PKSHA Technology Enhances Productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot
PKSHA Technology, a 500-person AI solutions company based in Tokyo, Japan, is streamlining its operations and fostering innovation by integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot into its workflow. The company, known for developing algorithmic solutions to address global challenges, is seeing significant improvements in efficiency across multiple departments, including meeting preparation, data analysis, and product ideation.
PKSHA Technology’s core mission is to shape the software of the future and provide enterprise companies in Japan with the tools they need to optimize their businesses. Their AI-driven solutions are already making an impact in various industries – from improving retail shopping experiences and reducing waste to detecting credit card fraud in the financial sector and accelerating disease diagnosis in healthcare.
Driving Efficiency with Copilot
PKSHA’s implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot is a key part of their vision for the future. The company believes in a human-AI collaborative approach, empowering employees to focus their time on the most impactful aspects of their work. Copilot aids PKSHA in:
- Accelerating product release cycles
- Optimizing sales presentations and proposals
- Streamlining customer management
To evaluate the efficacy of new AI tools, PKSHA established the “Future Work Black Belt Team.” This team tests new technologies, including Copilot for Microsoft 365, to improve internal company efficiency. According to Mr. Kensuke Yamamoto, Executive Officer & Head of Development, “Copilot is a tool that supports our main mission of defining and shaping the software of the future… [It’s] part of our own future way of working so we can lead our customers to the right future workplace.”
Ms. Yui Takeuchi, from customer success, has observed that “How AI and Copilot make everyone’s job more advanced and easier to handle … [is] changing the way people feel about their work. Thanks to AI, work is becoming more powerful.” Her team proactively shares Copilot-generated notes after meetings, showcasing the tool’s value to clients.
Overcoming Information Access Challenges
With rapid growth, PKSHA faced challenges ensuring all employees had easy access to crucial information. Copilot has addressed this issue by simplifying the search process in both text and video files.
Mr. Hiroshi Kato, a Software Engineer, noted that Copilot helps him finish documentation research in minutes, freeing him to focus on more critical tasks. He states, “By using Copilot, it saves me several hours a week from routine work activities. With this extra time, I’m able to focus on developing features that improve the quality and enhance the security of our products.”
Ms. Takeuchi has also experienced significant benefits. She can now focus more on client interaction and less on paperwork. Previously, hours were devoted to preparing information, transcribing notes, and documenting follow-up actions. Now, she quickly assembles materials, organizes to-dos, and shares action items after meetings, reducing her workload. “Copilot has changed the way we work, both in terms of time and quality. The time it takes us to prepare for meetings has been reduced, giving me more time to brainstorm using Copilot and get advice, which is extremely helpful. My customer service is more customized and tailored to each customer,” she explained.
Enhanced Sales and Product Development
Copilot provides valuable assistance to both sales and product development teams. The tool identifies potential trends in customer needs, which helps the team to deliver optimal products. For sales, Copilot improves sales presentations and proposal creation. In product development, the team uses Copilot in Microsoft Teams to efficiently consolidate customer product needs and possible improvements, ensuring consistent knowledge across the team and, in turn, faster product delivery.
Mr. Kato summarizes, “With Copilot, I feel that I am now more creative than I was before. We generate new ideas quickly. As a result, we focus on the new features we should develop for our customers.”
Furthermore, Copilot has transformed the analysis of customer data. The customer success teams use Copilot in Excel to analyze extensive amounts of customer data, discovering valuable insights. Ms. Takeuchi observes, “When I was analyzing the information, I would spend three or four hours looking at the data and making graphs. With Copilot, it takes less than an hour to do that same work. ” The processed information helps the team provide more insightful recommendations.
Improved Meetings and Responsiveness
Copilot has also improved meeting management. Mr. Yamamoto, who oversees numerous teams, can use meeting summaries generated by Copilot to quickly stay informed about discussions, conclusions, and identify areas where he may need to offer guidance.
Mr. Yamamoto says, “I need to manage a significant number of teams with many people in each. It’s impossible for me to attend every meeting. With Copilot, by having the summary of each team’s meeting in video, I am right away able to keep up with the topics, stay updated with the details of the discussions and conclusions from each meeting.”
With the company-wide Copilot implementation, PKSHA Technology is demonstrating its commitment to efficiency, product enhancement, and innovation, setting an example for other Japanese companies also seeking to embrace the future of work.
Mr. Yamamoto concludes, “Across every department, everyone is getting the benefits of using Copilot. We believe we will be able to show our customers more examples of how Copilot and AI solutions will help their companies and what the future of work can look like today.”
