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From "Using" Generative AI to "Strengthening the Organization": A Long-Established Trading Company Discovers the Essence of AI Utilization Through Business Process Inventory.
Hikasa Trading Co., Ltd.
Issues before implementation
- We hadn't been able to organize (inventory) which processes in our own business operations should be addressed with AI, and therefore couldn't envision a concrete application.
- It remained merely an individual's "thought" of using the technology based on information from social media, etc., and there was no system in place to share that knowledge within the organization.
- There was a lack of basic literacy and a perspective on how to utilize AI, and a culture of effectively using AI had not been fostered within the organization.
Effects after implementation
- By conducting a business process inventory in parallel, the areas that should be entrusted to AI became clear, and the scope of its application to practical work expanded significantly.
- Through the exercises, we gained an understanding of the structure of system prompts, which enabled us to share knowledge and systematize it using templates and chatbots.
- Reskilling training for all employees has fostered a culture of proactively exploring the use of AI, regardless of age or department.
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Company Introduction
Since its founding in 1927, Hikasa Shoji Co., Ltd. has been operating as a community-oriented company, supported by deep relationships of trust with customers in the northern Okayama Prefecture area.
Currently, we are a comprehensive office solutions trading company that handles a wide range of products, from business software and cloud services to PC and network construction, security, office equipment and multifunction printers, office furniture, and office supplies, all centered around three pillars: "DX," "AI," and "Office Environment Improvement." We propose optimal systems that directly address our customers' challenges and continue to contribute to the development of the region.
Issues before introducing generative AI
Hikasa Trading Co., Ltd., which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, has been actively promoting DX and AI utilization within its own company as a "comprehensive trading company for office solutions." In fact, it had already introduced paid and free versions of ChatGPT and Copilot, and individual use had begun.
However, at the time, we were only using AI in a fragmented way, referencing usage tips that circulated on social media and so on. A major problem was that we were satisfied with simply using AI without conducting a "business process inventory" to determine which stages of our operations should be integrated with AI, and this continued in a state of "thinking we were using it" without actually leading to any fundamental business improvements.
Benefits of using generative AI
Through this ongoing support and reskilling training, we've shifted from simply "using the product without a clear purpose" to "using it with a specific objective."
A particularly significant step was the "business process inventory" conducted alongside the training. We broke down our daily tasks into smaller parts, clearly identifying where we could leverage AI. Furthermore, through exercises, we gained a deeper understanding of the "system prompt" concept, improving the accuracy of our instructions to the AI. We were even able to create and share templates optimized for practical work and chatbots specialized for specific tasks.
As a result, know-how that was previously confined to individuals is now shared as an organizational asset, and we feel that the scope of its application has expanded.
Future outlook
Going forward, we plan to position AI Works as a company-wide platform and expand accounts to all employees.
We will promote AI-driven business improvement as a company-wide effort, rather than limiting it to specific departments. Specifically, by maximizing the power of technology, such as using AI for slide creation and AI agents, we aim to continue evolving into an organization that can provide higher value-added proposals to our customers in the northern Okayama area.
