Nissin Foods USA adopts AI planning with Blue Yonder

Nissin Foods USA has partnered with Highspring and Blue Yonder to replace its legacy planning systems with an AI-driven demand and supply planning platform, shifting to an integrated planning system across its US operations.

Under the project, Nissin will adopt Blue Yonder Demand and Supply Planning, with implementation support from Highspring. The new setup is intended to replace manual processes and sales-led forecasting with data-based planning for demand, supply and inventory.

Nissin, known for brands including Cup Noodles and Top Ramen, is making the change as manufacturers and consumer goods groups contend with more volatile demand, labour constraints and increasingly complex supply networks. The system is designed to improve forecasting, tighten inventory management and lower operating costs.

Highspring is delivering the service through its supply chain-as-a-service model, which Nissin said would help it shift from heavier capital spending on older systems to more predictable operating expenses. The model also gives the company access to managed services alongside the software deployment.

Planning shift

According to the companies, the Blue Yonder system includes AI and machine learning-based forecasting, real-time operational insights and an optimisation solver for demand and supply planning. They said this should help Nissin raise fill rates, reduce inventory levels and use resources more efficiently.

The change reflects a broader push by food manufacturers to modernise planning functions that have often relied on spreadsheets, disconnected software and manual adjustments. In sectors with fast-moving consumer demand and short lead-time decisions, forecasting errors can quickly lead to stock shortages, excess inventory and higher logistics costs.

For Nissin, the overhaul is part of a broader digital transformation effort. The company said the new system would improve coordination across supply chain, finance and operations teams by giving staff a shared view of demand and supply conditions.

Bob Patel, managing partner and practice leader for retail planning and supply chain management at Highspring, outlined the rationale for the project.

"We look forward to collaborating with Nissin on this journey because organizations need the right capabilities to build a more dynamic and resilient supply chain. With AI- and ML-driven innovation from Blue Yonder and Highspring's deep domain experience, combined with our supply chain-as-a-service model, we look forward to helping Nissin Foods improve operational efficiency, increase forecast accuracy and make better planning decisions, allowing it to focus on its core competency of offering an innovative variety of products at a faster pace," Patel said.

Operational focus

The system is also intended to give finance and operations teams more timely information, an area that has become more important as businesses try to align production decisions with changing consumer demand. Better forecasting can reduce working capital tied up in stock and limit the need for reactive production or distribution changes.

Nissin Foods traces its origins to the invention of instant ramen by founder Momofuku Ando and has operated in the US market for decades. Its American business markets a range of packaged noodle and meal products, including Cup Noodles, Chow Mein and Hot & Spicy.

Yukio Yokoyama, chief representative for the Americas, president and chief executive officer of Nissin Foods, said the new planning system would mark another step in the company's operating model.

"Since Nissin Foods founder Momofuku Ando invented the world's first instant ramen and sparked a global food revolution, innovation has been the foundation of our success. This latest transformation, through our partnership with Blue Yonder, represents the next chapter in that legacy, giving us greater visibility, agility and collaboration across our supply chain, finance and operations teams. By leveraging advanced planning capabilities, we will be able to make smarter decisions, respond more quickly to market changes and operate more efficiently across our business. Just as importantly, this transformation will strengthen our partnerships with customers by helping us better serve their needs, anticipate changing demand and adapt to evolving consumer preferences, ensuring we continue to deliver the quality, reliability and value they expect from Nissin Foods," Yokoyama said.

Blue Yonder said its planning software supports supply chain decisions across retail, manufacturing and logistics. It serves more than 3,000 retailers, manufacturers and logistics providers, while Highspring said it has more than 10,000 employees across more than 45 offices worldwide.

The Nissin project highlights how AI-led planning tools are moving from pilot projects to core operational systems in consumer goods businesses, where even small improvements in forecast accuracy and inventory levels can materially affect margins and service levels.