What Obic Business Consultants does

OBC is a privately held Japanese software vendor that has built a 40+ year franchise around the Bugyo (奉行) series of back-office applications, covering accounting, payroll, HR, sales/inventory, fixed assets, tax filing, and statutory documents. Its core platform spans three deployment layers: Bugyo i Cloud for SMBs, Bugyo V ERP Cloud for mid-market and IPO-prep companies, and Bugyo Edge Cloud for bolt-on services including Peppol-compliant electronic invoicing, attendance, and labor management. The company operates primarily through a nationwide network of approximately 3,000 certified partner offices — anchored by long-tenured distributors such as NCD (50+ years), Ricoh Japan, Otsuka Shojo, and Fujifilm Business Innovation — and supplements this channel with direct inside-sales and digital self-service for SMBs.

The underlying technology is API-first and integration-rich: OBC maintains a C# API library under the Connect Partner program and the App Connect no-code integration platform (developed with JB Advanced Technology) with 40+ pre-built partner integrations. Recent additions include two AI agent products — the Consolidated Accounting Support Cloud and the New Lease Accounting Identification Cloud — that automate multi-entity reconciliation and lease classification respectively. OBC also holds direct bank API integrations with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank under electronic payment intermediary registration (registration number 関東財務局長（電代）第20号), a regulated and rarely replicated capability.

The business model is hybrid recurring-plus-services: cloud subscriptions (per-seat/per-employee/per-invoice annual billing) constitute the growing primary stream, while legacy on-premise perpetual licenses remain supported via the Long Life Support (OMSS LLS) program. Professional services — implementation, data migration, custom development, and BPO — are delivered primarily through certified partners, augmented by OBC's own customer success team. Pricing is publicly disclosed via an online simulation tool with tiers starting at ¥126,000/year for 30,000 electronic invoices and ranging up to ¥1,032,640/year for an 11-user sales/inventory cloud deployment, with enterprise pricing via direct inquiry. The company is led by President and Representative Director Narifumi Wada (和田 成史) and is headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Name

Obic Business Consultants

Legal name

OBIC BUSINESS CONSULTANTS CO., LTD.

Website

https://obc.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Obic Business Consultants is a privately held Japanese software vendor that provides the Bugyo (奉行) series of cloud and on-premise back-office applications — accounting, payroll, HR, sales, and tax filing — to SMBs, mid-market, and group enterprises across Japan, distributed through a 3,000-partner-office channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Accounting and Back-Office ERP Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Core ERP Suites (Financials, Procurement, Projects) (HDAEAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Expense Management & T&E Audit (Employee Expenses, Corporate Cards) (BPAAAGAE), Fixed Assets Accounting (Capitalization, Depreciation, Asset Register) (BPAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Cloud accounting software
• Enterprise resource planning
• Payroll management software
• HR administration systems
• Back-office automation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Cloud Subscription (SaaS): Recurring annual subscription fees for cloud services (奉行クラウド, 奉行Edge, 奉行V ERP Cloud) billed per user/seat or per employee count, with tiered pricing by product module and user volume. Constitutes the primary and growing revenue stream as customers migrate from on-premise packages.
2. Perpetual Software Licenses (On-premise): One-time license fees for on-premise installation products (奉行i11, 奉行J11, 奉行V ERP Smart). Supported through Long Life Support (OMSS LLS) program for legacy customers.
3. Professional Services (導入支援・サポート): Implementation support, data migration, custom development, and operational support services delivered by certified partners and OBC's own customer success team. Includes OMSS (OEM Support Services) and BPO services (奉行クラウドBPO) for accounting and HR outsourcing.
4. Electronic Payment Processing Fees: Fees associated with bank API integrations enabling electronic payment and settlement services through the company's registered electronic payment intermediary (電子決済等代行業) status with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

OBC develops, sells, and supports the Bugyo (奉行) series of cloud-based and on-premise back-office enterprise software for Japanese businesses. The portfolio spans accounting (Kanjō Bugyō), payroll (Kyūyo Bugyō), HR administration (Sōmu Jinji Bugyō), sales/purchasing/inventory (Shōzō Bugyō), fixed assets, tax filing, statutory reports, electronic invoicing (Bugyo Edge), and the Bugyo V ERP suite for mid-market and listed companies. AI agents automate consolidated group accounting and new lease accounting identification. Products are distributed through a nationwide certified partner network and direct enterprise sales.

