Supporting the introduction and utilization of Google Workspace for group companies

StreetSmart (hereinafter referred to as "our company") has the mission of "connecting people with technology" and promotes the introduction and use of cloud tools for companies. This time, we interviewed Kubota Corporation, which has been supporting the use of Google Workspace since 2017, and asked them about the changes and effects that have been achieved as a result of our support.

Introduction to Kubota Corporation

In the areas of food, water, and the environment, which are essential to life, the company operates a wide range of businesses, including agricultural solutions that support people's food, water environment solutions that deliver and regenerate safe water, and environmental solutions that support comfortable lifestyles and industry.The company is committed to resolving global social issues by listening carefully to the voices of those on the ground and placing importance on a hands-on approach that gives shape to the true needs of its customers.

We have been supporting Kubota Corporation's Agricultural Machinery Domestic Sales Headquarters in promoting the use of Google Workspace since 2017, and since 2019 we have also begun supporting the introduction and promotion of use at Kubota Group agricultural machinery dealers.

This time, we spoke with Mr. Todoroki of the Agricultural Machinery Domestic Sales Headquarters, who is in charge of promoting the use of Google Workspace among agricultural machinery dealers.

Implementation alone does not lead to increased utilization. Consulting was used to promote the rapid use of Google Workspace.

Please tell us how the decision was made to introduce Google Workspace to Kubota Group's agricultural machinery dealers.

Before Kubota headquarters introduced Google Workspace, domestic and overseas affiliates had different communication tools. To streamline operations, we introduced Google Workspace in 2013 to standardize our communication tools, starting with the use of Gmail. Around 2017, when the Agricultural Machinery Domestic Sales Headquarters began using StreetSmart's consulting services to make greater use of Google services, we began to use not only Gmail but also Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets, which are suitable for sharing documents, which led to increased work efficiency.

Google Workspace has now been introduced to 13 agricultural machinery dealers nationwide because there is a close relationship between the Agricultural Machinery Domestic Sales Headquarters and each of the agricultural machinery dealers, and it was believed that improving communication efficiency would directly lead to improved productivity.

It seems that there were challenges unique to a large company with many affiliated companies. Why did you choose our company's support for implementing Google Workspace at your agricultural machinery dealerships?

After introducing Google Workspace at Kubota headquarters, the use of apps other than Gmail was slow to take off. After much trial and error, we decided to use StreetSmart's consulting services to solve the problem with professional expertise, which led to increased use. From that experience, we had a gut feeling that simply introducing the tool would limit the functions used, making it difficult to fully realize the benefits of introducing Google Workspace.

The decision to introduce the system to agricultural machinery dealers was made at the request of Kubota Headquarters (Agricultural Machinery Domestic Sales Headquarters), and it was anticipated that the system might not be used without support to promote its use. Therefore, the Agricultural Machinery Domestic Sales Headquarters requested Street Smart to continue providing consulting services.

We provide training tailored to the staff's work, aiming for a bottom-up approach.

What challenges did you face when implementing the system?

As of 2019, agricultural machinery dealers still had analog operations that were difficult to change.

Of course, email and digital tools are also used, but the main communication tool is the telephone, and fax is used for ordering. Faxes are also used for notifications from agricultural machinery dealers to each sales office. The agricultural machinery industry has a deeply rooted culture of telephone, fax, and handwriting, and the challenge was that this culture needed to be changed.

Given this situation, deploying new digital tools required a lot of effort.

There were still a lot of analog aspects to your work. What measures did you take when introducing the system?

With the support of StreetSmart, we held information sessions and training sessions for agricultural machinery dealers. There, we carefully explained the important points to note when switching over, and then we gradually implemented the switchover.

Even after the system was introduced, we conducted 30 to 40 training sessions to help employees utilize the system.

There are approximately 7,000 Google Workspace accounts for agricultural machinery dealers, and a total of approximately 1,200 people participated in the briefings and training sessions, with approximately 500 unique participants.

Many people participated in the training session.

Even if we vaguely tell the system administrators at agricultural machinery dealerships to "use Google Sheets instead of Excel" or "use Google Forms instead of fax" and have them instruct their staff, the reality is that they won't use the tools to perform tasks that could previously be done with existing tools just because they have convenient features.

It takes a considerable amount of energy for key personnel at each agricultural machinery dealer to explain how to use the system to their staff, and these personnel are also busy with various tasks and have little time to devote to promoting the use of Google Workspace.

