Cross Talk 2 <CAREER CO., LTD.> Engineers interact to realize the system.
2020.11.18
CAREER is a company with a large number of registered senior staff. Due to the nature of the company's business, all information is exchanged in paper-based format, making it difficult to accumulate data and complicating operations. In addition to the OCR system that reads paper-based information, pluszero proposed a new system that even those who are not comfortable with digital technology would be willing to use, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the back office.
Cross Talk 2＜キャリア＞ トレーラー
OCR that only converts paper information into data is not enough. Optimize OCR to improve business efficiency.
Mr. Kawashima, Chairman of the Board and President of CAREER CO., LTD. (hereafter referred to as CAREER, Kawashima)
Our company is a human resources business for the aging society. In other words, we mainly provide services such as dispatching and introducing senior personnel and staffing nursing care facilities and other facilities used by the elderly. As this was a relatively old business, there were no engineers among the employees, and I hesitate to say it, but the members were not highly IT literate. Under such circumstances, we were introduced to pluszero because they were willing to work closely with us in defining the requirements and designing the system, and we thought they would be able to work closely with us even though we didn't know anything about IT systems. I'm glad we did.
The problem that we were facing was that, due to the nature of our business as a staffing service for seniors, we still mainly exchanged paper documents, and there were still many phone calls and paper-based transactions for salary transfers. We wanted to develop a system that would be easy to use for seniors, which led us to this request.
Our company is a human resources business for the aging society. In other words, we mainly provide services such as dispatching and introducing senior personnel and staffing nursing care facilities and other facilities used by the elderly. As this was a relatively old business, there were no engineers among the employees, and I hesitate to say it, but the members were not highly IT literate. Under such circumstances, we were introduced to pluszero because they were willing to work closely with us in defining the requirements and designing the system, and we thought they would be able to work closely with us even though we didn't know anything about IT systems. I'm glad we did.
The problem that we were facing was that, due to the nature of our business as a staffing service for seniors, we still mainly exchanged paper documents, and there were still many phone calls and paper-based transactions for salary transfers. We wanted to develop a system that would be easy to use for seniors, which led us to this request.
Mr. Nagata, Executive Vice President of pluszero Corporation (hereafter referred to as pluszero, Nagata)
We believe that AI or IT is just a means to an end. We want to focus on how to make our customers' businesses successful, so we do not only create what we are told, but also provide a one-stop service that includes business design, requirements definition, development, operation, and maintenance.
When we heard about CAREER, we thought that their one-stop service was a good fit with our policy. When we actually started working with them, it was very rewarding to discuss and work together with them from the business design stage.
We believe that AI or IT is just a means to an end. We want to focus on how to make our customers' businesses successful, so we do not only create what we are told, but also provide a one-stop service that includes business design, requirements definition, development, operation, and maintenance.
When we heard about CAREER, we thought that their one-stop service was a good fit with our policy. When we actually started working with them, it was very rewarding to discuss and work together with them from the business design stage.
CAREER, Kawashima
You requested an OCR system, a prepayment system, and a business support system from us, right?
You requested an OCR system, a prepayment system, and a business support system from us, right?
pluszero, Nagata
That's right. In the case of your company, we heard that it was difficult to shift from handwriting to digital because the target population is elderly. Under such circumstances, they decided to introduce OCR as the most effective way to improve their business efficiency.
The key point was not only to convert to OCR, but also to design the most efficient and optimized way to exchange the scanned contents.
That's right. In the case of your company, we heard that it was difficult to shift from handwriting to digital because the target population is elderly. Under such circumstances, they decided to introduce OCR as the most effective way to improve their business efficiency.
The key point was not only to convert to OCR, but also to design the most efficient and optimized way to exchange the scanned contents.
Career・Kawashima
We asked for OCRIf it were a general staffing company, they would send us the time and attendance data by digital format, but in our case, there are many people who send us the data by hand. That's why we thought ORC to find the best solution for us.
We asked for OCRIf it were a general staffing company, they would send us the time and attendance data by digital format, but in our case, there are many people who send us the data by hand. That's why we thought ORC to find the best solution for us.
Lowering the hurdle for seniors to use value-added services
Suhama, AI/IT Solution Division, pluszero Corporation (hereafter referred to as pluszero, Suhama)
Another system that we have introduced is the "Advance Payment System". This is a system where staff working for Career can send in their time sheets and receive a portion of their salary in advance for each day they work, based on their attendance record. I believe that this system improves the convenience of the staff by allowing them to withdraw their salaries the day after they work.
