#Japan #Innovation #Tokyo #Customer Support #Misumi Group

Misumi Group's Recent Recognition

On September 12, 2025, Misumi Group's headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, was awarded the prestigious Special Award for Time Value Creation during the 28th Customer Support Symposium hosted by the Japan IT Association (IT Association). This accolade was accompanied by a keynote speech titled "At the Forefront of Environmental Regulation Response: Realizing Customer Self-Service and Overall Optimization with IT and AI."

Insight into the Customer Support Award System

The Customer Support Award system is designed to honor enterprises, organizations, and individuals who significantly advance customer strategy and enhance customer support. The Special Award presented to Misumi recognizes outstanding contributions in solving customer issues and improving convenience, leading to notable benefits for business management. You can find more information on the award criteria on the official IT Association website here.

Evaluation Points and Misumi's Initiatives

Evaluation Points:
The factors contributed to Misumi’s recognition include their alignment with the mission of providing time value to customers and their execution of structural reforms that greatly improved both customer and operational value, a significant achievement that serves as a reference for other companies.

The Four Key Initiatives by Misumi:

1. Enhanced Response Speed Through Structural Reform: By consolidating customer service channels that were formerly scattered across sales and product departments, and uniforming the response rules, Misumi eliminated delays and improved response quality.
2. Standardization of Business Processes: By identifying processing action points and automating case allocations through IT, Misumi achieved a 76% reduction in internal working hours, enhancing staff motivation and operational efficiency.
3. Expanded Customer Self-Service: A unified inquiry form with improved user interface allowed customers to enter necessary information for environmental surveys efficiently, reducing response lead time from 11 days to just 4 days.
4. AI Training for Quality Improvement: The establishment of a mechanism for daily analysis of response content using AI, along with a self-training system for writing skills, fostered consistent quality in service and continuous improvement.

Lecture at the Award Ceremony

Misumi's Digital Model Shift
Misumi Group has been transforming manufacturing processes using digital technology. Since launching an online order service in 2000, they have introduced innovative solutions such as "meviy," which autonomously generates quotes based on 3D data. This digital model shift is now central to Misumi’s growth strategy, as they propose "Get Misumi / Enjoy Misumi" as new value offerings to enhance design and procurement processes.

About Misumi
Misumi is a global supplier of machine parts, tools, and consumables, serving over 318,000 companies (as of March 2024). By operating as both a manufacturer and a distributor of other brands, Misumi consistently delivers reliable short-term deliveries, contributing to increased customer convenience and satisfaction.

Misumi is dedicated to transforming every customer's time into value and fostering sustainable growth together in the future.