Works Applications participated as an exhibitor at the Gartner® IT Symposium/Xpo™ 2025 held at Pacifico Yokohama from October 28 (Tuesday) to 30 (Thursday). On Thursday, October 30, the last day of the event, we participated in a session with Nankai Electric Railway, where we introduced the ideal business infrastructure that is resistant to change and sustainable from the perspective of both the field and the product.

This article provides a summary of the session "Nankai Railway x WAP Talks about the Overwhelming Returns Generated by 'Zero Add-on ERP'".

Introduction] Nankai Electric Railway x WAP, perspectives of both the site and the product

Mr. Yano, Nankai System Solutions
Mr. Yano has been in charge of Nankai Railway's information systems area for many years, and was the leader of the project to introduce the "HUE Classic Series" ("HUE Classic"). Since then, I have been in charge of business systems, including railroad and distribution systems, and core systems for human resources, payroll, labor, and accounting. Currently, he serves as a bridge between business departments and vendors at Nankai System Solutions, a specialized IT company of the Nankai Group.

Works Applications Ishikawa
I am responsible for the development of accounting and supply chain areas in the ERP business division of Works Applications ("WAP"). We have had a long relationship with Nankai Electric Railway since the migration from foreign ERP to "HUE Classic," and they selected HUE again for their most recent next system study. Today, we would like to ask you about the background of your recognition of the issues at that time and what made you choose HUE.

Background of HUE Classic Selection] Break away from add-on dependence and move to an infrastructure that can run on its own.

Works Applications Ishikawa:
First, please tell us what issues and background you had at the time that led you to select ERP.

Nankai System Solutions Mr. Yano:
There were two major issues we were facing at the time. First, there was the issue of system structure. We were using a foreign ERP, but the standard functions were not enough to cover our business, so we had to add add-ons and customizations. As a result, the number of peripheral systems increased, and maintenance costs increased. As a result, the entire system became a black box, and whenever there was a change in the system or business process, we had no choice but to request an outside consultant. The other issue was the business side. Operations not supported by the system were being carried out on paper and Excel, placing a heavy burden on the field, particularly in fixed asset operations, and hampering the improvement of operational efficiency.

Given this situation, we decided that we needed to resolve the structural issues with the system, rather than simply replacing the product. Therefore, in considering the next ERP, we decided to aim for a structure that would allow us to make improvements on our own initiative in the future, based on the premise that the system should be able to operate with zero add-ons.

The reason why we chose ERP, which continues to evolve with standard functions.

Works Applications Ishikawa:
As a result of the ERP selection, you adopted "HUE Classic". Please tell us the reason for your selection.

Nankai System Solutions Mr. Yano:
The main reason we selected "HUE Classic" was that it can be operated with zero add-ons. We thought that if we could run our business with only the standard functions, we could improve our business by ourselves, which would lead to increased business efficiency and improved skills of our employees. Another deciding factor was the high rate of business fit. We were surprised to find that HUE Classic includes as standard functions specific to the railroad industry, which we had previously had to deal with as add-ons. Furthermore, we were also strongly attracted to WAP's business model of extending user requests as standard features rather than add-ons.

Works Applications Ishikawa:
I think it was a courageous decision to operate only with standard functions with zero add-ons. What were some of the innovations you made in the implementation?

Nankai System Solutions Mr. Yano:
This was our first time to introduce a package, but we did not spend too much time on defining the requirements, and we made sure to first run the system with actual data. We did not spend too much time on defining the requirements, but made sure to get the actual data in and get it running first. In addition, we were able to respond flexibly to the expansion of the standard functions by closely coordinating with WAP on newly developed functions.

Requirements for the Next System] What is the foundation that continues to respond to the changes of the times?

Works Applications Ishikawa:
Please tell us the background of your consideration of the next system after 9 years of operation since the introduction of "HUE Classic".

Nankai System Solutions Mr. Yano:
We felt that the role we required of ERP itself had changed due to the significant changes in the environment surrounding the company, such as the speed of response to systems and the diversification of work styles. In particular, there were situations where remote work was difficult because paper operations remained, and there were also situations where man-hours had to be allocated to administrative work in response to legal revisions. Therefore, we examined the ideal form of the next ERP from a zero-based perspective in order to create an environment that would allow employees to work more flexibly and shift from clerical work to more creative tasks.

HUE: Achieving both cost and advanced features with zero add-ons.

Works Applications Ishikawa:
What did you appreciate about HUE and why did you choose it as the system to realize your company's goals for the times?

Nankai System Solutions Mr. Yano:
In selecting our next system, we compared mainly domestic ERP packages on the assumption that we would operate with zero add-ons, as we had done in the past. The main reasons we chose HUE were cost and its advanced features, such as the inclusion of AI, that were in line with the times. The ability to upgrade from an existing system at one-tenth the budget of other companies' products was a major advantage. We also highly appreciated WAP's attitude of responding to our requests in a speedy and proactive manner.

Returns from HUE Re-selection] Realizing an Evolving Foundation through Paperless and Automation

Works Applications Ishikawa:
Please tell us about any improvement effects you have realized after using "HUE".

Nankai System Solutions Mr. Yano:
One of the major effects of the migration to HUE was that we were able to achieve a paperless system of approximately 20,000 sheets per year. By digitizing documents, we are able to check slips and forms immediately, and the work of searching for paper has almost disappeared. As a result, remote work, which was difficult in the past, is now possible. In addition, the use of AI-OCR has automated the checking of some vouchers, leading to improved data accuracy. A major improvement has been the establishment of a process whereby each department simply uploads an invoice and the shared service automatically generates a voucher. Now that this process is firmly in place, interactions between departments have been reduced, and the entire operation runs more efficiently.

Works Applications Ishikawa:
Finally, what do you expect from WAP in the future?

Nankai System Solutions Mr. Yano:
First of all, we hope that WAP will continue to maintain its high quality and reliability. ERP is a system that supports the foundation of a company, and it is most important that we can continue to use it with peace of mind. Furthermore, I expect WAP to demonstrate leadership in both the institutional side, such as Peppol, and the technological side, such as the use of AI. I hope that WAP will continue to evolve as a hub connecting companies, government, and society.

*This article is current as of October 30, 2025
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