#Japan #EdTech #Tokyo #Codatum #Kokubun Publishing

Codatum: Revolutionizing Educational Practices at Kokubun Publishing

In an era where educational demands are shifting concurrently with declining birth rates and digital transformations, Codatum, a next-gen BI tool by CODATUM, plays an invaluable role in streamlining data utilization for Kokubun Publishing. Established in 1928, Kokubun Publishing specializes in developing and publishing educational materials, particularly for elementary schools. Facing the pressing need for effective data management within their educational resources, they sought to implement a better data analytic solution to enhance their offerings and maintain competitiveness in the ever-evolving EdTech landscape.

Background and Challenges

As competition in the education sector intensifies due to decreasing student numbers, the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in classrooms is rapidly advancing. Yet, the Kokubun Publishing lacked specific departments dedicated to data analysis, making it challenging to assess the usage and effectiveness of their教材 (textbooks and teaching materials). New initiatives were bottlenecked by inadequate analysis tools, hampering decision-making processes regarding product improvement and adaptation.

Why Codatum was Chosen

CODATUM's Codatum emerged as an optimal choice due to several key features:
1. Gradual Implementation: The possibility of a free trial account allowed the educational publisher to visualize operations before making formal decisions, easing the internal approval process.
2. Transparency and Collaboration: Its SQL-based Notebook-style user interface facilitates seamless recording of preprocessing, visualizations, and comments, ensuring that all team members can share insights easily.
3. User-Friendly Design: The tool is designed to empower employees with varying levels of analytical literacy through visual graphs accompanied by code, encouraging learning while using the tool.
4. Competitive Edge: Compared to other BI tools, Codatum is noted for its user-friendliness and linguistic compatibility, providing a significant advantage in ease of operation.

Implementation Process

Upon deciding to adopt a BI tool in 2023, Kokubun Publishing began by instituting an ETL base and Data Warehouse (DWH) while concurrently testing Codatum. Positive feedback during a two-month trial phase led to their commitment to a paid version. Now, they regularly visualize and share data on教材 usage with various departments on a weekly and monthly basis. This allows them to promptly address unexpected drops in utilization through operational support and on-site visits as necessary.

Impact of Codatum's Implementation

Following the adoption of Codatum, several positive changes were noted:

• - Enhanced visibility of教材 usage data that enables quicker responses for field support.
• - Quantitative analyses of utilization trends facilitating planning for new content (like summer vacation教材).
• - Accelerated cycles of product enhancement by identifying UI improvement areas through analysis of error trends.
• - Increased enthusiasm for data utilization within the organization by addressing analysis requests from various departments.

Future Prospects

In the upcoming term, Kokubun Publishing is prioritizing the establishment of a structured data utilization system and elevating analytical literacy as cornerstone initiatives. Beyond merely providing data, they aim to enhance understanding through collaboration and training. Looking ahead, they are also excited about the potential advancements in automated SQL generation through Codatum’s AI capabilities, which could further democratize data analytics within the organization.

Insights from Takahashi Hideshi, EdTech Division Manager

Takahashi emphasized that Codatum enables even those unfamiliar with data analysis to grasp context effectively, making it an incredibly helpful BI tool. Its flexibility and efficiency could offer significant advantages to businesses looking to gradually enhance their data utilization initiatives.

About Codatum

Codatum is designed for individuals involved in data analysis, allowing users to unlock the full potential of SQL effortlessly. With its intuitive, code-first interface, users can directly connect to data warehouses for real-time data access, fostering a data-driven culture within teams. Codatum facilitates collaborative analysis with AI support and advanced visualizations while ensuring organizational security through meticulous data management and role-based access control.

For more details on Codatum, visit their product page.
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