Product overview

Obic Business Consultants (OBC) provides the 奉行 (Bugyo) series of enterprise back-office software, encompassing accounting/financial management (勘定奉行), HR and payroll (給与奉行, 総務人事奉行), sales and inventory management (商蔵奉行), fixed assets (固定資産奉行), tax filing (申告奉行), and statutory documents (法定調書奉行). The product line spans three deployment architectures: (1) 奉行i cloud for small-to-mid-market companies (勘定奉行i cloud, 給与奉行i cloud, 債拳奉行i cloud, 債務奉行i cloud, 法定調書奉行i cloud, etc.), (2) 奉行V ERP cloud for mid-market and listed companies, and (3) 奉行Edge cloud for edge/bolt-on services (invoice issuance/receipt, attendance, labor management, payroll slip digitization). AI agent offerings include the 奉行AIエージェント 連結会計支援 cloud (autonomous group accounting agent) and the 奉行AIエージェント 新リース会計識別 cloud (lease identification agent). The platform is extensible via the 奉行i cloud API library (Connect Partner制度) with 40+ pre-built App Connect integrations, and supported by a nationwide network of ~3,000 partner offices under the OBC Alliance Partnership (OAP) program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 奉行シリーズ (Bugyo Series): Core product line including 勘定奉行 (accounting), 給与奉行 (payroll), and other business management software solutions.

