Zenport Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Fumiyuki Ota) has released the “Excel File Preview Feature” on message boards as a new functionality for “ZENPORT,” a data hub that centrally manages all global supply chain data.
This feature was developed based on specific feedback from customers and became available on June 27, 2025.
Challenges in Excel File Review Operations
In global supply chains, large volumes of “unstructured data” such as Excel files and PDFs are exchanged daily. These include Excel files necessary for order management and shipping operations, as well as customs documentation created in Excel format.
Many customers utilize ZENPORT’s “Message Board” and “Document Management Section” daily to exchange such documents between multiple organizations and users. However, until now, viewing Excel file contents on ZENPORT required downloading and opening the files locally (while image data preview was already available).
For example, in customs operations for imports from China where shipping schedules are tight, Excel file processing is time-critical. In such situations, the following inconveniences were particularly recognized:
- Need to open all files to identify necessary ones
- Manual effort required to download and review multiple attachments
- Need to manage downloaded files in local environments (customer PCs, etc.)
Timely Business Operations Through “Excel File Preview
The new “File Preview” feature enables pre-viewing file contents simply by hovering the cursor, allowing time-critical operations to proceed smoothly:
- Review Excel file contents before downloading
- Quick identification of necessary information from multiple files
This feature enhancement realizes the following efficiencies in Excel file review operations:
- Reduced Review Time: Instant file content understanding without downloading
- Selective Downloads: Carefully select and download only necessary files
- Improved Work Efficiency: Easy comparison of multiple file contents
Users can now preview Excel files on the message board
It is possible to see previews of Excel files on the message board
Feature Development Reflecting User Needs
ZENPORT supports the improvement of customer operations and management quality through the collaboration of technology and humans, based on our “Human in the Loop” philosophy.
This feature was developed based on actual user requests stating: “It’s cumbersome to download all Excel files when receiving multiple files via messages.”
ZENPORT will continue to listen earnestly to customer voices and provide the latest and best operational experiences through continuous feature development and improvements that respond to real-world needs.
ZENPORT: Toward a World Where Richness and Innovation Emerge from Cognitive Diversity
ZENPORT aims to realize a world where data, people, and economies worldwide are seamlessly connected, and richness and innovation are sustained through the utilization of cognitive diversity.
Under this philosophy, we have built an ecosystem where all stakeholders can make optimal decisions based on cross-organizational data. This is achieved through our proprietary integrated architecture “ZenConnect” that organically links data across all processes and organizations, combined with the standard data integration platform “ZenSync” and personalized operational experience UI “ZenGrid.”
Company Overview
Company Name: Zenport Inc.
Address: 11F Grant Tokyo South Tower, 1-9-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6611
Representative: President & CEO Fumiyuki Ota
Vision: “To a world where our differences come alive.”
Mission: “Connecting data beyond organizations and processes. Accelerating business.”
Contact for Inquiries
Zenport Inc. Public Relations
https://zenport.io/contact/
April 8, 2025
Zenport Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Fumiyuki Ota) has released a new action button feature for “ZenGrid,” the customizable table view in “ZENPORT,” a data hub that comprehensively manages all global supply chain data.
This feature was developed based on customer feedback, is already available to all users, and will serve as the foundation for future AI agent functionality.
Excel Remains the Standard for Data Sharing Between Stakeholders
In global supply chains involving numerous stakeholders—including importers, exporters, and multiple logistics companies—Excel spreadsheets remain the most commonly used method for data sharing across organizations and borders.
In global supply chains, importers create order information, exporters create shipment information, and logistics companies create transportation information. However, EDI systems are rarely fully implemented across the mesh-like network of stakeholders, leaving manual processes and Excel spreadsheets to connect these disparate information sources.
One-Step Operations Achieved with Action Buttons
Many of ZENPORT’s customers have expressed their desire to replace their existing Excel spreadsheets. As part of the “Beyond Excel” project that aims to exceed Excel’s usability, we have significantly improved the intuitiveness and operability of our user interface.
The new “Action Button Feature” operates directly on ZENPORT’s customizable table view “ZenGrid” screen, allowing users to perform key operations without having to switch to the map screen.
This feature delivers:
- Significantly reduced operational steps
- Time savings for shipment and order management
- Reduced user operational burden
These improvements contribute to the overall efficiency of the entire supply chain operation.
User-Centered Feature Development Based on “Human in the Loop” Philosophy
This feature was developed based on actual user feedback, following ZENPORT’s “Human in the Loop” philosophy, which emphasizes the cooperation between technology and humans to improve the quality of customers’ operations and management.
This enhancement is a step toward eliminating small daily operational stresses and providing an environment where all stakeholders involved in the supply chain can concentrate on more essential tasks.
