Case Study: Nice Corporation: A Leading Importer of Building Materials, Centered Around Timber
Ayana CEO
After graduating from the Faculty of Literature at Kobe University, she joined Rakuten Inc. to learn the fundamentals of e-commerce. Later, she switched to a foreign manufacturing company and faced challenges from the manufacturer's perspective. While studying business strategy in an evening MBA program, she developed an interest in marketing for luxury brands rather than FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods). This led her to study abroad at ESSEC Business School in France. Upon returning to her home country, she worked as an EC Manager for a foreign cosmetics manufacturer, served as a CMO for a startup, and eventually founded MonCargo.
Under the corporate philosophy of “Building a better home and lifestyle, with trust as our foundation,” Nice Corporation provides comprehensive housing solutions, including the supply of residential construction materials. Since its founding in 1950, the company has expanded its business from timber distribution to a wide range of operations, including domestic and international procurement and sales of building materials, as well as residential and real estate development.
In particular, Nice has established a stable and efficient supply system for imported housing materials, especially timber, by working closely with suppliers and manufacturers across multiple countries and regions. The company manages the entire process—from shipping and customs clearance to delivery—through cross-departmental collaboration on a daily basis.
We spoke with Mr. Toru Fujii, General Manager of the Purchasing Division, and Ms. Yumiko Shino from the Trade Operations Section at Nice Corporation, to learn more about their decision to implement MonCargo and the impact it has had, from both managerial and operational perspectives.
Overview of This Article
Objective
- To streamline the time-consuming and uncertain process of checking and sharing vessel arrival schedules for imported building materials.
Challenges
- Tracking vessel ETAs took excessive time and effort
- Inconsistent data accuracy across shipping line websites led to delays and overtime
- Information-sharing inefficiencies affected internal coordination
Results After Implementation
- Vessel tracking and sharing tasks were reduced by about two-thirds
- Smooth and centralized access to the latest shipping information
- Sparked a broader reevaluation of internal workflows and data management
Uncertainty Around Vessel Arrival Times—A Real-World Challenge and a Serendipitous Encounter
Mr. Fujii: Our Trade Operations Section is responsible for handling the practical side of timber imports. Ms. Shino manages a wide range of tasks, including checking shipping documents, tracking vessel arrivals, and sharing information internally.
Ms. Shino: One of the most stressful aspects of my work was constantly dealing with uncertainty—specifically, not knowing when a vessel would arrive.
When schedules changed suddenly, it created unexpected tasks that disrupted other responsibilities. Even well-organized workflows would get thrown off, and before I knew it, I was buried in last-minute work.
Our encounter with MonCargo came about quite unexpectedly. One of my supervisors casually mentioned, “Hey, there’s this interesting site I found.” He had come across it while browsing online.
At the time, I was checking multiple shipping line websites every day to monitor arrivals, so I instantly thought, “This might actually be useful.”
Before implementing MonCargo, each shipping line had different update schedules and data quality, making it hard to gather accurate information. As a result, internal coordination and arrangements often had to be done at the last minute, leading to overtime.
We were spending far too much time on repetitive manual tasks, when that time should’ve been spent on more meaningful work.
Why We Chose MonCargo: “Instant Clarity” and “Operational Fit”
— What made you decide to implement MonCargo?
Mr. Fujii: The ability to centralize tracking information across multiple shipping lines is a simple yet powerful feature that really fits on-the-ground operations.
It was easy to imagine how it could be used by our team. The interface is intuitive, the information is neatly presented, and everything is designed for quick understanding at a glance.
The timing was also right—our company was pushing to reduce overtime. We felt that digitizing this part of our work could genuinely help reduce the burden, so we moved forward with implementation.
Tracking and Information Sharing Tasks Reduced by Two-Thirds, Along with Overtime
— What changed after implementing MonCargo?
Ms. Shino: The biggest change was the amount of time saved.
Every week, I send the latest vessel arrival schedules to stakeholders.
Before MonCargo, this task took at least 1.5 hours. After implementation, it's now done in under 30 minutes.
With all shipping line information centralized on MonCargo, there's no longer a need to check each website individually—that’s been a huge time saver.
Previously, I was manually tracking arrivals on a daily basis. But now, I no longer need to do that.
Before, I only had time to monitor vessels scheduled to arrive soon, due to time constraints. That sometimes caused delays in noticing shipment delays.
With MonCargo, we can add tags like branch office or client name, making it easy to sync with our internal Excel management and share updates across departments.
There’s still room for improvement in our operations, but at the time we adopted MonCargo, our company had a strong focus on reducing overtime. It was a clear and effective solution for that goal.
“If Only We Had MonCargo Back Then…”
Mr. Fujii: During the wood shock of 2022, we faced a surge in demand and a huge increase in both import volumes and operational workload.
We had to handle all tracking and schedule coordination manually. If only we had MonCargo back then!
Ms. Shino: Absolutely. We were overwhelmed with daily tasks during that time.
Looking back now, I often think, “If we’d had MonCargo back then, it would have made things so much easier.” That’s how significant the change has been.
Even though import volumes have calmed down a bit since then, I feel confident that we could handle any increase without worry—that sense of security is invaluable in the field.
Not Just a DX Tool, but a Catalyst for Operational Transformation
— Any message for others facing similar challenges in import operations?
Mr. Fujii: What I appreciate about MonCargo is that they really listen.
When we say, “We’re struggling with this,” they respond with helpful suggestions like, “You could try using it this way.”
It feels less like a tool and more like a partner.
What’s more, implementing MonCargo helped us realize that some of the data we’d been managing might not have been necessary at all.
It naturally led us to reevaluate and reorganize our internal workflows.
MonCargo doesn’t just help with tracking—it sparks broader improvements across the board. It’s been a truly valuable partner in our efforts to streamline operations.
Photo: Nice Corporation Headquarters Office
(A beautiful office that radiates the warmth and charm of wood.)
Featured Company
Nice Corporation
33-1, TSURUMI-CHUO, 4-CHOME TSURUMI-KU, YOKOHAMA
230-8571 JAPAN
https://www.nice.co.jp/
MonCargo Comment
We are grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with Nice Corporation for this case study.
We’re pleased that MonCargo has helped improve operational efficiency and reduce the burden of information sharing in their import processes by centralizing vessel and container tracking information.
It was especially insightful to hear how MonCargo not only served as a logistics DX tool but also prompted a broader review and optimization of their internal operations.
MonCargo will continue to support professionals working in import and trade operations by visualizing transport status and enabling smoother workflows.
A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Fujii and Ms. Shino for sharing their experience with us!!
Contact Information
MonCargo Inc.
Email: info@moncargo.io