J:COM provides local customers with various services such as cable TV, the Internet, mobile / landlines, electricity, gas, home IoT, and small-amount short-term insurance.
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Ms. Mai Kamewari, Assistant Manager, Business Innovation division, JCOM Co., Ltd.
- Tell us more about J:COM’s services.
J:COM provides locals with various services such as Cable TV, internet, mobile phone/telephone, electricity, gas, home IoT, and small-amount short-term insurance.
- Share with us the objective behind introducing SWAT (ride-sharing service).
J:COM launched a business creation program as part of its internal innovation plan in 2018. We applied for the idea of providing ride-sharing services for locals, and it was selected. During the feasibility study, we learned that there are many barriers in terms of transportation regulations. Thus, we decided to implement ride-sharing services for our internal sales staff first, and accumulate the know-how to provide such services for locals in the future.
- Why did you choose to work with SWAT?
When J:COM was looking for a vendor, there were only a few domestic companies providing ride-sharing systems with routing algorithms. J:COM decided to work with SWAT because it has already implemented ride-sharing services for commuters in several countries such as Singapore. In addition, J:COM prefers the smartphone apps that SWAT provides compared to the web apps usually offered by domestic companies.
Furthermore, SWAT provided a simulation of the service by changing parameters such as the size of the area, and the number of users and vehicles. SWAT also proposed an ideal service with an optimum number of vehicles, waiting time and other service levels. J:COM felt that SWAT is a reliable company for the service through the simulation and proposal.
- How is J:COM using SWAT’s application?
Our salespersons are using SWAT’s ride-sharing app when visiting our customers. Before a ride, our salespersons will enter their pick up/drop off locations and indicate the preferred arrival time in the app. After booking a ride, the designated vehicles will arrive within 10 minutes and take them to their destination. Once our salespersons complete their appointments, they make a booking in the app again. The SWAT app takes care of the sales team’s transportation for the day.
- What are the benefits of using the SWAT app?
Previously, each of our salespeople drove individual vehicles. After implementing the SWAT app, we were able to reduce the number of vehicles through ride-sharing.
In addition, our salespersons save time as they no longer need to search for a parking space and walk from the parking lot to the destination. In some offices, the monthly overtime hours were reduced by an average of 10 hours because the sales team is now able to work while travelling. Some of our salespersons have seen a 20% increase in the number of contracts fulfilled as they can visit more customers using SWAT’s service.
- How are you educating the salespersons to use the SWAT app?
Majority of our salespersons are in their 20s and 30s, therefore they are quite tech-savvy and easily got accustomed to using the SWAT app after just a week of training.
Today, we are further expanding the scope of use of SWAT’s application. For instance, we use the app when commuting from the nearest station to our offices. We also use the app to deliver packages among our various office locations.
- What do you want to achieve by using SWAT in the future?
In 2-3 years, J:COM plans to expand the ride-sharing service with SWAT Mobility to all 66 of J:COM’s offices and reduce the number of vehicles used for sales by half from the current 4,500 vehicles. We believe that this will enable us to reduce CO2 emission, which is part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that we are working on.
In addition, we are considering a ride-sharing service for local customers. We aim to provide several transportation services for the locals such as the elderly and other groups of people with mobility challenges. We hope to go beyond providing ride-sharing services internally for our salespersons, and support making lives more comfortable for the people in the community.
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