#Japan #Tokyo #AWS #Shift #Shinagawa Ward

SHIFT's AI Contact Center Initiative in Shinagawa Ward

In a significant stride toward modernizing administrative services, SHIFT Inc., headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, has announced the launch of a proof-of-concept project in collaboration with Shinagawa Ward. Beginning February 20, 2026, this initiative employs cutting-edge generative AI technology to enhance and automate telephone inquiries handled by the ward's Resident Registration Division. With access to advanced managed services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), such as Amazon Connect, Amazon Q, and Amazon Bedrock, SHIFT aims to elevate the quality and efficiency of citizen inquiries.

Background of the Initiative

Shinagawa Ward anticipates a population increase by 2051, expecting a diversification and expansion of resident needs. Simultaneously, Japan faces a nationwide labor shortage due to declining population figures, presenting a common challenge to municipalities across the country. Ensuring high-quality administrative services amidst this workforce deficiency necessitates profound operational efficiencies. Responding to these circumstances, Shinagawa Ward has proactively integrated interactive generative AI chatbot services and speech-to-text services since fiscal year 2023 to streamline operations.

The commencement of this proof-of-concept project marks a continuation of efforts to improve both resident services and operational efficiency, aiming to enhance the convenience of both residents and staff while ensuring sustainable governance.

This project utilizes the Shingawa City Lab, an initiative focused on open innovation between the public and private sectors, enabling Shinagawa Ward to present social challenges to private companies and collaborate on implementing solutions through shared expertise and ideas.

Overview of the Proof-of-Concept Project

The pilot program primarily targets the telephone inquiry services of Shinagawa Ward's Resident Registration Division. SHIFT plans to construct and operate a next-generation contact center system based on AI agents, which will automate responses to calls. By leveraging AWS managed services, the project will facilitate the recording, searching, and escalation of inquiries automatically.

With Amazon Q serving as the AI agent, the system will generate responses based on publicly available information and FAQs from the ward and associated organizations. Additionally, it will skillfully classify requests that require human intervention from those suitable for self-resolution through FAQs, expediting the support process. After the experiment starts, SHIFT will focus on improving response accuracy through trial usage within the ward and aims to unveil these advancements to residents in the first half of fiscal year 2026, once quality standards are achieved.

Expected Benefits of the Pilot Program

1. Enhanced Resident Satisfaction: By accelerating and streamlining telephone inquiry responses through AI agents, wait times for residents will decrease, significantly boosting convenience and overall satisfaction. AI capabilities will ensure 24/7 availability for addressing inquiries based on existing public information and FAQ data.

2. Automation of Operational Efficiency: Automating the recording, searching, and escalation processes will reduce the workload on staff handling inquiries, improving the overall efficiency of operations. Supervising staff will be able to monitor calls in real time, allowing for immediate intervention if necessary, thus facilitating early detection of customer harassment situations. Additionally, inquiry content will be automatically summarized and stored in an easily accessible form for supervisors.

3. Optimized Operational Costs via Reduced Human Dependency: This next-generation contact center aims to distribute responsibilities intelligently between AI and human staff, reducing dependency on human operators. This strategic approach addresses issues like knowledge sharing deficits and customer harassment, thus optimizing operational costs, including personnel expenses.

Comments from Takashi Nishizawa, DX Strategy Director, Shinagawa Ward

Given the profound labor shortage fueled by population decline, maintaining and enhancing the quality of citizen services necessitates the proactive use of advanced technologies like AI. This proof-of-concept project will leverage SHIFT's exceptional technical prowess to validate possibilities for implementing AI in telephone services. We aim to delineate the domains managed by AI and those necessitating human intervention, collaboratively establishing an optimal division of responsibilities. We hope to translate the insights gained from this initiative into further advancements in citizen services in the future.

About Shingawa City Lab

In collaboration with universities, research institutions, and private sector entities, Shinagawa Ward operates the Shingawa City Lab to solve regional issues contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They seek to create innovative solutions through a dual approach of addressing social challenges presented by private companies and offering a platform for testing new services developed by the government.

About SHIFT Inc.

SHIFT has established its business foundation by providing quality assurance and testing services across a wide spectrum of fields, including enterprise-level systems critical for financial sectors, e-commerce platforms, and applications for smartphones and games. Currently, SHIFT aims to foster a smart society devoid of waste, assisting clients in IT-related business challenges from planning to operations, security, and marketing,

• - Company: SHIFT Inc.
• - Headquarters: 1-3-1 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
• - CEO: Hiroshi Tange
• - Founded: September 2005
• - Corporate Website: shiftinc.jp
• - Service Website: service.shiftinc.jp