Changing corporate value to "digital origin"-Microsoft Japan, which supports large companies DX with hackathon

2020 was the year when the familiar words "digital transformation (DX)" were once again killed in the Corona.However, it seems that many Japanese people feel that their daily work and work style have not changed.Why can't many companies change, despite the fact that the need for DX is being shouted?In the first place, there are many people who do not really understand what DX is.

Therefore, CNET JAPAN conducted an interview with Mr. Hazuko Yokoi of the Microsoft Azure Business Headquarters Japan.She is the definition of digital transmission (DX) that the company thinks, a case, processes and points that the company wants to continue in 2021, the strengths of the company that the company implements as a part of the DX support of large companies.I was told about it.The listener was Mr. Takashi Betsui, the Asahi Interactive Executive Officer, who had spoken with Yokoi about DX through interviews for several years.

DX is to convert corporate value to "digital origin"

—— Looking back on 2020, the words, “Digital Transformation,” and the so -called DX, were suddenly exciting.What is the reason?

I agree.One, for example, the general public has said that something is happening at a digital starting point, for example, as Tesla's market capitalization exceeded $ 500 billion (approximately 54 trillion yen) from the beginning of the year.I think there have been some situations that are easy to realize.

And the other is that everyone feels somewhere in such a way that Japan has not been able to survive the chance to change.In particular, the "New Normal" in 2020 has rapidly penetrated remote work in Japan, and many successful cases and Tips have been actively shared.In this situation, there should have been a lot of people who felt like "what, I can do it", but there should have been a lot of organizations, but when I opened the lid at the coldest time, I tried to open the lid.You may be back.

—— Why does it change?Perhaps because it considers "digital transformation" as "changing from analog to digital".

I think it's a good point.Recently, I noticed how I saw how DX was defined in various companies, but for example, I said that "IT", for example, "IT", who says that it is DX just to stop stamps and sign an electronic sign.I just transferred it to the world, and there are many cases where digitalization is only in front of digital transformation.

However, if you know, you understand that you are going in the digital transformation at the "tip" of digitalization, and we talk about the two, but the word "DX" is distinguished.The conversation tends to be made with the premise of the definition of "range".For this reason, there are many cases where people are talking about the same DX theme, but what they say is different, or they do not engage.

——What does the DX that Yokoi defines?

There are various definitions in the world.In my personal opinion, I tend to be puzzled by the word "DX", but the liver is the same as before and in the past.In conjunction with changes in the environment, we believe that it will be transformed into an organization that accepts new things, and to convert the value created by companies from in -kind -derived to digital -derived.

——What is the DX world view that Microsoft is aiming for?

Microsoft is "Empower Every Person and Every Organization on the Planet to Achieve More.(Make all individuals and all organizations on the earth can achieve more).By the way, my team is a cloud service Azure Business Group, but recently it has increased as "Microsoft Cloud", including Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365.

—— Will DX go on in Japan in 2021?

In Japan, I see that the gaps between the being promoted and the left behind are expanding.However, the difference is not the area or the size of the company, but the border is, in short, the first step, "Did you do it or not?"

Unlike the time when the "stamp rally" was needed to get a lot of stakeholders and pass the approval with the introduction of a few hundreds of millions of yen a year ago, "I need a tremendous calculation resources with one sign -up shot.There is a cloud service that allows you to use services to be used immediately and quit immediately when you quit.

After this, we first rushed up to the long -established restaurant in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, "Ebiya Daisho and Shoten" until it was taken up as a successful example at our headquarters event for less than a year.I decided to try it out."Do you do or not?", I realize that the first step really changes everything.

—— Who will decide whether to do or not?

Probably everyone.For example, even if the top management says to do it, it will stop if a person who is not convinced does it.Conversely, it is important to use tools for each daily work, so it is important to spread from the bottom up.

Why a long -established Ebiya turned into a "rapid growth company"

—— The word -up word has come out, are there any interesting cases?

I think that the long -established restaurant and retail store "Ebiya Daito / Shoten", which has been a long -established restaurant and retail store for 100 years on the approach to Ise Jingu, is a model case in Japan.

