Noevir Holdings implemented LINE WORKS to create more connectivity among all sales representatives, customers, and distributors. In terms of dynamic communications and minimizing unnecessary tasks, employees can utilize the chat-based solution and send files such as photos and documents to each other. We interviewed Ms. Takigawa, Ms. Munezane, and Mr. Murakami from the Information System Department about specific use cases and future applications of LINE WORKS.

Please tell us about your business, roles, and responsibilities

Ms. Takigawa :

Noevir Group encompasses cosmetics, health food, and OTC pharmaceuticals businesses. Group companies include Noevir Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Noevir”) that manufactures and sells cosmetics and OTC pharmaceuticals, TOKIWA Pharmaceutical Corporation, and TOKIWA Medical Service in which operates a placement medicine sale, a unique pharmaceuticals sales system in Japan. As an Information System Department Director, I oversee all affiliated companies’ information systems.

 

Ms. Munezane :

My responsibilities as the manager of the Information System Department include management of all affiliated companies’ ID, server, and network. Also, I take charge of the selection and operation of systems and applications.

 

Mr. Murakami :

I work with my manager, Ms. Munezane, on server operation, and network management. I am also responsible for implementing various services, including LINE WORKS and its operational practices.

What were the challenges you had before introducing LINE WORKS?

Why did you choose LINE WORKS? Also, could you explain the implementation process?

Ms. Takigawa :

First, it began with a request from the salesperson of TOKIWA Medical Service. The salesperson asked the permission to make use of LINE to contact nationwide placement medicine sales customers. Hence, we adopted LINE WORKS for its chat interface that could safeguard our sensitive corporate data. Since LINE WORKS is easily accessible on PC, we can send long announcements from the head office at once too. Accordingly, TOKIWA Pharmaceuticals’ and Noevir sales employees began using LINE WORKS to contact distributors. Nowadays, more than 1000 people from the Sales, Information System and Management Department of the three aforementioned companies utilize LINE WORKS.

 

I think the advanced security and familiar user interface similar to LINE are the most appealing aspects of LINE WORKS. Indeed, getting rid of the need to train many midway sales team joiners is a great advantage. Moreover, we expected that even the partnered distributors with high age range could benefit from LINE WORKS’ external messenger connection feature. In fact, we believed that the distributors could experience improved communication with our sales representatives since they know how to utilize LINE already.

Ms. Munezane :

Initially, we used to write and distribute manuals or hold a briefing session when introducing a new tool – LINE WORKS never needed them. Even after the implementation, only a few employees had inquiries about usage. LINE WORKS is the first tool to integrate into our company system so seamlessly.

What were the security measures after implementing LINE WORKS?

What are the implementation effects of LINE WORKS? Tell us about the specific use cases

Ms. Takigawa :

Group chat feature became the inseparable communication tool to Noevir sales representatives. Initially, the function could not be interconnected with LINE, but over time it became available with updates. We are thankful for how it allows a number of our employees to exchange information at any time; this is crucial as sales representatives must interact with various distributors and groups, such as specific event participants. Previously, sales staff had to call or send e-mails to each distributor individually; only after connecting with LINE did LINE WORKS become the primary communication tool to sales representatives. Now sales employees can create group chats based on different purposes and invite the right people without any limitations. Furthermore, they can conveniently handle tasks with flexibility by sending information at once in the group chats.

 

Mr. Murakami :

Sales employees can send Excel, Word, and PDF files with LINE WORKS. Now sending various business data is easily accessible.

 

Ms. Takigawa :

In addition to cosmetics, Noevir runs apparel and underwear businesses. Therefore, we use LINE WORKS to inform new products to distributors and retailers by sending sample images or explanation videos made by sales representatives in group chats.

 

Ms. Munezane :

In the past, the Information Systems Department used to deliver system failure or update notices to all group companies via e-mail. After implementing LINE WORKS, we post such information on home boards. Most of the employees check home postings faster than e-mails; hence, we make announcements that need to be delivered swiftly and surely on home boards.

Ms. Takigawa :

Initially, LINE WORKS was selected primarily as a means for the sales force to communicate closely with customers and distributors. However, now it functions as a convenient platform that bridges communication among all affiliated companies even more so than the existing groupware.

How do you manage a good number of LINE WORKS accounts?

Mr. Murakami

The Information System Department needs to manage all accounts of affiliated companies. We use the LINE WORKS API and ETL tool’s DataSpider※ to acquire HR info in the form of CSV data automatically. The system deletes the LINE WORKS accounts of retirees and members on leave by itself; it also sends issued accounts to new employees through e-mail. As there is no need to manage each account manually, it helps to streamline work procedures effectively.

How do you wish to use LINE WORKS in the future?