One of the things we worked on with your company was to make it possible to make payments with as few steps as possible, so that applications can be made with the minimum number of clicks. Since the person in charge uses the system every day, we thought that save even a small amount of time and effort would lead to greater operational efficiency. Also, with about 100,000 registered staff, we had accumulated a large amount of data on timesheets. By devising a logic, we implemented a system where the salary amount is updated within a minute or so after the time sheet is entered.
Another system that we have introduced is the "Advance Payment System". This is a system where staff working for Career can send in their time sheets and receive a portion of their salary in advance for each day they work, based on their attendance record. I believe that this system improves the convenience of the staff by allowing them to withdraw their salaries the day after they work.
One of the things we worked on with your company was to make it possible to make payments with as few steps as possible, so that applications can be made with the minimum number of clicks. Since the person in charge uses the system every day, we thought that save even a small amount of time and effort would lead to greater operational efficiency. Also, with about 100,000 registered staff, we had accumulated a large amount of data on timesheets. By devising a logic, we implemented a system where the salary amount is updated within a minute or so after the time sheet is entered.
CAREER, Kawashima
In the past, most of the communication was done by fax, but recently, more and more people are starting to use smartphones. They are very pleased with the fact that they can send an image of their timesheet via smartphone and have their salary transferred immediately.
In the past, most of the communication was done by fax, but recently, more and more people are starting to use smartphones. They are very pleased with the fact that they can send an image of their timesheet via smartphone and have their salary transferred immediately.
pluszero, Suhama
For the business support system, we replaced the system that we had been using. The good points of the old system were retained, while the negative points such as slow loading speed were drastically improved from the design phase.
We designed the sales support system to be as fast as possible, since the time taken by the sales staff to complete each sale is directly reflected in the business results. We also designed the system to accumulate data such as sales results, sales performance, and advertising data, since the company wanted to focus on data accumulation in the future.
For the business support system, we replaced the system that we had been using. The good points of the old system were retained, while the negative points such as slow loading speed were drastically improved from the design phase.
We designed the sales support system to be as fast as possible, since the time taken by the sales staff to complete each sale is directly reflected in the business results. We also designed the system to accumulate data such as sales results, sales performance, and advertising data, since the company wanted to focus on data accumulation in the future.
Targeted functions to improve business efficiency. Task management for each person.
CAREER・Kawashima
After we implemented the system, the physical speed of the process from searching to matching staff has become much faster. We have been working together with them from the design stage, so the number of steps we have to take has been greatly reduced. When employees open their PCs, they can see task management information such as "what they need to do now", "what they forgot to do", and "in what order they should do them".
In the past, we have been adapted our own way of doing things to the existing system. Since it was the first time for us to build a system from scratch, we had a lot of ideals that we wanted to include, such as "I want to do this, too" and "I want to do that, too." I myself was involved in system development in the past, and I have seen cases where the system ended up not being used because the function was not used at all or was different from what was expected.
With pluszero, the first person who came to the meeting was not a sales person, but an engineer and PM. That's why it was very helpful that they told us what they could and could not do on the spot. Even if an employee said, "I'd like to do something like this," he would tell us, "That would require a lot of man-hours, so the development cost would be very high, and the function would not be used very often. Thanks to them, we were able to create a lean system that meets our objectives.
After we implemented the system, the physical speed of the process from searching to matching staff has become much faster. We have been working together with them from the design stage, so the number of steps we have to take has been greatly reduced. When employees open their PCs, they can see task management information such as "what they need to do now", "what they forgot to do", and "in what order they should do them".
In the past, we have been adapted our own way of doing things to the existing system. Since it was the first time for us to build a system from scratch, we had a lot of ideals that we wanted to include, such as "I want to do this, too" and "I want to do that, too." I myself was involved in system development in the past, and I have seen cases where the system ended up not being used because the function was not used at all or was different from what was expected.
With pluszero, the first person who came to the meeting was not a sales person, but an engineer and PM. That's why it was very helpful that they told us what they could and could not do on the spot. Even if an employee said, "I'd like to do something like this," he would tell us, "That would require a lot of man-hours, so the development cost would be very high, and the function would not be used very often. Thanks to them, we were able to create a lean system that meets our objectives.
pluszero・Nagata
At pluszero, we place importance on the direct communication between the customer and the engineers. In the course of a project, if the members who listen to the customer's issues and study them and the members who actually create the system are separated, it is difficult to proceed smoothly. When this happens, it is easy to end up with a system that falls short of expectations. I think this was a great match for our efforts with your company.
At pluszero, we place importance on the direct communication between the customer and the engineers. In the course of a project, if the members who listen to the customer's issues and study them and the members who actually create the system are separated, it is difficult to proceed smoothly. When this happens, it is easy to end up with a system that falls short of expectations. I think this was a great match for our efforts with your company.