By combining Power Bi, one of the Aloba image analysis services using the Azure artificial intelligence (AI) service (AI) service (AI) service (AI) service, Power Bi, which is one of the Microsoft's Power Platform Family, the number of passers -by, the number of passers -by, and enter.We measured the gender, age, emotions, etc. of the store, and exploded sales and profits by visualizing information such as entry rates and purchasing rates that were obviously understood at ECs.Not only that, they moved their hands, expanded their services, and in just five months.

A long time ago, the introduction of an image analysis system using AI requires a huge amount of capital investment, but Cognitive Services is a cloud service that can be used immediately.This is a good example of the use of general -purpose tools such as business intelligence (Power BI) and Excel to reduce solution introduction and maintenance costs.

——The misunderstanding of Ebiya's case is that you wanted to visualize the effects of measures such as entry rate and purchase rate (like an EC site).

That's right.The first starting point is not the introduction of AI.Ebiya clearly had the purpose of "visualizing" the effectiveness of measures as a management issue.One of the common cases in domestic and overseas successes is the stance of "backcasting for issues and what they want to do, and calculate back from the purpose."

——Ebiya also participated in a Hackathon sponsored by Microsoft.

yes.The "visualization of real store information" that they were trying to work on was not only for Ebiya -san, but also had the essence of eating and drinking, retailing and face -to -face businesses, and we also felt very sympathetic.Let's do a hackathon with Microsoft employees. "

Based on Microsoft Azure, Hackathon has developed a forecast and marketing effect measurement tool, which is the prototype of Touch Point Bi, a store data analysis tool currently provided by Ebiya for restaurants and retail stores.

For example, the database (SQL Database, PaaS database) was the first employee that our technical support was actually moved by our technical support, but there were many words that I did not know, so it was very difficult.think.After that, they seemed to have been studying with their own efforts, and they should have done a certain amount of cash out, such as labor costs and teaching materials, but the only thing I could do was, "I developed it in five months.I think there was a clear goal of selling solutions outwards.

They are inexperienced long -established companies, non -IT companies, which are non -IT -like companies like a dining room, for example, Azure Functions, Microsoft Azure Machine Learning (Machine Learning Service), Cosmos DB (non -reliable database), etc.In order to get a very impactful return of leap toward technology companies, first of all, after developing a service prototype in a hackathon sponsored by Microsoft, it is a short period of 5 months before the release, and then calculated backward from the boss.We worked on removing some unnecessary services.

——You's exactly the future of turning into a rapid growth company.

yes.Not only will you fill in what you can't do with technology, but what are the services we are developing for, what to use and who will deliver and what, and how much we need to do for that, for that.I was developing the necessary services and specifications, thinking about what to do in the cloud.The viewpoint of calculating the service has been a lot of study, and as such thinking spreads, I think the world will change.

Change "corporate culture" with Microsoft's hackathon

——There are cases like Ebiya, but I don't think it works so well everywhere.Are there any common points for companies that fail?

First of all, it's a dangerous pattern to put in AI and "enter from a means".I don't want it, but it's the same as buying clothes because it's somehow popular.I often ask the worries that there are no human resources, but it is often unclear what kind of human resources should be increased and nurtured due to the ambiguous issues.

Be careful with "case supremacy".The case is already going ahead, so you have to go beyond that.Another most in Japan is "reinventment of wheels."Usually, someone is doing what you can come up with first, so it's a waste to try it without investigating.I think it is necessary to switch to the idea of speeding up by combining existing parts by combining existing parts, rather than trying to develop them on their own.

—— Is it easier to DX in small and medium -sized enterprises like Ebiya?

I don't think what to do itself is the same on the size of a large, medium and small company, but it is certainly difficult for a large company to have a large number of people.However, on the contrary, it should be blessed with human resources, so I wonder if the difficulty level is different.After all, companies that are clear with the purpose and 5w1H have a good impression regardless of the size of the company.

—— Is there a case where a major company has worked?

yes.I would like to share examples of JFE engineering and Fujifilm Software.Both companies are companies that participated in the Azure Light-UP, a hackathon program sponsored by Microsoft and partner companies.

In fact, this is a program based on Ebiya's hackathon, and concentrated in a minimum of three days by a partner company that knew Microsoft and the cloud and participating companies in a minimum of three days, "Minimal product (minimumum))Develop VIABLE PRODUCT).Not only engineers but also business departments will participate.The experiences and information gained in the process of creating one MVP in cooperation with technology and business divisions are tremendous.

