Miyazaki, Jul 16 (News On Japan) –
Japan continues to lag behind different nations in digital transformation (DX), together with in using generative AI. However, one native authorities has emerged as a pacesetter in implementing efficient DX initiatives, providing priceless classes for overcoming the nation’s standing as an AI laggard.
On a latest program, Heiwako Okudaira of Tech Note spoke with Heiwako Okuda, an editorial board member at Tech Keizai Shimbun, to discover why Japan has fallen behind and what may be realized from native successes.
According to a survey printed in June by PwC Japan Group, Japan ranked final amongst main nations when it got here to formally integrating generative AI into office operations. While some Japanese firms, akin to LINE Yahoo, have not too long ago mandated AI use amongst staff, the nation as an entire stays behind.
Underlying the AI delay is Japan’s broader lag in digitalization. To perceive this situation, this system seemed on the city of Konojo in Miyazaki Prefecture—one of many few municipalities acknowledged for excellent digital reform. Konojo has obtained a number of awards for its achievements, together with prime rankings in hometown tax donations and My Number Card issuance.
One notable initiative is the city’s “paperless one-stop service desk.” Traditionally, residents are required to fill out quite a few varieties at metropolis corridor. Konojo eradicated this by having employees retrieve vital info from the resident’s My Number Card, drastically decreasing wait occasions. Tasks that beforehand took round three hours are actually accomplished in simply 45 minutes. Residents have praised the enhancements.
This effectivity doesn’t come on the expense of metropolis employees. Behind the scenes, Konojo has applied methods akin to robotic course of automation (RPA) to automate information entry and cut back employees workload. These adjustments have lightened the executive burden, enabling smoother service supply.
So why can Konojo obtain what different cities can not? Okuda recognized one key: understanding that analog reform is crucial for profitable digitalization. For instance, many authorities varieties originate from central ministries and embrace outdated or pointless fields. Konojo first reviewed and eradicated such redundancies earlier than continuing with digital implementation.
An analogy shared in the course of the phase concerned a robotic vacuum cleaner. Just as a cluttered room have to be tidied earlier than utilizing a robotic vacuum, so too should bureaucratic processes be cleaned up earlier than digitization.
Mayor Takahisa Ikeda of Konojo emphasised the significance of human management in digital reform. “Technology is just a tool. Whether it’s used for good or bad depends on the people behind it,” he stated. To drive change, Konojo created a brand new digital coordination division and appointed youthful employees to key roles, together with in My Number Card promotion.
By placing folks on the middle of DX and thoroughly rethinking outdated methods, Konojo has turn out to be a mannequin for municipalities throughout Japan—and probably a key to serving to the nation break away from its fame as a digital laggard.
Source: テレ東BIZ