Tell us about your company and individual roles

Mr. Sato :

Our company mainly designs, manufactures. And sells nail guns and various types of equipment for manufacturing companies. For the nail guns, we are occupying more than 90% of overall domestic demand. With more than 40 years of experience, we have been supplying factory facilities for manufacturing companies.

 

Mr. Ebi :

I am in charge of planning and supporting sales activities of each department, and making promotion tools. Moreover, I am responsible for managing company infrastructure, website, as well as filming product videos.

 

Mr. Haneuda :

I am mainly in charge of designing, producing, and installing the factory facilities.

What was the decisive reason that drove you to turn to LINE WORKS?

Mr. Sato :

Even with trivial troubles and issues occurred at the site, it may be regarded as major and important for the company, and eventually become important ‘issue to be solved’. I think that the value of the company is determined by how quickly does the company identify the issue and cope with it accordingly. For this reason, we are countlessly encouraging the site staffs to ‘correct the issues as soon as possible’, and ‘those who are at the site should collect the issue and report to the office’.

 

In order to do so, we are providing cellphones to every employee. Also, we have been thinking that information sharing and collaboration tool as the most important factor for flawless and fast communication.

Before LINE WORKS integration, we used to have phone call, email, cell phone, and SMS as company communication tools. With the help of cell phones, it was easy and comfortable to report and contact the office. At the same time, however, the problem with the cell phone communication was that we sometimes forget the contents shared (if not written somewhere) or have to contact each individual. To solve this issue, we once established a rule to write email when submitting reports. As a side effect to this, there was ‘an era in which everyone extraordinarily use emails’. By encouraging the entire employees to submit their report by email, and seniors give instructions through emails, I even had an experience of receiving and replying more than 100 emails a day.

There was an incident in which an employee mistakenly sent an email to somebody outside the company. Because the content of the email itself was classified low in confidentiality, it did not lead to a big problem. But, this has become a turning point for us to reconsider about our way of collaboration. While searching on the internet, we accidentally encountered LINE WORKS and find it suitable for our use. We first introduced the tool to the five employees, representative from each department, as a trial.

Mr. Ebi :

What were the issues before the introduction of LINE WORKS?

Mr. Ebi :

One of the obstacles for collaborative work was that we could not share information fluently under the environment in which computers cannot be used. For example, when employees are out for either long-term business trips or construction sites, we could not find out if the collaborators checked the email or the information in properly shared until receiving the response from them. For this reason, there were delays in response as well as a number of employees were involved to solve the issue. This was so inefficient in every aspect.

 

Mr. Haneuda :

Before LINE WORKS integration, we used to contact each other through phone calls or emails. Using email as a communication tool was burdening and ineffective since we could use it only after successfully setting the network. I think this was one of the reasons causing delays in the response.

Why did you choose LINE WORKS?

Mr. Sato :

LINE WORKS provides every feature that we need for the collaboration and nothing was unnecessary. Especially, in the perspective of manipulability, we found that the integration happens so instinctively since LINE WORKS operating method was twin to that of LINE. ‘Read’ notification was also the core reason for the LINE WORKS integration. We have also compared LINE WORKS with the other competitive tools in the past. However, we found more advantages on LINE WORKS by actually operating the tool, and our employees were favorable to LINE WORKS, even during their trial period.

It is true that there are many free chatting tools. For the free tools, however, we were feeling unsure about the services available for the users. For example, we were specifically unsure about whether we could get supports when the issues occur during operation or not. Also, we were not even sure when this service will be terminated. When compared with free chatting tools available, we could ensure about the customer services provided by LINE WORKS, since we pay reasonable price. Such secureness has led us to introduce LINE WORKS to our company.

How exactly LINE WORKS is being used?

Mr. Haneuda :

We have created the chat rooms for each construction plan or project, and encouraged the employees to both share information and report the issue there. We are mainly utilizing LINE WORKS when reporting the construction status while working outside the office, or consulting the troubles occurred.

 

We do collaboratively work with other franchisee offices located in Saitama, Nagoya, and Doyama. Even with the physical distance, LINE WORKS enables us to instantly share the current status of the situation by sending photos or videos on the chatting room. With LINE WORKS, we can also download the structural drawings and continue our work smoothly in real time. Unlike computer, using smartphone version of LINE WORKS allows us to check the message straightaway. Further, we can notify and share information with a number of employees at once just by sending messages on the group chatting room, and we found that pretty efficient.

What are the effects after the introduction of LINE WORKS?

Mr. Sato :

After discouraging email communication between employees, we established a complete digital communication ecosystem by integrating LINE WORKS. As a result, the emailing rate has decreased dramatically. Instead, we found out that the rate of the productive and useful communication has increased. With this, the overall mood of the office has changed positively and actively. For example, if one of our employees send message saying that the order was successfully made, the others in the chatting room congrats the person by sending the messages like ‘Congratulations!’. I feel the great joy when feeling that we are all collaborating and sharing feelings.