Products and services

• Kanjō Bugyō Cloud / Kanjō Bugyō i Cloud (勘定奉行 / 勘定奉行クラウド) Flagship accounting software for Japanese SMB to mid-market companies covering journal entries, general ledger, financial reporting, accounts receivable/payable, fixed assets, and statutory tax filing integration. Available as cloud-hosted (Bugyo Cloud) and on-premises (Bugyo 11) editions.
• Bugyo V ERP / Bugyo V ERP Cloud (奉行V ERP / 奉行V ERP クラウド) Enterprise ERP suite for mid-market and listed (IPO-prep) companies, integrating accounting, HR/payroll, and sales management as a unified platform. Available in cloud (Bugyo V ERP Cloud) and multi-cloud (Bugyo V ERP Smart) deployment options, with Group Management, Group Shared, Global, and SmartPlan variants.
• Bugyo Edge 発行請求書DX Cloud (奉行Edge 発行請求書DXクラウド) Peppol-compliant cloud invoice issuance service enabling businesses to issue electronic invoices in compliance with Japanese and international e-invoicing standards. Tiered by annual invoice issuance volume (300 to 96,000 invoices per year).
• Bugyo Edge 受領請求書DX Cloud (奉行Edge 受領請求書DXクラウド) Cloud invoice receipt and digitization service for processing incoming supplier invoices, enabling electronic workflow and data capture from paper and digital invoices received from vendors, with integrated accounting journal entry creation.
• Kyūyo Bugyō Cloud (給与奉行クラウド) Cloud payroll processing system for payroll calculation, withholding tax, social insurance, and payroll slip distribution. Syncs attendance data from Bugyo Edge attendance management and feeds payroll entries to Kanjō Bugyō. Tiered by employee count.
• Sōmu Jinji Bugyō i Cloud (総務人事奉行クラウド) HR administration and management cloud covering employee records, organizational management, and HR master data. Provides HR information sync with external HR systems and feeds data to Kyūyo Bugyō Cloud.
• Shōzō Bugyō Cloud (商蔵奉行クラウド) Sales, purchasing, and inventory management cloud module for order-to-cash and purchase-to-pay processes. Handles sales orders, purchase orders, inventory tracking, and integrates with Kanjō Bugyō for general ledger and Saiken Bugyō for accounts receivable.
• Saiken Bugyō i Cloud (債権奉行クラウド) Accounts receivable management cloud module for invoice issuance, AR tracking, and collection management. Integrated with Kanjō Bugyō for general ledger synchronization.
• Saimu Bugyō i Cloud (債務奉行クラウド) Accounts payable management cloud module for invoice processing, AP tracking, and payment execution. Supports direct bank API integration with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank for electronic payment processing.
• Kotei Shisan Bugyō i Cloud / Bugyo V ERP (固定資産奉行クラウド) Fixed asset management cloud for asset tracking, depreciation calculation, and lease management. Includes lease accounting support and API sync for asset data with external asset management systems. Also available as Kotei Shisan Bugyō V ERP Cloud for mid-market.
• Shinkoku Bugyō i Cloud (申告奉行クラウド[法人税・地方税編]) Corporate tax filing preparation module integrated with Kanjō Bugyō, enabling automated generation of tax returns for corporate and local taxes (法人税・地方税編). Supplementary schedules and business overview module available as 内訳書・概況書編.
• Hōtei Chōsho Bugyō i Cloud (法定調書奉行クラウド) Statutory reporting document preparation system for Japanese legal reporting requirements including 支払調書 (payment statements) and other required filings to tax authorities.
• Bugyo Edge 勤怠管理 Cloud (奉行Edge 勤怠管理クラウド) Cloud attendance and time-tracking management service with facial recognition and external system integration via webhook for time-punch data. Tiered by number of employees covered. WCAG 2.1 Level A / JIS X 8341-3 compliant.