ZENPORT will continue to listen sincerely to customer voices and develop features that respond to ongoing field needs, striving to provide the most up-to-date and optimal operational experience.
ZENPORT: Towards a World Where Cognitive Diversity Creates Prosperity and Innovation
ZENPORT aims to create a world where data, people, and economies across the globe are seamlessly connected, and where prosperity and innovation are sustained through the utilization of cognitive diversity.
With this philosophy, ZENPORT has built an ecosystem where all stakeholders can make optimal decisions based on cross-organizational data. This is achieved through its proprietary integrated architecture “ZenConnect” at its core, which organically links data from all processes and organizations, along with the standard data integration platform “ZenSync” and the personalized business experience UI “ZenGrid.”
“ZenGrid” is our customizable table view with functionality that surpasses Excel spreadsheets and serves as the core component of our “Beyond Excel” project. While maintaining the intuitive operation of Excel, it provides advanced features necessary for global supply chain management, significantly improving user operational efficiency.
Company Overview
- Company Name: Zenport Inc.
- Location: 1-19-9-303 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Representative: Fumiyuki Ota, CEO
- Vision: “Toward a world where our differences come alive.”
- Mission: “Connecting data beyond organizations and processes. Accelerating business.”
For inquiries regarding this release:
Zenport Inc. PR Department
https://zenport.io/contact/
Zenport Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Fumiyuki Ota) is releasing “SmartGrid,” a bulk data entry assistance feature, as a new function of “ZENPORT,” the data hub that manages all global supply chain data in one place.
This feature has been developed through individual projects with multiple leading distribution and manufacturing companies representing the industry, with the initial version scheduled for release in March 2025.
About ZENPORT: Toward a World Where Cognitive Diversity Creates Richness and Innovation
ZENPORT aims to realize a world where data, people, and economies across the globe are seamlessly connected, and where richness and innovation are sustained through the utilization of cognitive diversity.
Under this philosophy, with the proprietary integrated architecture “ZenConnect” at its core, ZENPORT organically links data from all processes and organizations. Furthermore, through the standard data integration platform “ZenSync” and the personalized business experience UI (screen function) “ZenGrid,” it builds an ecosystem where all stakeholders can make optimal decisions based on cross-organizational data.
Increasing Challenges of Excel Ledgers in PSI (Production-Sales-Inventory) Management
As global supply chains become increasingly complex, the importance of data integration across organizations and borders is rapidly growing. However, in global supply chain operations, numerous Excel ledgers are being used, creating operational burdens and management bottlenecks.
Particularly in PSI (Production-Sales-Inventory) management, manual data transcription into Excel ledgers plays a crucial role. These Excel ledgers constitute a critical part of PSI management, where data spanning processes such as ordering, production, shipping, and transportation is collected from various stakeholders to manage delivery schedules and transportation for each product.
This transcription work, which forms the core of PSI management, remains one of the most labor-intensive tasks in global supply chain management, despite requiring high accuracy under time constraints. Currently, awareness of these challenges has been growing across industries among many leading companies, especially following the rapid changes in the global supply chain environment since the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the scale of our support projects grows, we are developing this feature as part of building an infrastructure to contribute to our customers’ further business growth and to automate large-scale data integration through the utilization of generative AI.
Achieving Efficiency Beyond Excel Through Data Utilization
“SmartGrid” is a bulk data entry screen that operates on “ZenGrid,” the UI of ZENPORT.
By utilizing data connected to ZENPORT, it supports the transcription of shipping document data, such as INVOICE information, into “ZenGrid,” achieving efficiency that surpasses Excel when registering multiple shipping information entries.
“Management Foundation” in Generative AI Implementation
ZENPORT will implement generative AI solutions based on the concept of “Human in the loop” (a mechanism where humans perform final verification of AI judgments).
SmartGrid functions as a management foundation where humans act as “gatekeepers” to verify and make decisions, connecting external data with core systems during the automation of “normalizing unstructured data” such as PDFs.
The current phase targets manually entered data, but the next phase will also display data read by AI-OCR. It will evolve as a UI (screen function) for customer data verification and finalization, and as a hub connecting to various internal and external data sources and workflows.
Current Release: Semi-automation of INVOICE transcription using SmartGrid Next Phase: AI-OCR integration with SmartGrid (planned for around May-July 2025) Beyond Next Phase: Automation of preceding and subsequent processes (details to be announced later)
Providing Standard Functions with Customized Support
While SmartGrid is part of ZENPORT’s standard functions, it accommodates diverse use cases through the development and enhancement of standard functions tailored to individual customer use cases.
- Development costs will be quoted individually
Company Overview
Company Name: ZENPORT Inc.
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Fumiyuki Ota
Vision: “Embrace differences to make a difference”
Mission: “Be the common language for the global supply chain”