#Japan #Fukuoka #AI CROSS #Fukuoka Bank #Exploration Holdings

AI CROSS Partners with Fukuoka Bank for AI Solutions

In a groundbreaking collaboration, AI CROSS Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Noriko Harada) has joined forces with Fukuoka Bank (headquartered in Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, President: Hisashi Goto). This partnership aims to provide a range of solutions, including AI expertise, to Fukuoka Bank's client businesses through extensive support and introduction of generative AI technologies. This initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing the technological capabilities of regional enterprises.

Background of the Collaboration with Fukuoka Bank

AI CROSS has been actively involved in fostering AI workforce development and promoting regional digital transformation (DX) in the Fukuoka and Kitakyushu areas. Through partnerships with educational institutions like Kyushu Institute of Technology and Kyushu Nutrition Welfare University, and collaboration with local administrations and financial entities, the company has been instrumental in advancing AI initiatives.

This new agreement between AI CROSS and Fukuoka Bank seeks to combine the bank’s extensive connections with local businesses and their operational support with AI CROSS’s insights in AI and DX. The goal is to structurally support local enterprises in effectively incorporating AI technologies into their operations.

The agreement encompasses a comprehensive range of solutions rather than being limited to a single service, highlighting the depth of AI CROSS’s offerings.

First Step: Support for Exploration Holdings

As the first major step in this collaboration, AI CROSS has begun providing generative AI support to Exploration Holdings Co., Ltd. (also headquartered in Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, CEO: Shohei Kiguchi), as introduced by Fukuoka Bank. Exploration Holdings specializes in BPO and customer satisfaction (CS) services, with a pressing need to enhance the training and quality of their call center operators, as well as overall customer experience (CX).

Support Provided

1. Generative AI Training (For All Employees)
The training aims to lower barriers to the effective use of generative AI in business, fostering practical skills among participants. Using tools like Google Gemini and NotebookLM, trainees will learn the basics of creating FAQs and other applications relevant to their operations. The curriculum spans understanding the societal context of AI, technical mechanisms, prompt design, and practical use cases, while also covering essential knowledge in information security and effective instruction design (context engineering).

2. Spot Consulting
Practical consulting services will be delivered to identify specific use cases in the call center environment, improve product analysis with generative AI, enhance response quality, create educational content, and design cycles for analyzing and improving response logs.

Client Feedback

Shohei Kiguchi, CEO of Exploration Holdings, expressed, "While we recognize the importance of leveraging generative AI, identifying where to start has been a challenge. We are hopeful about the practical, groundwork-focused support from AI CROSS. Through this initiative, we strive to enhance operator training and response quality, ultimately improving our CX and strengthening overall competitiveness."

A representative from Fukuoka Bank stated, "We feel encouraged by our client companies' willingness to engage with advanced technologies like generative AI. AI CROSS’s extensive solutions, including SMS delivery and AI predictive analytics, position us well to meet diverse client needs. We are eager to drive DX initiatives and sustainable growth for regional enterprises through our collaboration."

AI CROSS Solutions Available via Fukuoka Bank

1. SMS/RCS Delivery Service 'Absolute Reach!'
This service is one of the leading SMS delivery solutions in Japan, enhancing communication for customer reminders, notifications, and marketing by leveraging high-delivery-rate text messaging. It offers advanced two-way messaging capabilities through Rich Communication Services (RCS), revolutionizing the interaction between companies and their clients.

2. No-Code AI Predictive Analytics Service 'Deep Predictor'
The 'Deep Predictor' service enables individuals without specialized knowledge to utilize internal data for high-accuracy predictions and decision-making support, facilitating operational outputs directly applicable in real-time scenarios.

3. Generative AI Implementation Consulting
Offering comprehensive support that includes training in generative AI fundamentals, identifying usage scenarios, proof of concept development, business flow design, and system construction, this service is customized to meet the specific needs of different businesses.

Future Plans

By combining Fukuoka Bank’s extensive client network with AI CROSS’s multifaceted solutions, the partnership is poised to address the diverse management and operational challenges faced by regional businesses. The successful integration of generative AI at Exploration Holdings will serve as a launchpad for delivering customized solutions, fostering communication reforms through 'Absolute Reach! RCS' and employing 'Deep Predictor' for data utilization and predictive analytics. This partnership aims to significantly propel DX initiatives across the Fukuoka and Kitakyushu regions.

Company Overview

• - AI CROSS Co., Ltd.

- CEO: Noriko Harada
- Headquarters: Toranomon Tower, 4-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Established: March 2015
- Business Description: Focuses on streamlining business efficiency and enhancing productivity through technologies like SMS/RCS delivery and AI predictive analytics.

• - Fukuoka Bank

- President: Hisashi Goto
- Headquarters: 2-13-1 Tenjin, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City
- Established: March 1945
- Business Description: A regional financial institution serving clients throughout Kyushu with a broad array of financial services, supporting enterprise growth and DX initiatives.

• - Exploration Holdings Co., Ltd.

- CEO: Shohei Kiguchi
- Headquarters: 2-2-7 Daimyo, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City
- Established: March 2015
- Business Description: Specializes in various services including BPO, partner alliances, content provision, and marketing DX, focusing on enhancing corporate and customer satisfaction.