JFE Engineering had built an AI utilization and big data analysis system "PLA'Cello" for plant design and operation, but felt a problem in speed, stability, and security.。Therefore, we developed a prototype for improving the performance of Pla'cello with three days of hackathon.

The director of the project owner (not an IT field) is also a developer, "The first VUE.Participated in a book called "JS" in one hand, a wonderfully made UI of the front, "By actually moving your hands, you will be able to clear what you really need, and you will be able to talk with the developers in a true sense."I realized the importance of changing the organizational culture.In the future, we will aim to improve internal business improvements and shift more engineers to the project side, increase the number of projects using AI, and build the next -generation industrial plant.

The example of Fujifilm Software provides file management for corporate and provides a shared service "ImageWorks", but the construction of a service base using Microsoft Azure, and the adoption of Azure Cognitive Search.Until now, we have been using the latest Microsoft Azure's latest functions to improve our own service functionality.The Hackathon program is also held more than 5 times.

Fujifilm Software uses such efforts through the event on the stage to form a reputation for products and initiatives outside.This is very important, as a result, it can penetrate corporate culture that actively incorporates new technologies, and seems to be working to secure IT -related human resources.

It is important to try each person

—— First of all, there are issues, and we use digital to solve it, then derive hypotheses and select a tool.At that time, I think that there are generally many cases where you will consider it from a means, "Let's do it with this tool for the time being."

That's right.The point here is the consciousness of "investment or cost".If the use of money, the tasks and purposes are not linked, it tends to jump, "It looks good", and if you only see the immediate expenditure, you will stop saying "Where is it meaningful?"think.

——The judgment of an investment or cost, and even if the experience of using a new tool is also a return, it is still useless to repeat it, so is it really considered to be an investment?How do you see it?

In such discussions, it is the "time axis" that is often not clear.Most of the tools are subscriptions, so first set a goal of "when and what can be done", and look back on the effects of every three or six months, making it easier to use.You can do it.I think you should first clarify "what, what to do".

After that, it is important to keep thinking about KPI as important, and keep sticking.Looking back at the checkpoints, if you think it's not the best, try to boldly think about another path.Then, think about whether to proceed with the next checkpoint.It is to engrave such a small cycle.

For example, if the train stops on the way when you return home, you will calculate back from what time you want to return and return by other means such as other good routes and taxis.Maybe it's best to judge that you should spend some time somewhere.However, for some reason, I can't make such a decision, and I stop thinking.

—— No, I'm busy.

But it's another story to be busy and how to collect when you pay and what to collect (laughs).After all, only time, no matter how much money you have, you will not return.The risk of taking prelate profits is hard to see at first glance, but it is actually a point to think seriously.Uber Eats is also in great shape, but I think Uber Technologies and Lyft are good examples.Uber was established in 2009 and Lyft established in 2012.The difference is only three years, but the scale is completely different.In order to rewind in the preceding situation, you have to keep in touch with many times more money and people.

——Is that hackathon is a quick way to use the latest technology and digital transformation?

In order to solve management issues quickly and convert corporate value to digital -derived ones, it is necessary to work from both top -down and bottom -up.The Azure Light-Up Program, which is held by Microsoft, is "quick-raising, and in-house developers' technical skills," Improvement of the technical skills of internal developers, development, operation, market, and sales.It helps to change into a rapid growth company that can take action.If you want to change faster than competitors, I would like you to participate.

—— Finally, let's do something new with the power of technology, it will be a profit and will be happy in the world, I would like to accelerate that trend in 2021, but for that.Is there anything you can do right away?

In 2020, the number of online study sessions has increased significantly, as it is to avoid new normals.Every day, I do something somewhere every day, so I recommend listening to one thing that seems to be interesting, what makes my work easier, and anything.Everyone, each one, takes a small step and "try", so the world should change a lot.

For inquiries about Microsoft Azure Light-Up Program (Hackathon), which will be created at a stretch in a very short period of time (three days), please contact the secretariat below.

Microsoft Azure Light Up Program Secretariat Azurelightup@Microsoft.com