• Bugyo Edge 労務管理電子化 Cloud (奉行Edge 労務管理電子化クラウド) Cloud-based labor management and work-rules digitalization service covering employment contracts, work rules, and HR document workflows. WCAG 2.1 Level A / JIS X 8341-3 compliant.
• Bugyo Edge 年末調整申告書 Cloud (奉行Edge 年末調整申告書クラウド) Year-end tax adjustment declaration cloud service for employees to submit annual tax adjustment forms electronically. WCAG 2.1 Level A / JIS X 8341-3 compliant.
• Bugyo Edge Mynumber Cloud (奉行Edge マイナンバー cloud) Cloud service for managing individual number (MyNumber) cards and personnel number registry, supporting secure storage and electronic certificate-based access for employee identification.
• Bugyo Edge 給与明細電子化 Cloud (奉行Edge 給与明細電子化クラウド) Cloud payroll statement digitalization and distribution service enabling electronic delivery of payroll slips to employees, eliminating paper-based paystub distribution.
• OFFICE BANK Cloud (OFFICE BANKクラウド) Cloud-based banking integration service enabling consolidated cash management, bank account unification, and electronic banking workflows. Part of OBC's electronic payment and settlement services under electronic payment intermediary registration.
• Bugyo i Cloud DX Suite (奉行クラウドDX Suite - 経理/販売管理/HR) Three-module DX Suite (経理 DX Suite, 販売管理 DX Suite, HR DX Suite) providing AI-enhanced workflow automation for accounting, sales, and HR processes, built on the Bugyo i Cloud platform.
• Bugyo AI Agent - Consolidated Accounting Support Cloud (奉行AIエージェント 連結会計支援クラウド) AI agent cloud service for consolidated (group) accounting that autonomously collects data from subsidiary companies, performs intercompany reconciliation, and generates consolidated financial statements, eliminating the primary bottleneck in group accounting.
• Bugyo AI Agent - New Lease Accounting Identification Cloud (奉行AIエージェント 新リース会計識別クラウド) AI agent for new Japanese lease accounting standard compliance. Autonomously identifies and classifies lease contracts from financial data, enabling companies to handle the expanded scope of lease accounting with minimal manual effort.
• Bugyo i Cloud API Library / App Connect (奉行クラウドAPIライブラリ / App Connect) Partner integration marketplace and API connect service library where customers can find and connect third-party business applications with Bugyo i Cloud via pre-built App Connect integrations, supported by the comprehensive Bugyo i Cloud REST/Webhook API library.
• Bugyo Smart Multi-Cloud (奉行Smart マルチクラウド) Multi-cloud deployment platform allowing customers to run Bugyo products across different public cloud providers simultaneously, providing deployment flexibility and redundancy.
• Kanjō Bugyō Cloud Global Edition (勘定奉行クラウド Global Edition) Multi-currency and international accounting extension of Kanjō Bugyō for companies operating globally, supporting IFRS compliance and multi-jurisdiction financial reporting.
• Kanjō Bugyō i Cloud 建設業 Edition (勘定奉行iクラウド[建設業編]) Construction industry-specific accounting module integrated with Kanjō Bugyō i Cloud, providing construction cost management, project accounting, and regulatory compliance tailored to Japanese construction firms.
• OBC Alliance Partnership (OAP) / Connect Partner制度 / ASOS Certified Expert Partner Program (奉行認定パートナー制度) Partner programs comprising OBC Alliance Partnership (OAP) for sales and services (Basic/Certified/Gold/Platinum tiers), Connect Partner制度 for API-based integration partners, and ASOS (Certified Expert Partners) for certified accountants, tax advisors, and social insurance labor attorneys providing specialized consulting and outsourcing.