CAREER, Kawashima
In our case, we had to change the contents depending on the operation and keep upgrading the version in order to make the best use of the data of our many staff members. I feel that it will be easy for us to continue to change the system to make it easier to use in the field.
The system we asked for this time has specifications that allow us to understand the actions of our staff and how each employee moves and what they need to do. If we had used packaged software, we would have had to pull out the data and rethink what to do with it. However, by working with you, we expect that you will be able to re-plan the data into a form that is easy for us to analyze and utilize from the beginning, and keep coming up with proposals that will lead us to the best solution.
In terms of the usability of the OCR, it was important for us to find out how quickly we could capture a single time sheet and use it as payroll data, in other words, how much we could shorten the KPI. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to tune the system very finely, but how did you do it?
In our case, we had to change the contents depending on the operation and keep upgrading the version in order to make the best use of the data of our many staff members. I feel that it will be easy for us to continue to change the system to make it easier to use in the field.
The system we asked for this time has specifications that allow us to understand the actions of our staff and how each employee moves and what they need to do. If we had used packaged software, we would have had to pull out the data and rethink what to do with it. However, by working with you, we expect that you will be able to re-plan the data into a form that is easy for us to analyze and utilize from the beginning, and keep coming up with proposals that will lead us to the best solution.
In terms of the usability of the OCR, it was important for us to find out how quickly we could capture a single time sheet and use it as payroll data, in other words, how much we could shorten the KPI. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to tune the system very finely, but how did you do it?
pluszero, Nagata
I have always felt that there are many customers who have a lot of data that is not alive. We try to design our database with the expectation of using the data in the future, and I believe that the fact that we were able to design the database this time had a positive effect on the possibility of using the data in the future.
In your business of temporary staffing, it is very important to match people with each other efficiently, or in other words, chemistry. Once the loop of storing data while operating the system, returning feedback, and making it smarter and smarter starts to turn, the system and data will grow into something that other companies cannot easily imitate. In particular, since you are focusing on the senior segment of human resources, I believe that your company will be able to realize even more unique and original ways of using AI.
I have always felt that there are many customers who have a lot of data that is not alive. We try to design our database with the expectation of using the data in the future, and I believe that the fact that we were able to design the database this time had a positive effect on the possibility of using the data in the future.
In your business of temporary staffing, it is very important to match people with each other efficiently, or in other words, chemistry. Once the loop of storing data while operating the system, returning feedback, and making it smarter and smarter starts to turn, the system and data will grow into something that other companies cannot easily imitate. In particular, since you are focusing on the senior segment of human resources, I believe that your company will be able to realize even more unique and original ways of using AI.
CAREER・Kawashima
In the future, I would like to work with you to apply this system to further visualize the efforts of employees.
In the future, I would like to work with you to apply this system to further visualize the efforts of employees.
pluszero・Nagata
KPIs have a variety of elements and purposes. While it is important to create AI algorithms for each of them, we are also focusing on organizing the "KPI tree," which shows how each KPI is related to each other.
KPIs have a variety of elements and purposes. While it is important to create AI algorithms for each of them, we are also focusing on organizing the "KPI tree," which shows how each KPI is related to each other.
pluszero, Suhama
The matching algorithm is actually very difficult. In the case of CAREER, there are KPIs for each of the four parties: clients, staff, agents, and salespeople, which makes it even more complicated. One of our strengths is that we can solve such difficult issues.
We have a member who won a gold medal in an algorithm competition in the world, so we can create a system that can quickly incorporate short-term KPIs into the algorithm and improve it by receiving feedback.
The matching algorithm is actually very difficult. In the case of CAREER, there are KPIs for each of the four parties: clients, staff, agents, and salespeople, which makes it even more complicated. One of our strengths is that we can solve such difficult issues.
We have a member who won a gold medal in an algorithm competition in the world, so we can create a system that can quickly incorporate short-term KPIs into the algorithm and improve it by receiving feedback.
Carrier Kawashima
I guess we were throwing out a difficult theme (laughs).
I guess we were throwing out a difficult theme (laughs).
pluszero, Nagata
Yes, there are members in our company who are happy with the more difficult themes (laughs).
Yes, there are members in our company who are happy with the more difficult themes (laughs).
Career・Kawashima
In addition to matching staff and clients, we would like to change the index to include staff satisfaction in the future.
In addition to matching staff and clients, we would like to change the index to include staff satisfaction in the future.
pluszero, Nagata
I would be happy to work with you on such a long-term goal.
I would be happy to work with you on such a long-term goal.
The details of the dialogue can be found from the following.