Yodobashi Camera Co Ltd

Director Mr. Kazunori FUJISAWA

ITC always captures the whole picture of the IT system in the company, horizontally and vertically. As a consequence, ITC provide systems that fit not only our current business, but also possible future directions.

Two aspects of I.T. – I.T. as a Lifeline

IT for Yodobashi Camera has two aspects. Firstly IT is an important part of our infrastructure and a lifeline of our business. Like electricity, gas and water I.T. is essential, but, it is rarely noticed how much it is contributing to our lives until we face losing it. Such infrastructure elements need to be there all the time. It is not acceptable to wait until a need arises to start planning. Just like electricity and water, the I.T. Infrastructure must be ready to provide for our needs and wants whenever it is required. We can't survive if we have to wait for their supply. When an employee needs to create a new project, the company has to be able to supply the necessary IT services and systems to support that project wihout delay. Then we can respond to our customers quickly enough to satisfy them. I believe that just as a level of infrastructure shows the level of maturity in a society, a level of IT reflects the level of business maturity in a company.

I.T. as a Tool

Secondly, I.T. is a tool to support business growth. It is like a sword for a Samurai to some extent. A professional who does a great job uses the appropriate tools. When we are developing our skills, good tools help us to get to the next step. I'm not saying that our tools have to be the latest but the important point is to understand our tools and to keep them in good condition. It is also crucial for us to be ready to face any environmental changes and to upgrade from our old tools to new tools if necessary. This idea can be applied to I.T. We need to maintain the good condition of our I.T. services and systems; these are the tools our employees use to execute their tasks. It is also important to create and sustain an environment where there are no excuses for failure or lack of accepting challenges because of IT.

Balance is required

We have to be careful not to misunderstand “the importance of I.T.”. This doesn't mean that we have to spend a lot of money and resources on I.T. systems at random. Firstly, we have to carefully consider the life cycle of each system. “Will it be used long term or will future replacement will be required?” Secondly, we have to clearly map each system as a component of the whole I.T. infrastructure and as a part of any future planning. “Is it categorized as a fundamental system for the company or an application for a daily basis task?” Depending on the answers to those questions, the allocation of resource and cost will differ. Therefore a balanced consideration is required for successful I.T. management.

Quality produced by I.T.

ITC has a high capability to see I.T. systems vertically, (i.e. from a life-cycle, time-frame point of view) and horizontally (i.e. positioning each system in the whole picture). Therefore, the systems they have developed fit our current business and future directions. Whenever we work together, ITC does not draw a line that limits a software developer carrying out our requests. Instead, ITC always refers to the fundamental purpose of each system and the big picture and aims to achieve the best solution. That is the reason we have chosen ITC as our I.T. partner. I fully believe that there are a lack of software developers that can understand their clients' business direction and incessant changes and then prioritize their client's needs. In other words, an I.T. partner thinking by themselves and adding value to their clients' business. We expect ITC to work with us to strengthen our I.T. “lifeline” and “tools” and we also want ITC to create appropriate solutions for us by utilizing their technologies to meet our ever-changing needs.


www.yodobashi.co.jp