While a top-down approach is effective for an organization, in promoting the use of Google Workspace, we focused on direct outreach by holding information sessions tailored to the work of field staff, so that they would quickly realize that "convenient functions can be used in work." I think they were able to think about it in terms of their own work, such as "I can use Google Sheets for this calculation task," or "The task of distributing and calculating data to each branch by fax can now be done with Google Forms."

In addition, the sales staff and machine repair service staff at agricultural machinery dealerships do not all have their own computers, and in some cases they use sales support software on their smartphones, so we also focused on explaining how to make Google Workspace apps easier to use on smartphones.

In an environment where work was being done based on values ​​such as "Is an email address really necessary?" and "Digital doesn't fit in with customer service," we decided to allow sales staff to record and report their sales activities on their familiar smartphones rather than having them learn how to use computers from scratch.

Incorporating an "IT Skills Check" to maintain a high level of awareness of Google Workspace usage

Are there any other forms of support from our company that you feel have been effective?

We were provided with a variety of content, including customized Google Workspace manuals, skill maps, and IT skill checks. The "IT skill checks" are used at a variety of times, such as to assess retention after training, to check the skill attainment of new employees, and to check the skills of new tasks when transferred, and are used to fill in each employee's weaknesses.

When introducing any system, not just Google Workspace, there is a lot of training and excitement for a while, but after a few years, once the person leading the initiative is gone, employees' enthusiasm and interest can quickly wane. To prevent this from happening, we asked them to prepare an IT skills check to ensure that they continue to maintain a high level of awareness of Google Workspace.

Three benefits gained from implementing Google Workspace at Kubota Group agricultural machinery dealers

What do you think are the benefits of introducing Google Workspace to your agricultural machinery dealerships?

First of all, the increased use of Gmail and the availability of Google Meet. Without Google Meet, I don't think we would have been able to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video conferencing has eliminated the constraints of distance and time.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Kubota Group had a culture of business trips and face-to-face meetings as the norm, and the number of business trips was extremely high, so this is a truly practical effect.

Internal meetings at each agricultural machinery dealer were also held at their respective headquarters. When a meeting was held, managers from each branch would gather at the headquarters, take printed materials home, and then copy and distribute them at their respective branches.

After experiencing the efficiency of video conferencing, Google Meet began to be used for training sessions and small group discussions.

Google Meet also led me to use other apps.

When employees at Kubota headquarters share their screens during video conferences to show Google Spreadsheets, save data in Google Drive, and use the comment function, staff at agricultural machinery dealerships are able to see firsthand how convenient the features are, and we've heard from some that this has prompted them to start using the service.

People are not trying to replace Excel and other programs that have been used for many years and have complex functions built in, but I feel that some people are starting to use Google Workspace apps, which allow for collaborative editing and history management, when creating new spreadsheets or documents.

Second, although we are still in the early stages, one benefit is a reduction in the burden of server management. Managing in-house servers is a significant burden for company system administrators, so as the transition to Google Drive progresses, this burden will be reduced. Kubota headquarters switched entirely to Google Drive in January 2022, and several agricultural machinery dealers have already completed the switch.

The third benefit is that our corporate value has improved from the perspective of recruitment.

When you think about how young people perceive analog culture, they may find it warm and interesting, but at the same time, they may also say it's unattractive. By creating a work environment where digital tools are used as a matter of course, in addition to improving productivity and efficiency, I believe we can also contribute to improving the company's image among job seekers.

Working together to promote utilization will definitely raise the level of skills

What do you think is good about our support?

They are very responsive to your needs.

After seeing how Google Workspace was being used at Kubota, he suggested, "Let's start with this."

Even when I could only see the shortcomings of the group, they objectively pointed out the areas where we had improved and supported me. If I had worked alone, I might have become discouraged because the results would not have been immediately apparent.

I believe that the reason we were able to try different methods and products to improve the situation, from introduction to utilization, was because of the regular exchanges of opinions, suggestions, and kind responses to our inquiries from Street Smart.

Please tell us about your future plans.

I want the staff of the Kubota Group to feel glad that they work for the Kubota Group. As a company with stable management that has been in business for over 130 years, we are able to invest in the working environment.

Google Workspace is a tool that increases productivity, so I think it would be a waste not to take advantage of it once it's introduced. I want to further solidify the habit of using the features that I find useful.

What we hope for the staff at agricultural machinery dealerships is that the introduction of Google Workspace will inspire them to improve their own work.

It's easier to just do things the way we've always done them, but thinking a step further ahead and putting in a little effort to create a new foundation is key. Being willing to come up with such new ideas will lead to essential efficiency improvements.

At both the head office and group companies, we want to incorporate the good things and improve productivity without losing sight of the original purpose of communication.