Modernizing EDI and visibility: Yusen Logistics chooses SwiftB2B with Microsoft Azure Logic Apps

Yusen’s legacy systems led to 12-week onboarding, high CAPEX, and limited supply chain visibility. On-prem setups required constant maintenance, draining IT resources from core business priorities.

SwiftAnt used Microsoft Azure, Logic Apps, and Power Apps to enable rapid customer onboarding and visibility. Reusable, API-driven components ensured faster integration, while Power BI and Bot Framework delivered insights and exception handling.

Implemented in two weeks via service catalog mode, the solution enabled faster partner onboarding, zero CAPEX, lower OPEX, bot-driven support, 99% SLA with auto-monitoring, and high-volume EDI handling across formats and protocols.

The challenge: Legacy limitations stalling growth

Yusen Logistics, a global 3PL provider, was facing mounting challenges due to its aging on-premises systems. Customer onboarding for new trading partners often took up to 12 weeks, causing delays in revenue realization and slowing business agility. The systems also incurred high capital expenditure (CAPEX) and substantial maintenance overheads, further diverting IT focus from strategic initiatives. Moreover, there was a lack of end-to-end (E2E) supply chain visibility, which limited proactive decision-making and real-time exception handling—both crucial for modern logistics operations. "Our legacy platforms were reliable but rigid. Every new partner meant weeks of work and expensive infrastructure upkeep,” said Koji Ishikawa, Head of IT Development Group, Global Headquarters.

“Our legacy platforms were reliable but rigid. Every new partner meant weeks of work and expensive infrastructure upkeep.”

Koji Ishikawa, Head of IT Development Group, Yusen Logistics

The vision: Digital agility with Microsoft technologies

To break free from the constraints of legacy systems, Yusen envisioned a flexible, scalable, and cloud-native integration platform. The goal was not just to reduce onboarding times but to achieve real-time supply chain visibility and introduce automation in how customer interactions and operational insights were handled.

SwiftAnt partnered with Yusen to deliver a Microsoft Azure solution using Azure Logic Apps, Power BI, and the Bot Framework, tightly integrated via a microservices-based architecture. This composable solution was designed to replace the IBM Sterling B2B platform while preserving data integrity and operational reliability. Ishikawa states, “SwiftAnt’s use of Microsoft Azure gave us exactly what we needed: speed, clarity, and confidence to scale.”

“SwiftAnt’s use of Microsoft Azure gave us exactly what we needed: speed, clarity, and confidence to scale.”

Koji Ishikawa, Head of IT Development Group, Yusen Logistics

The solution: Swift implementation, smart architecture

Within just two weeks, the new solution was rolled out in a service catalog mode, enabling plug-and-play onboarding for trading partners. The Logic Apps’ configuration-driven components allowed faster, reusable integrations, while Power BI dashboards gave Yusen's teams real-time supply chain insights.

The architecture also supported automated exception handling and business SLA tracking, elevating service quality and freeing up internal IT bandwidth from patching and hardware upgrades. What once took 12 weeks now takes days. The speed and reliability of this new platform have transformed operations.

The value: Tangible business outcomes

The SwiftAnt and Microsoft solution led to measurable outcomes:

75% reduction in partner onboarding time
Zero CAPEX model with a pay-per-use approach
80% lower OPEX compared to legacy systems
SLA compliance improved with 99% uptime via automated monitoring

Bot-driven support enhanced user interactions and accelerated response times for queries and escalations. “This wasn’t just IT optimization. It was a complete business uplift in how we work with partners and manage our operations,” states Ishikawa.