DX Initiatives
Today, the business environment is changing rapidly, and the IT environment surrounding the world is seeing accelerated improvement in the quality and speed of decision making as the use of data continues to advance. In addition, it is essential to improve business efficiency in response to a possible future decrease in the working population, and moves to strengthen IT infrastructure and improve business processes have already begun.
In the pharmaceutical industry in particular, the shift to DX is progressing rapidly. Data-driven management using big data and process streamlining using AI technology are streamlining operations in the value chain from drug discovery, development, production, distribution, and sales.
As a life-related company, we will continuously produce pharmaceuticals and products and will contribute to society by accelerating management decision-making through the promotion of DX. In the future, we, as the ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group, will concentrate on our core business to aim to achieve sustainable growth by further improving operational efficiency through DX in all processes, including drug discovery, development, production, and sales.
The following measures will be strengthened for DXing
- Training of DX promotion staff:
Train personnel with the expertise to promote DX and support each department in smoothly transitioning to DX.
- Improvement of IT literacy/IT skills:
Conduct training and development to improve IT literacy and IT skills of all employees, and spread DX initiatives throughout the company.
- Enhanced Security:
To address the growing cyber security risks associated with the use of digital technology, we will establish a secure IT infrastructure by ensuring data protection and privacy.
We will promote 2025 as the first year of DX, focusing on these three measures.
DX Strategy
Vision
The ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group's vision for DX is to “contribute to people's health and society by strengthening the value chain of pharmaceutical provision through the use of data and digital technology to review traditional business processes and create new value".
We will create an environment where each employee has IT literacy and IT skills and can maximize their creativity and innovation, and together we will open the door to the future.
Through DX initiatives, we aim to become a total healthcare company based on specialty pharma companies.
Past Initiatives
ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group renewed its corporate core system in 2018, integrating previously dispersed systems such as accounting, human resources, sales, and production. This centralized data management has enabled more efficient operations. Furthermore, through the introduction of EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and the company-wide deployment of SSL-VPN, the network was strengthened to support global business development and telecommuting.
- In 2020
Laptops and smartphones were provided to all employees to accommodate changes in work styles, cloud-based web conferencing tools were introduced, and network lines were expanded.
- In 2022
We started full-scale implementation and verification of Business Intelligence (BI) tools and RPA tools, as well as paperless operations.
- In 2023
We built a DX infrastructure by introducing Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Copilot and training DX personnel. We also began using AI for drug discovery and article search validation, and made preparations for company-wide DX.
The Iwaki factory is considering the introduction of a smart factory and aims to DX its manufacturing sites.
We will utilize these foundations to promote DX and enhance our competitiveness in the future.
Strategy
The ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group will promote DX with a focus on the following four pillars (strategies).
1. Human Resource Development
ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group has started full-scale training of "DX promotion staff" and "DX human resources" to promote company-wide DX activities through collaboration between DX human resources and DX promotion staff.
Training of DX promotion staff
Visualize complex issues involving multiple departments, and select and train DX promotion staff to lead them to solutions. We build an organizational foundation that enables the frontline to innovate business processes from new perspectives and proactively promote change, without being bound by conventional wisdom and stereotypes.
Furthermore, by selecting and training new DX promotion staff every year and increasing the number of promoters in each department, we will promote DX throughout the organization.
DX Human Resource Development
We will develop education and systems to improve IT literacy and IT skills of all employees, and act as DX human resources by acquiring and utilizing these skills.
2. Use of RPA
We will deploy Robotic Process Automation (RPA) throughout the company to accelerate the automation of routine tasks, thereby improving productivity.
The time saved by automation is reallocated to the creation of new core operations and continuous operational improvements, while eliminating bottlenecks in conventional operations to maximize value-added results more efficiently.
Furthermore, it improves operational quality by reducing human errors and ensures stable operational quality.
3. Use of AI Technology
Proactively introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to streamline and optimize operations.
Productivity can be improved by delegating to AI the conventional tasks that used to require a lot of time for research and analysis using huge amounts of data.
4. Site-driven business improvement and development
To promote field-driven business improvement and development, we deployed a platform that can be developed by each department.
This will create an environment that allows for rapid, site-driven business improvement and tool development, and will enable the review of conventional manual and inefficient processes as appropriate, thereby increasing productivity.
Promotion Structure
Structure and Roles
To oversee the promotion of DX, in 2024, the Group Business Management Division Director was appointed as the "Corporate Officer in Charge of DX Promotion." Moreover, the "DX Promotion Secretariat" was established within the IT Division to formulate and promote strategies and implementation plans.
Initiatives are reported and confirmed at management meetings through the corporate officer in charge of DX Promotion, and are then implemented.
In addition, personnel selected from each division will be trained as "Division DX Promotion staff" and a "DX Promotion Committee" will be established to cooperate with each other to promote company-wide activities on an ongoing basis.
DX Human Resource Development
The cooperation of a strong promoter (DX Promotion staff) and supporting employees (DX human resources) is essential to the success of DX. Our goal is for each employee to understand DX, to see it as "their own business" and act on it, and to work together with the DX Promotion staff to resolve issues.
We will create a training environment (DX human resource development program) to improve IT literacy and IT skills of all employees and visualize their level of proficiency and growth to motivate employees and develop and promote DX human resources. We will also develop a system to support the acquisition of valid IT certifications.
By 2030, we aim to have 20% of all employees in charge of DX promotion and 80% of all employees as DX human resources.
Examples of Initiatives
DX Promotion Staff Development Program
ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group selects "DX Promotion staff" from each department to gain the knowledge and experience necessary for DXing through the program.
This educational program is designed to involve and support DX human resources in company-wide DX efforts, focusing not only on their own divisions but also on interdepartmental issues.
We will build and foster a DX culture by selecting and training new DX promotion staff every year.
Cyber Security Initiatives
Cyber Security Compliance
ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group shall prevent and take measures against risks such as unauthorized access, loss, leakage, falsification, and destruction, and shall take prompt and appropriate corrective measures if any damage should occur.
In addition, we have a thorough process for verifying the reliability of computer network communications to ensure the safety of communications. Furthermore, in response to ransomware attacks and new cyber attacks using generative AI, we have installed the latest security tools and monitor them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
OT (Operational Technology) Security Compliance
As manufacturing sites become increasingly digitalized, the ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group is strengthening OT security for manufacturing facilities and IoT devices to minimize the risk of external attacks by isolating networks and implementing multi-layered defenses to ensure safety.
We also comply with the regulations and standards of the pharmaceutical industry and implement advanced security measures based on these standards, thereby contributing to the maintenance and stable supply of high quality products.
Cyber Security Education
The ASKA Pharmaceutical Holdings Group thoroughly educates all Board members and employees on cyber security threats and the importance of taking countermeasures.
Specific efforts include training to increase resistance to phishing attacks, learning how to deal with malware infection, and sharing information on cyber attack trends and recent security incidents in order to raise security awareness.