We have also created the chatting room for newly entered employees. New employees are now instructed to write and upload their training report on LINE WORKS messenger. This way, it becomes much easier for the new employees to submit their report, as well as receive as many comments as possible from their colleagues, including the boss, who joined the chatting room. Receiving comments from the seniors would definitely help new employees to develop their career even better.

※ All details, affiliations, and positions specified were gathered at the time of interview.

Tell us about your company and individual roles

Mr. Yanagisawa :

The business that our company operates is the public information industry that carries out printed materials or Web-based planning, production, logistics, and promotion according to the customer’s request. We have total of 280 employees currently working together. About half of whom are front-line employees, including sales and planning, have about 20 employees from general affairs, about 20 employees from manufacturing management, and about 100 factory operators.Myself as a representative director of Tokyo headquarters, I am responsible for maintenance of company equipment, and for the review and make decision of the newly introduced system.

Ms. Dokoi :

I am a member of planning department, and in charge of planning to make the customer request in a visible form. Along with this, making correspondence to the phone calls while salesperson is out of office is another important task of our department staffs.

How did you share information before LINE WORKS integration?

Mr. Yanagisawa :

Previously, all of our employees were working under 2G phone-oriented circumstance. That is, the company provided devices so called ‘2G phone’ to the all the staffs at the sales department, to some staffs from manufacturing department, and asked them to share information. Other than that, we have been basically using PC for general office communication.

In terms of system environment, we have a groupware which has been using to share office board or data. For office communication, we are using groupware email. Specifically, we make an extra mail server for independent domain only for our company, and use it when communicating with our clients.

We are still using fax when working. There are times when our clients send document through FAX. Also, FAX once was the main communication between manufacturing and sales department. Because fax-oriented communication leaves record, our old way of communication became a habit.

What were the issues under such working environment?

Mr. Yanagisawa :

Our old groupware could only be used under restricted network condition. Also, we could only operate the groupware with Windows. For this reason, our designers, who are most likely to use Mac, could not use the groupware. Another restriction we faced was that because we could not check both groupware mails and computer mails when using 2G phone or smartphones, it was inevitable to use extra cell phone-operated mail in order to contact the salesperson who is out of office.

Since last year, the company started to rent our tablets to the salesperson. This has enabled them to check the groupware and computer emails even outside the office. But, there are still a lot of critical issues remained such as running slowdowns since tablet was not perfectly fit tool to both groupware and PC email check-up. In order to improve efficiency, we wanted to integrate the four types of communication tool: groupware, computer mail, cell phone mail, and fax.

Even in the perspective of corporate culture, there was also a decentralization of information. This may be the idea of a printing company, but printing industry have the notion that “printing=proof”. When an announcement was received from our general affairs department, we printed out the notice and share with all the other employees. This means that there was always a notice board passing around. We often printed out the emails received, and directly write reply and send it through fax. Under such circumstance, we were always thinking about the solution to such issues.

When thinking about way of working, we wanted to integrate the tool to solve the problems which this industry has; a culture of night working. Email communication takes longer time for writing, and eventually let all the collaborators to call each other to find out whether the email is successfully delivered and checked by the targeted recipient. If the phone call is successfully connected, we feel that the working goes smoothly. If not connected, however, the caller have to wait for the communication opponent to call back, while leaving the work unfinished. This was so much waste of time. To solve this, One of the tasks was to reduce the time wasted by allowing people to work in extra hours, such as traveling time, and to create an environment where they could focus on the tasks at their hand.

What was the decisive reason that drove you to turn to LINE WORKS?

Mr. Yanagisawa :

Because our company has a business of making homepages and videos, people who are not familiar with IT cannot work together. Even when dealing with our clients, we had this worrisome about the possibility of whether we can ‘give suggestion that impress the clients’ or not, without using the most advanced and the latest tool. We further thought we should introduce state-of-the-art systems even to reform the old system and consciousness.

What we considered the most when integrating a new tool was the ‘possibility of a successful settlement’. We have been introducing various services to develop our working environment. However, many of those services were not as much as used than we first expected. So, this time, what we considered the most was that whether the tool is up-to-date, easily operated and used system, and ultimately, can this tool ‘successfully settle down’ to our office communication culture. A few departments were communicating with the free chatting tool. But, not utilizing the enterprise version of the chatting tool sound unstable and dangerous in terms of security. By adopting LINE-like, and therefore friendly LINE WORKS to our office, we determined that we could ‘eradicate the risk of Shadow IT’.

