#Japan #Google Workspace #Akita #Akita Prefecture #rakumo Calendar

Akita Prefecture's Digital Transformation

In a significant move towards improving public administration in response to declining population challenges, Akita Prefecture has fully integrated Google Workspace into its operations. A crucial aspect of this initiative is the adoption of the rakumo Calendar, a third-party extension tool designed to enhance the productivity of staff and streamline organizational processes.

Background of the Integration

Akita faces a pressing issue with a dwindling population, leading to a potential shortage of administrative personnel necessary to meet the evolving needs of its residents. To address these concerns, the prefecture identified the need for substantial improvements in organizational productivity. Consequently, it became the first in Japan to implement Google Workspace across its entire administration as part of a digital transformation initiative aimed at facilitating better communication both internally and externally.

However, one challenge arose during the implementation: schedule management. With the traditional groupware systems in use, managing and searching for staff by organizational units was straightforward. Replicating this with just the standard features of Google Calendar posed difficulties, prompting concerns about ensuring a smooth transition for employees. To solve this issue, the prefecture selected rakumo Calendar to enhance Google Workspace's functionalities, particularly for managing and searching based on organizational hierarchy.

Key Factors in Choosing rakumo Calendar

The primary reason for adopting rakumo Calendar was its unique capability to manage and search based on organizational hierarchies—something not available in the standard version of Google Calendar. This feature promised to replicate familiar operations for staff, making the transition smoother. Moreover, its intuitive user interface and superior user experience were critical in minimizing potential disruptions as employees adapted to the new tool.

Benefits Achieved Post-Implementation

After the launch, personnel quickly adapted to rakumo Calendar with minimal training, relying solely on distributed manuals for guidance. This self-sufficiency reflected a successful integration into the daily operations of Akita Prefecture's administration.

One of the most appreciated features included the organization-based display and custom group functionalities, which allowed users to aggregate members from different departments easily. This functionality streamlined collaboration across different sections, addressing previous challenges associated with team engagement.

Additionally, the calendar's ability to quickly identify participants' availability drastically improved meeting scheduling efficiency. Features such as generating Google Meet links and sharing documents directly within rakumo Calendar significantly reduced the administrative burden associated with meetings.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, Akita Prefecture plans to migrate the meeting room booking system from its legacy groupware to Google resources, facilitating centralized management of both in-person and online schedules through Google Calendar and rakumo Calendar.

Furthermore, equipment reservations, such as for company cars, will see automated rules for booking, replacing the manual verification methods previously relied upon by staff. Currently, evaluations of these new functionalities are underway, with plans for full operational deployment once the assessment is complete.

About rakumo's Solutions

The rakumo for Google Workspace series consists of cloud-based tools designed to enhance Google Workspace capabilities. These solutions, utilized by over 2,400 organizations and more than 1.2 million licenses, offer intuitive services for user management and security, making them accessible for businesses of any size.

Additional Features of rakumo Series:

• - rakumo Calendar: Group calendar functionality
• - rakumo Contacts: Employee directory and shared address book
• - rakumo Board: Internal bulletin board
• - rakumo Workflow: Electronic approval processes
• - rakumo Kintai: Attendance management
• - rakumo Keihi: Expense reimbursement

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Company Overview

rakumo Inc. was established on December 17, 2004, in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is led by CEO Koji Shimizu. It specializes in cloud-based software services and offers comprehensive support for the implementation and customer service of its products.

For additional information, please visit our corporate site or product site.

Note: Google Workspace is a trademark of Google LLC.
The names of companies, products, and services mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective organizations.