Business Support Application for Employees Using AI Technology Since its launch in August, "Sayorin's Concerns Consultation Room" has received 160 consultations as of October! As of October, 160 consultations had been received!

Sanyo Industry Co. (headquartered in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture; hereinafter referred to as "Sanyo Kogyo") began operating a new AI-based application, "Sayorin's Worry Consultation Room," on August 19, 2024, and as of October, 160 consultations had been received.

This Sayorin's Worry Consultation Room utilizes AI-based technology, which has been rapidly evolving in recent years, to assist employees in resolving their work-related concerns and questions. This application was developed entirely by Sanyo Kogyo employees. Below is a detailed explanation of the process that led to the development of "Sayorin's Concerns Consultation Room," the developer's thoughts, and future prospects.

Sayorin's Concerns Consultation Room

Background leading up to the development of Sayorin's Concerns Consultation Room

Sanyo Industry has established the "Sanyo Standard," a code of conduct consisting of 10 articles set forth by volunteers within the company. However, although the "Sanyo Standard" is an easy-to-remember set of ten articles, it lacks specificity. To make Sanyo Kogyo's Code of Conduct easier to understand and more concrete, six employees who volunteered to join together created the "Sanyo Rule Book," which consists of 50 articles. ( https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/406885 ) This "Sanyo Rule Book," which was distributed from September 2024, played a major role in determining actions and policies for negotiations with other departments and problems within the business that occur among employees. However, it is difficult to memorize all 50 articles in the book. Some employees suggested that the book could be better utilized. The Information System Section proposed an application that allows all employees to search for action guidelines that match their current concerns, just as if they were looking up a dictionary.

Sanyo Industry, which operates a manufacturing temporary staffing business, collects a wide variety of attendance sheets from many client companies and transfers them into a single format and tabulates them every month. The company had been considering the introduction of AI to automate this burdensome task for some time, which led to the development of "Sayorin's Concern Consultation Room," an application that uses AI functions to consult with employees about problems they may have. Like the rulebook developed by employee volunteers, "Sayorin's Concerns Consultation Room" was also created in-house from scratch, based on the desire of the developers to create it by their own hands rather than outsourcing it to an external company.

Head office building where Sayorin is used

Actual Operation

Since the start of operation on August 19, 160 consultations have been received. (Total as of October 1, 2024.) Below are comments from three employees who have actually used the system.

I have been using the service many times because I have always felt that it would be nice to have content where I could consult about work-related problems. Not only does Sayorin sympathize with my concerns, but she also gives me precise advice based on the company's action guidelines, so I have been able to deal with my problems successfully. (Joined the company in 2024/23 years old/female)

I used the Sayorin Worry Consultation Service when I felt pressure at work, and the accurate feedback helped me improve my motivation for work. Since my privacy is protected, I can easily ask for help and it has led to improved work efficiency. (Joined the company in 2016/age 35/man)

It is easy to consult with Sayorin when I feel that she can answer my questions, whether they are work-related or private concerns. She replies in a very friendly tone, which lightens my heart and makes me more positive about both my work and private life. (Joined the company in 2018/29 years old/female)

The "Sayorin's Worry Consultation Room" is designed with the utmost care to protect privacy, so that personal worries are not leaked to the outside world, and information such as who used the system is not visible even to the developers. Therefore, we cannot provide specific user information or details, but the overall operation is very good.

Overall picture of Sayorin

■Hardships and thoughts leading up to the development of "Sayorin's Concerns Consultation Room

The most difficult point was to make the tone of "Sayorin" natural. Sayori-n" is the corporate mascot of Sanyo Industry. It is depicted prominently on the wall of the head office building and can be seen on trains between JR Okubo and Uozumi stations. The character is recognized not only by Sanyo Kogyo employees, but also by residents living near the head office and many people who use the trains. However, a major issue was that the AI answers gave a somewhat stiff impression, and the character of Sayorin was lost. We also continued to try and error over and over again, because receiving friendly answers would lead to higher usage by employees in the future. The "SAYORIN Worries Consultation Room" was born from the developer's wish that Sanyo Kogyo employees would feel free to use the Sanyo Rulebook when they are in need of help. Even if each person has a different problem or trouble, the AI will attend to each of them, understand their circumstances, and give an appropriate response. Although it is only an auxiliary position, we will continue to effectively use it as something that supports the actions and beliefs of our employees.

Sayorin's Concerned Consultation Room Answer Example (1)

Sayorin's Concern Room Answer Example (2)

Sayorin's Concerns Consultation Room Answer Example (3)

Future Prospects

The technological innovation of AI is a field that is undergoing a very remarkable evolution on a global scale. Sanyo Industry, which stands for "SINKA," cannot afford to lag behind in this field as well. Our developers will keep abreast of the latest technologies and continue to develop SINKA in the future. Sanyo Industry also believes in "energizing Japan's manufacturing sites," and we will continue to be a leader in manufacturing and technology that is close to the people. Like "Sayonin's Concerns Consultation Room," we will utilize AI technology to reach out to many people and energize Japan's manufacturing sites.

Company Profile

Company name: Sanyo Industry Co.

Representative: Naoyuki Inoue, President

Location: 1388 Eigashima, Okubo-cho, Akashi-shi, Hyogo Prefecture

Establishment : March 24, 1980

Business description: Manufacturing and manufacturing dispatch services

URL : http://sanyou-ind.co.jp/