Message from the Director in charge of Digital Transformations

Objectives of DX Initiatives by the Shimadzu Group

The Shimadzu Group is dedicated in collaborating with customers to solve challenges in society based on a corporate philosophy of “Contributing to Society through Science and Technology” and a management principle of “Realizing Our Wishes for the Well-being of Mankind and the Earth.” The objective of Shimadzu Group’s digital transformation (DX) measures is to leverage data and digital technologies to improve the quality of our activities and achieve growth for both employees and the Shimadzu Group. This approach is expressed in the Vision for Implementing DX Measures specified in 2023. The Shimadzu Group’s DX initiatives comprise two core pillars: business transformation (BX), which focuses on developing and delivering optimal customer-centric solutions, and corporate transformation (CX), which aims to reform organizational culture, mindset, and values to enable BX. Based on this framework, we have identified and are implementing four key transformation themes: (1) BX – Deepen customer-centric thinking, (2) CX – Standardize operations and enhance process efficiency, (3) CX – Foster environments that promote collaboration, (4) CX – Develop DX talent.

Review of Two Years of the Medium-Term Management Plan

Among the four transformation themes, our current top priority is CX: standardizing operations and enhancing process efficiency. We are simultaneously advancing the standardization and optimization of key business workflows̶such as core operations and product lifecycle management̶alongside the development of a supporting information infrastructure. By aligning our work practices with global standards and enabling access to cutting-edge tools, we aim to establish a solid foundation for data-driven management. These improvements are intended to enhance the quality and speed of product planning, improve the overall quality of our products and services, and enable us to deliver better solutions to customers more quickly. This initiative is progressing largely as planned.
We are also leveraging generative AI to enhance business process efficiency and accelerate decision-making. Since launching Shimadzu ChatGPT in a secure environment in 2023, we have continued to upgrade its capabilities. It can now reference internal company information to support business tasks. In addition, Microsoft Copilot was fully implemented in 2024 and is actively being utilized. Going forward, we will continue to make proactive use of generative AI to drive productivity gains and improve business processes.
With regard to developing DX talent, we initially set a goal of certifying 3,000 entry-level DX personnel by FY2025. However, over 6,000 individuals̶ twice the target̶have already been certified as of FY2024. For intermediate- and advanced-level personnel, the goal is for a total of 625 individuals to complete certification by the end of FY2025, but progress in FY2024 fell short of expectations. Nevertheless, the number of employees currently enrolled in these training programs is nearly double the target, and we believe the goal for FY2025 remains achievable.
Meanwhile, in our BX initiatives, we are working to expand our subscriptionbased business, but progress is currently behind schedule. Although the fundamental system infrastructure has been established, defining specific business workflows for each product offering has taken longer than expected. We anticipate that product development will accelerate once we have a broader range of offerings and standardized workflow patterns in place. One of the new subscription-based business models we aim to develop is consulting services. For customers struggling with analysis or measurement but lacking the necessary know-how, we plan to offer long-term, solution-oriented services based on the expertise we have cultivated over many years. These offerings are intended to help build enduring customer relationships.

Initiatives for the Final Year of the Medium-Term Management Plan

Under the medium-term management plan, the three-year period beginning in FY2023 has been positioned as a phase for business expansion and organizational transformation toward a customer (domain)-centric approach. Until now, we have provided solutions to customers separately by product line, but we must transition to a one-stop, customer-centric service model. To achieve this, it is essential to integrate the differing workflows that currently exist across business divisions.
In FY2025, the final year of our medium-term management plan, we will continue to strongly advance the standardization of core business operations. FY2025 is also referred to as the first year of AI agents, and the accelerated adoption of more advanced AI applications is expected across industries. The Shimadzu Group will also deploy AI agents within core business processes to further drive operational efficiency. To support these reforms, we will accelerate the development of DX talent, with a particular focus on cultivating intermediate- and advanced-level personnel, while fostering a culture where employees can independently engage in DX initiatives.

What to Expect from Shimadzu’s DX

As noted at the outset, the Shimadzu Group is made up of individuals who resonate with our corporate philosophy and management principle. A culture that encourages taking on challenges without fear of failure, along with a deeprooted mindset for continuous improvement̶exemplified by small-group activities that have been ongoing for over 40 years̶are firmly embedded in our organization. These elements have laid a solid foundation for driving DX. Through improvements and reforms driven by DX, we aim to continuously deliver new value to society.