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Case Study

Streamlining Business Planning through AI Utilization
Fujiya Vietnam's Wholesale DX Challenge in Southeast Asia

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Case Study

Streamlining Business Planning through AI UtilizationFujiya Vietnam’s Wholesale DX Challenge in Southeast Asia

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CHECK POINT

  • AI adaptation to Vietnam's business landscape
  • Sales optimization through local expertise
  • Building competitive digital sales infrastructure

Adapting to Southeast Asia's Unique Market

Southeast Asian countries are emerging as promising markets due to their remarkable population growth and economic development. While Marubeni operates businesses in many countries, one of its newest ventures is “Fujiya Vietnam,” a joint venture established with Fujiya Co., Ltd. in 2022.

This company leverages Marubeni’s expertise in confectionery wholesale and processed food manufacturing to sell confectionery products in Vietnam, centered around Fujiya’s popular “Country Ma’am” brand. Currently handling imported products from Japan, they plan to expand operations by transitioning to domestic factory production in anticipation of Vietnam’s growing biscuit and cookie market.

However, Fujiya Vietnam encountered a specific challenge.

This challenge involved adapting sales activities to Southeast Asia’s unique market environment. In Southeast Asian countries, alongside modern supermarkets and convenience stores, numerous independent businesses such as mom-and-pop stores remain. Modern retail chains in Vietnam operate about 7,000-8,000 stores, while these independent shops number approximately 300,000. Unlike supermarkets with established networks and connections, independent shops require sales staff to visit each location to conduct business physically. Previously, Fujiya Vietnam managed store information and sales planning using Excel. However, issues arose with inconsistent store visit numbers among salespeople and frequent visits when order likelihood was low.

 

AI Optimization Meets Local Needs

That’s when Fujiya Vietnam and Marubeni began developing a sales planning tool utilizing AI-based mathematical optimization. The development team visited the sites and engaged extensively with local staff to identify issues and define requirements. Initially focusing on reducing travel distance between stores visited in a single day, they developed algorithms to help sales teams consistently visit more stores daily while considering various metrics.

Of course, simply grouping stores in the same area wouldn’t solve the challenge completely. Numerous factors were to be considered, including monthly visit frequency per store and optimal visit intervals. By analyzing historical visit data, order patterns, and product volumes, they created algorithms capable of evaluating all possible scenarios and designing optimal schedules.

Creating an effective tool for Vietnam’s unique market environment requires more than just AI data analysis. In practice, visits that might seem inefficient based solely on data can often build valuable relationships with store owners and increase future order potential. Therefore, local team judgment remains essential for final sales planning decisions. The project incorporated the sales planning tool and business visualization using Microsoft’s Power BI, creating an environment where everyone could access the same data and align their understanding for more productive discussions.

The proof of concept was completed just four months after the project’s initiation through comprehensive problem analysis, on-site visits, and rapid prototyping. A system is already in place where sales staff receive daily smartphone notifications listing their recommended store visits for the day.

 

Blending Digital and Real-World Strengths

While full-scale development is underway toward a software launch in September 2025, the field team is already experiencing significant benefits. The previous variations between sales staff in daily store visits have been resolved, enabling sales teams to visit more locations consistently.
Additionally, through data-driven insights and effective leadership, they’ve successfully reduced sales personnel in specific regions by 20% while maintaining sales performance. Considering the eventual coverage of 300,000 stores, this tool’s impact is expected to grow substantially.

Furthermore, stabilizing sales activities through tool implementation has become a significant advantage. Vietnam’s labor market is highly dynamic, with sales professionals frequently changing positions in short periods. Previously, sales knowledge and networks were heavily person-dependent, but this tool maintains consistent performance even during staff transitions.

Digital implementation in businesses with strong traditional practices often creates friction with field operations. This sales planning tool gained acceptance from field staff because data visualization facilitated better discussions and field managers demonstrated clear decision-making leadership, and the development team thoroughly understood local needs.

In the Southeast Asian market, where local manufacturers often maintain dominance, Fujiya Vietnam is making a significant impact through unprecedented AI utilization. Fujiya Vietnam’s AI implementation could establish a new standard not only for business development in the growing Southeast Asian market but also for digital transformation in any business that remains closely tied to real-world environments.

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