save about $4 million, while the TMS is expected to cut costs by about $2 million. The right partnership has been key to these results. Without strong partners, many implementations, whether small or large, can grow frustrating and enjoy only limited success. “You’ve got to get the best,” Verdin says. Then, the companies need to write up the contract and work together to ensure the partner delivers. Verdin and her team are not done. Her longer-term goal is to digitize AFNA’s supply chain as much as possible, automating routine transactions so employees are freer to handle decision- making. Even as she works toward digitization, people will still be needed, Verdin says, given the dynamic nature of supply chain decision-making.
CLOSER CONNECTIONS Another positive change is the
closer working connections between AFNA’s logistics, customer service, and transportation teams, Verdin says. They’re also able to let salespeople know when loads for different regions will be delivered. Overall, service levels have gone up by about 10%, Verdin says. With the assistance of the DRP, AFNA is better able to optimize space on its trucks and ensure they’re going where they’re most needed, Verdin says. As a result, it’s able to use fewer trucks, saving money and cutting its carbon footprint. Not only is information more easily accessible, but because it’s not concentrated among spreadsheet super- users, it’s easier to bring new employees
April 2026 • Inbound Logistics 71
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