Also, LINE WORKS provides essential collaboration features such as Home board, Calendar, and Cloud. With all this, we thought that once LINE WORKS is introduced, we could realize the ‘Renewal of our groupware’, and share the large-sized data, which needed for printing works, with no extra effort.

Like this, it was LINE WORKS, a complete collaboration ecosystem, which offers all the necessary features.

What are the effects after LINE WORKS introduction regarding the way of working or office communication?

Mr. Yanagisawa :

Our company considers information sharing with our bosses very important. Staffs from management department are fully responsible for this process. If we share information through phone calls, it is impossible for us to keep track of issues in real-time, and have to wait for someone from the management department for the report. In this sense, LINE WORKS chatting is very convenient. Taking LINE WORKS integration as an opportunity, we changed our office communication from office phone to smartphone.

All the employees including the salesperson who are working outside the company for the most of time, can now easily join the chatting rooms collaborate together with the office staffs. Boss can also create a new group and communicate with multiple employees at the same time, meaning that LINE WORKS enables real-time collaboration. Of course, information sharing has overwhelmingly improved.

I often mention to my colleagues that face-to-face meeting is only required for ‘consulting’. On the other hand, occasions like ‘reporting’ or ‘contacting’, do not necessarily require face-to-face meeting. Just by minimizing the time for the face-to-face meeting, for those staffs who work at the Tokyo office can now be able to deal with most of their works. By putting extra efforts company-wide, such as implementing LINE WORKS, reducing the frequency of face-to-face meeting, and not using the paper notes when meeting, the company could cut employees night shift time by 30 to 40 hours monthly.

LINE WORKS is much convenient than fax when quickly checking the printouts. What we do with the LINE WORKS is to simply take photos of the part that we marked in red, and send those photos. Unlike fax, which only provides the document in black color, it becomes much more convenient to understand the color documents. We further do not have to worry about missing or broken words. Most of the outside office workers are also feeling comfortableness to this.

Ms. Dokoi:

I am utilizing PC version of LINE WORKS as I am spending most of my working hours in office. PC version of LINE WORKS is also well-made and therefore, easy to use. Before LINE WORKS integration, we had to wait for the salesperson in order to check either customer inquiries received or the art works we delivered. Instead of waiting the salesperson to come back to office, we can ask them questions directly using LINE WORKS.

And, we found it very convenient. With the Message feature along with ‘Read’ notification, both enable us to immediately communicate about the issues with the salesperson. This way, we do not have to wait for the salesperson who is returning late to the office.

So far, when we receive phone call from our clients about finding the salesperson, we had to use phone-operated mails to send the message like ‘Please call OO’ to the salesperson. And, this process was cumbersome to everybody with no doubt. Since phone-operated mails could not be checked whether the targeted receiver actually received the mail, we eventually had to call back the person to double check whether they read the mail or not. However, there were times when the salesperson could not answer the phone calls and vice versa. Since LINE WORKS provides the ‘Read’ notification, we can assure that the message is successfully delivered to the salesperson. That is, LINE WORKS definitely offers the great working environment, in which we all can concentrate to our own works.

With LINE WORKS, we can deliver the message to a large number of employees regardless of positions and departments they belong. Specifically, when the problem occurs, we can send essential information through LINE WORKS to all the employees, who are related to the problem, from all different departments including sales and trading. Before LINE WORKS introduction, we had to contact each individual from different department to either check or report the problem. With LINE WORKS group chatting feature, we can collaboratively share and solve the issue together with the people related.

Unlike phone calls, the chatting leaves a conversation history, which is very convenient for further process. Because someone in the chat room replies to the issues at least, the overall correspondence time has reduced dramatically, and this also helps us improve our service.

Mr. Yanagisawa :

We can say that LINE WORKS is more compulsory with the ‘Read’ notification than any other collaboration tool. There is growing moods and perception that more and more people think that received messages should not be remain unread. Of course, sending replies to the messages are getting easier day by day, and this definitely helps us response time and rate to the messages as well as the issues.

Ms. Dokoi :

Unlike ‘Reference’ feature in the email, we all feel like we are key members to the issue.

How do you want to utilize LINE WORKS in the future?

Mr. Yanagisawa :

We are expecting LINE WORKS to be well utilized when sending notices, which General Affairs Department staffs send to each department, although we are not fully utilizing Home feature.

We would like to open categories for each department on Home feature. Currently, we are leaving various information from each departments on either LINE WORKS chatting room or note. We are thinking about leaving those information on the Home Board as well. For those information which we want to publish for longer period of time, we think Home feature is much suitable to upload. This way, there will be no worry for the information to be accidentally ignored by others.

We just started a new LINE WORKS chatting room on printing process control, and we are eager to utilize further at the construction site.

※ All details, affiliations, and positions specified were gathered at the time of interview.