Quantifiable outcome

• AI agents reduce consolidated accounting data collection and reconciliation bottleneck significantly
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration33 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and regional.

• JB Advanced Technology株式会社 (JBAT)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2021JB Advanced Technology (JBAT) was brought on as a new alliance partner in April 2019 to develop and operate the 奉行iクラウド App Connect integration platform — a no-code platform enabling partner applications to connect with OBC's cloud products without custom API development. JBAT develops and maintains the connection programs on the platform.
• NCD株式会社flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOBC's top-tier Platinum partner since 1967 with 50+ years of partnership. Provides full-service system solutions from planning through operational support including custom development, migration, and infrastructure management. Awarded OBC Partner of the Year multiple times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).
• リコージャパン株式会社flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide partner with 18,697 employees serving over 100万 businesses in Japan. Provides consulting-led IT solutions, system construction, and after-service, distributing OBC products alongside Ricoh's own office equipment and managed services. Multiple regional excellence awards.
• 株式会社大塚商会flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Japanese IT solution provider and authorized partner offering 'DX総合パッケージ×奉行クラウド' — combining Otsuka Shojo's high operational know-how with OBC's 奉行クラウド for comprehensive SME DX support.
• 株式会社レボ・シェアcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGold-tier certified partner based in Nagoya with 13 employees serving Central Japan. Specializes in business analysis, package proposal, implementation support, data migration, and full-stack support. 150 client implementations. Supports AWS, Azure, and BIGLOBE cloud.
• アイオー信用金庫 (IYO Credit Union)regionalGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional credit union in Gunma Prefecture partnering with OBC to provide DX promotion and back-office digitalization support to SMEs within the region, combining the bank's local trust network with OBC's product capabilities.
• 三井住友銀行 (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationBank API integration (接続サービス名: 勘定奉行クラウド) under electronic payment intermediary registration (銀行法第2条第17項第1号), enabling direct electronic banking workflows within 勘定奉行 cloud products.
• 三菱UFJ銀行 (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationBank API integration (接続サービス名: 債務奉行クラウド, 奉行Edge支払管理電子化クラウド) under electronic payment intermediary registration (銀行法第2条第17項第1号および第2号), enabling direct electronic payment workflows for accounts payable and payment management.
• 株式会社 Infomart (Panasonic group)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner application integrated via 奉行iクラウド App Connect. Infomart's BtoBプラットフォーム請求書 (B2B platform invoice) enables electronic invoice data exchange with 奉行i cloud accounting products.
• SBIビジネス・ソリューションズ株式会社coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner application connected via 奉行iクラウド App Connect. 経費BankⅡ expense management solution integrates with 奉行i cloud for automated expense reporting and accounting data synchronization.
• 株式会社ラクスcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner applications (楽楽精算 and 楽楽明細) integrated via 奉行iクラウド App Connect, providing expense management and electronic slip/payment notification services connected to OBC accounting products.
• 富士フイルムビジネスイノベーションジャパン株式会社flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor national partner (10,367 employees) providing DX consulting and solution services, distributing OBC products alongside Fujifilm's own business innovation offerings across Japan's regions.
• TIS株式会社coreTechnology or IntegrationSpendia expense management solution connected via 奉行iクラウド App Connect, enabling automated expense processing integrated with OBC cloud accounting products.
• 铃与シンワート株式会社coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMid-size national partner (751 employees) operating S-Port data center and providing cloud services, system integration, and BPO services including 'TASUKE for 奉行クラウド' HR/payroll outsourcing. Multiple OBC Partner Awards recipient.
• 株式会社パソナHRソリューションcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHR BPO specialist (205 employees) using 奉行クラウド as the system backbone for providing HR/payroll outsourcing services to mid-market companies. Supports talent management, OKR, and HR digitalization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Money Forward, Inc. Public Japanese fintech offering cloud accounting, payroll, expense management, and back-office software. Closely comparable in product scope (accounting, payroll, expense, invoicing), serving the same SMB and personal business market with cloud-native architecture.
• Yayla Co., Ltd. (formerly Yayla): Japanese mid-market ERP and accounting software vendor serving similar customer segments. Comparable in product scope (accounting, payroll, sales management) and target market (mid-market Japanese companies).
• PCA Corporation: Japanese accounting and payroll software vendor with distributed partner channel. Competes directly with OBC's 奉行 series in SMB accounting, payroll, and tax filing software for Japanese businesses.
• freee K.K. Japanese cloud-native accounting and HR/payroll SaaS provider. Direct competitor in the SMB back-office cloud space, particularly for startups and small businesses, with a substantially different PLG-led GTM motion than OBC's partner-led model.
• TKC Corporation: Long-established Japanese accounting software and tax filing platform serving professional accountants (税理士) and their SMB clients. Overlaps with OBC's 奉行 series in accounting, tax filing, and certified accountant partner distribution.
• Super Stream (SuperStream): Japanese HR/payroll and accounting software provider serving mid-market and enterprise. Direct overlap with OBC's 給与奉行 and 総務人事奉行 product lines, particularly for listed companies.
• Yokogawa Bridge Holdings (Yayla): Mid-market ERP and consulting vendor in Japan. Competes in the same Japanese mid-market ERP space, particularly for manufacturing and project-driven industries.

Broad incumbents

• SAP Japan (S/4HANA, Business One): Global enterprise ERP vendor with Japanese localization. Competes with 奉行V ERP in the upper-mid-market and enterprise segment, particularly for global companies operating in Japan.
• Oracle NetSuite Japan: Global cloud ERP platform with Japanese operations. Competes with 奉行V ERP Cloud in the mid-market ERP space, particularly for companies with international operations.

Emerging players

• Plaza-i (Plaza-i): Cloud accounting and ERP offering from TIS Inc. targeting Japanese SMB and mid-market. Overlaps with OBC's 奉行i cloud capabilities, though at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bugyocloud
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuULXNXgSy-cR8E1eACiiHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/bugyo.obc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/obic-business-consultants-ltd-obi-

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Obic Business Consultants