Prior to the introduction of COMPANY, JACCS did not have a system to manage fixed assets in an integrated manner, and all asset depreciation calculations for monthly closing were done manually using spreadsheet software.

Against this backdrop, JACCS launched a major policy of streamlining its back-office operations as part of its mid-term plan. One of these was the "Accounting Operations Shared Service Center Concept," launched in October 2005. In addition to streamlining accounting operations, the previously disparate management of fixed and lease assets was reviewed, and a new asset management system was introduced.

The company does not have a divisional system, but our offices were divided by region (Hokkaido area and Tohoku area), creating a pseudo-divisional system. Each had its own accounting team, and the person in charge of fixed asset management was responsible for each area. says Mr. Takashina, Expert Master of the Accounting Department.

Then, the selection of an asset management system began. Initially,
(1) Build a system from scratch.
(2) Use a package that had already been completed.
(The selection process proceeded from both sides of the equation.

Each had its advantages and disadvantages. A system that is built from the ground up to suit our business is certainly easy to use, but when we look five or ten years down the road, it is very difficult to maintain it in accordance with changes in the world and in our company. On the other hand, introducing packaged software that is stiffly made is like changing your body shape to fit the clothes you have purchased. It was obvious that it would be impossible. The COMPANY package concept solved both problems and was very attractive. Mr. Takashina recalls.

As a result of the selection process, COMPANY Assets Management was adopted.

The decisive factor was the concept of permanent, free-of-charge version upgrades. With COMPANY, we can enjoy these features as free version upgrades without having to deal with them individually.

The introduction of COMPANY Assets Management has dramatically improved the efficiency of asset management operations.

We were able to cut the man-hours spent on fixed asset management by more than half," said Mr. Muniyasu of the Accounting Department, who was involved in the implementation of the software.

With the conventional method of using spreadsheet software, the work is done on an individual basis, and the results obtained depend greatly on the skill of the person involved. But with the introduction of COMPANY, we were able to standardize a lot of processes."

In addition, the fact that we were able to establish rules for asset management operations to some extent was also a major achievement. Going forward, with issues such as internal controls, it would be very risky to do things manually."

With the introduction of COMPANY Assets Management, JACCS achieved its first objective of dramatically reducing its workforce by standardizing administrative tasks and consolidating them in a shared center.

Takashina explains, "We started with the management of tangible fixed assets. Next, we intend to expand the areas managed by COMPANY to lease assets, intangible fixed assets, and software management. In the future, we hope to be able to manage the 2,000 to 3,000 types of pre-issued credit card inventory. He also expressed his expectations for COMPANY in the future.

This article was written in August 2006.