Gaining competitive edge: How the right digital transformation partner can help drive business success

An earlier article explored FUJIFILM Business Innovation’s digital transformation (DX) support strategy, focusing on the fundamental infrastructure-development phase. It highlighted the importance of building a solid digital backbone – from securing an information entry point using multifunction printers to stabilising IT operations through managed services.

True digital transformation, however, does not stop there. Once data has been accumulated and systems stabilised, companies must take the next step – shifting to offensive DX.

This article takes a closer look at the implementation of more advanced, strategic solutions. Continuing the discussion with FUJIFILM Business Innovation’s corporate vice president Shiro Kikuchi and general manager of the Marketing Business Solution Division Motoru Takizawa, the article examines concrete approaches to strengthening organisational competitiveness – from rethinking business processes and transforming work styles to designing hybrid workspaces that seamlessly integrate the analogue and the digital.

Digital transformation solutions that unleash an organisation’s potential

With both hardware and software infrastructure in place, companies are ready to move into full-scale operational efficiency and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven innovation, corresponding to Phases 3 and 4 under the FUJIFILM Business Innovation’s four-phase framework.

“This is where advanced DX measures come into play – solutions such as robotic process automation, general-purpose AI and even company-specific AI,” explains Mr Takizawa.

He highlights several key solutions at this stage. “For instance, optimising the work environment for each employee, integrating physical workspaces with cloud-based systems and reengineering entire business processes are all possibilities.”

He highlights several key solutions at this stage: “For instance, optimising the work environment for each employee, integrating physical workspaces with cloud-based systems, and reengineering entire business processes are all possibilities.”

Transforming employees’ daily work

Employees undertake a wide range of tasks every day, and boosting their productivity starts with a well-structured software environment. Leading platforms such as Microsoft 365 and Cybozu’s Kintone can significantly streamline daily operations.

Another standout is DocuWorks, a document-handling application developed by FUJIFILM Business Innovation, which is gaining traction particularly in countries where paper- and fax-based workflows remain prevalent, such as Thailand and Japan. The application’s ability to digitally replicate analogue work makes it well suited for smooth digital transitions in such environments.

Promoting digital transformation without relying on IT literacy

DocuWorks facilitates a seamless shift from analogue to digital by replicating the tasks employees perform daily, removing the need for advanced IT skills.

“One of its strengths is that it allows anyone, regardless of their IT literacy, to readily adopt digital workflows,” says Mr Takizawa.

For example, stamping approval documents, jotting down virtual sticky notes and forwarding materials to other departments can all be handled through this intuitive application.

“This user-friendly experience has been well received by employees across many companies,” he adds. “Once people grow comfortable with digital workflows, it becomes much easier to automate routine tasks.”

The benefit is twofold: It lowers the barrier to digital adoption among employees and accelerates the company’s overall digital transformation.

“By streamlining the small everyday tasks employees handle, organisations can improve both the speed of work and the quality of information processing across the entire company,” says Mr Kikuchi.

Better organised documents and faster access to information also enhance cross-departmental collaboration. “Introducing software with an intuitive user interface and user experience helps raise awareness of digital transformation at every level of the organisation,” Mr Kikuchi continues. “It is one of the fastest ways to improve company-wide productivity.”

Managing all information assets with an integrated platform

Along with building a user-friendly software environment, it is equally important to create an integrated workspace and cloud ecosystem.

While collaboration tools such as Teams, SharePoint and Slack are widely used, FUJIFILM Business Innovation offers its own platform called FUJIFILM IWpro.

“FUJIFILM IWpro is designed to comprehensively manage and optimise the operation of MFPs and other hardware that we have developed over the years, as well as to manage document flows and workflows,” explains Mr Takizawa. “It is a unified platform that enables companies to efficiently manage and utilise all their information assets.”

With this platform, organisations can adopt flexible work styles, free from the constraints of location or time.

“While tools such as Teams, SharePoint and Slack are effective for streamlining communication between people, FUJIFILM IWpro optimises the interconnection and management of information within the organisation.

“For example, documents of all kinds – paper contracts, faxed orders and email attachments – can be digitised, structured and made accessible across the company. From there, they can be routed through automated workflows or used by teams to collaborate in real time,” says Mr Takizawa.

Companies using the platform have reported tangible results, such as significantly shortened approval processes and fully automated data-entry tasks. “Looking ahead, we expect to see more companies combine their well-organised internal data with AI to build proprietary AI models,” adds Mr Takizawa.

Rebuilding business processes from the ground up

While improvements to the digital work environment help boost productivity and streamline communication among teams, Mr Kikuchi points to a broader objective: fundamentally redesigning business processes themselves.

