Capcom Enhances Data Analysis Infrastructure, Reducing Reporting Time by 80%

Introduction

Capcom, a leading global game manufacturer, has recently made groundbreaking changes to its data infrastructure, leading to a remarkable reduction in their reporting processes and recovery duration. With the help of Hitachi Solutions, Capcom has integrated the AI data platform Snowflake and unified its report systems into the cloud-based BI platform, Tableau Cloud.

The Challenge

As a major player in the gaming industry, Capcom has shifted approximately 90% of its software sales to digital formats, operating in 227 countries globally. However, with the expansion of their business and the surge in data volume, they faced challenges with decreased performance in their analytical infrastructure. This included long recovery times during outages, which necessitated an urgent upgrade to streamline their operations.

The Solution

The newly built data infrastructure allows for seamless data sharing across different departments within Capcom, slashing report generation time by an astonishing 80%. The enhanced system not only speeds up data processing but also improves scalability, enabling reliable analysis of large data sets. This integration has also simplified connections with SaaS-based AI prediction tools, which further amplifies their operational efficiency. The recovery time in case of a system fault has been reduced by around 75%, significantly boosting business continuity and resilience.

Key Benefits

1. Migration to Snowflake: The transition from a traditional relational database on local servers to Snowflake has led to a substantial enhancement in performance. Report generation time has been streamlined from prior durations down to mere fractions, improving from up to 8 hours to just about 2 hours for data recovery.

2. Data Lake Construction: Capcom has restructured its data management by establishing a large-scale data lake while creating multiple data marts tailored to specific applications. This new layout ensures better performance and makes the user interface more accessible and efficient.

3. Unified BI Environment: The coexistence of Tableau's on-premise and cloud versions has been replaced with a single Tableau Cloud environment, removing duplicated licensing costs and mitigating data silos. This integration eases server operations and version control.

4. Enhanced Connectivity: Utilizing Snowflake's standard connector posits easier creation and manipulation of data for SaaS-based AI prediction tools, thus lightening the operational load.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, Capcom plans to further enhance its analytical capabilities by incorporating data from amusement facilities and promotional events alongside sales information. This cross-analysis aims to bolster their strategic decision-making. They anticipate leveraging the new infrastructure for more advanced sales forecasts and anomaly detection, incorporating AI agents capable of providing natural language queries and retrieval-augmented generation solutions.

Conclusion

The rapid evolution of the digital market necessitates that companies like Capcom not only adapt but excel in their data utilization. By partnering with Hitachi Solutions, they have successfully enhanced their analytical landscape, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the gaming industry. As the partnership continues, their vision for a data-driven strategy incorporating advanced AI applications appears promising and filled with opportunities.

Comments from Capcom

Hiroshi Miyagawa, head of Capcom's Business Systems Division, echoed his satisfaction with the partnership: "Hitachi Solutions offers profound expertise in both Snowflake and Tableau, making them a reliable partner for our data transformation endeavors. We trust their team's capability to support us as we embrace AI in our operations."

About Hitachi Solutions

Hitachi Solutions is committed to collaborating with clients to deliver cutting-edge digital solutions that aid in achieving digital transformation. With global reach and a dedication to solving complex societal and business challenges, they strive to contribute to a world where people can live in safety and comfort, and societies can sustainably thrive. For more information, visit Hitachi Solutions.