“Our strength lies in reevaluating the underlying structure of operations and rebuilding them for greater efficiency,” he explains. “Core business activities such as billing, order processing, customer support, inventory management and delivery often contain inefficiencies or structural losses. Once digital transformation is underway, these problem areas become much easier to identify.”

Although positioned as a solutions provider, FUJIFILM Business Innovation also draws on its extensive expertise in manufacturing to eliminate waste and drive process improvement.

“Our knowledge and solutions allow us to redesign workflows to be faster, leaner and more resilient – directly enhancing a company’s competitiveness,” says Mr Kikuchi.

The company also has dedicated teams equipped to manage process transformation in sectors such as finance and government, where high levels of security and compliance are critical.

“We can safely reconstruct complex processes involving the collection and management of personal data – in full compliance with local laws, audit requirements and strict regulatory standards. Each industry has its own workflow patterns, and we understand them well. That comprehensive understanding enables us to deliver tailored solutions quickly and reduce the time required to see results,” says Mr Kikuchi.

Information assets: A competitive advantage in the AI era

How should businesses respond to the rapid advancement of AI? “Companies that have their information assets digitised, well organised and stored in searchable formats will have a major advantage,” says Mr Kikuchi.

FUJIFILM IWpro Intelligent Assistant Option is an AI solution designed to work seamlessly with the FUJIFILM IWpro platform. “This system enables companies without specialised AI expertise to create their own AI models using internal data and embed them directly into their operations,” explains Mr Takizawa.

Typically, building an AI model requires skilled personnel as well as significant time and investment. This solution removes those barriers by automating data cleansing, algorithm creation and verification within a single platform, allowing businesses to easily build AI models tailored to their own processes.

“This is only possible because FUJIFILM IWpro organises and accumulates data in a structured, usable form,” notes Mr Takizawa. What makes the system particularly practical is its integration. Because the AI runs on the shared FUJIFILM IWpro platform, it can be embedded directly into existing workflows without disrupting operations.

“If companies cannot use AI easily and meaningfully in their day-to-day work, there is no point in introducing it,” emphasises Mr Takizawa.

Breaking through the limits of conventional OCR

Another notable feature of the FUJIFILM IWpro platform is enhanced data extraction through the FUJIFILM IWpro Intelligent Data Capture Option. This system significantly improves the processing of documents in different formats entering the organisation, enabling faster and more accurate conversion into structured data.*

“By accurately recognising blemishes and blurs that often trip up conventional OCR, we can dramatically reduce the time spent on manual error checking. In addition, improvements in content search and prediction accuracy make it much easier to handle tedious tasks such as setting up templates in advance,” says Mr Takizawa.

The FUJIFILM IWpro Intelligent Data Capture Option is a foundational technology for AI applications, providing high-quality structured data from which AI models can effectively learn.

Dramatically evolving workflows through AI integration

By integrating multiple AI technologies within the FUJIFILM IWpro platform, companies can elevate their business workflows to an entirely new level.

Intelligent Data Capture transforms unstructured inputs, such as paper documents and faxes, into accurate structured data. This information is then distributed throughout the organisation via the FUJIFILM IWpro system.

On top of that, the Intelligent Assistant enables the creation of company-specific AI models capable of making advanced, data-driven decisions. “By connecting data generation, organisation, distribution, and analysis within a single platform, we offer an unprecedented level of integration,” says Mr Takizawa.

The power of combining countless solutions

“What I’ve introduced here is only a small part of what we offer,” says Mr Kikuchi. FUJIFILM Business Innovation has access to hundreds of internal and external solutions, with virtually limitless combinations tailored to each company’s needs.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to harness the power of AI and expand our portfolio of solutions to further strengthen organisational capabilities,” adds Mr Kikuchi. “We are just getting started, and there is much more to come.”

FUJIFILM Business Innovation transcends the traditional roles of vendor, system integrator and manufacturer, positioning itself as a one-stop DX partner that can identify business challenges, establish operational frameworks and shape future visions.

What began with multifunction printers has evolved into a broader business scope that includes document solutions, business process outsourcing, cloud services and AI.

Today, the company serves as a comprehensive partner, empowering organisations to harness their information assets and drive meaningful business-process reform. Its longstanding expertise across the APAC region, combined with a keen understanding of rapidly shifting technology trends, continues to support its growth.

“No matter how much the business landscape changes, we will remain by our clients’ side, developing the optimal solutions for what comes next,” says Mr Kikuchi. “When our clients are ready to take the next leap, we want to be there to help chart the course.”

Find out more about what FUJIFILM Business Innovation can do for your business.

Footnotes:

*Functionality may vary according to service and region. For further information, please contact FUJIFILM Business Innovation directly.

Microsoft 365, Teams and SharePoint are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Slack is a trademark or registered trademark of Salesforce.

Cybozu Kintone is a trademark or registered trademark of Cybozu, Inc.

Content provided by FUJIFILM Business Innovation