#Japan #Tokyo #AI Integration #Shift #Advanced FDE

SHIFT Launches Advanced FDE for Seamless AI Integration

On January 21, 2026, SHIFT, a Tokyo-based company known for enhancing software services and products, has rolled out its new solution named Advanced FDE (Forward Deployed Engineering). This innovative offering stands as a pivotal support framework for businesses aiming to implement AI solutions without being tethered to specific products.

Context Behind the Launch

The rapid evolution of IT technologies and the advancement of digital transformation (DX) have led to a surge in the complexity and variety of IT products. Many organizations introduce IT products to tackle DX challenges; however, a significant gap in available DX talent has frequently hindered their successful adoption and operational setups.

In this context, a novel approach called FDE has gained traction, wherein engineers deeply understand a client’s operational processes and on-site demands to facilitate AI product adoption and ensure it integrates seamlessly into daily operations. This trend has notably accelerated with the rise of generative AI and AI agents, which pose unique integration challenges. Historically, FDE initiatives primarily focused on supporting the rollout of a company's proprietary products. Yet, as diverse AI solutions emerge, corporations increasingly struggle to identify the most suitable technologies. Hence, providing customized AI support has become crucial.

SHIFT's Commitment to AI

Aiming for enhanced business evolution and productivity, SHIFT embarked on utilizing AI in its operations back in 2023. By 2024, the company integrated comprehensive AI strategies into its management, utilizing both top-down and bottom-up approaches, leading to a corporate generative AI usage rate of up to 91%. This transformation is projected to produce significant annual cost savings, estimated at approximately ¥150 million.

In May 2025, SHIFT established a systematic method for successful organizational integration of generative AI, branded as Generative AI 360°. The company has continually evolved its AI-driven solutions, leveraging real-world experiences in AI adoption to offer support across various sectors, including government agencies and large enterprises, without being limited to its proprietary AI products.

Introducing Advanced FDE

The Advanced FDE solution is designed to provide a comprehensive support service led by SHIFT's specialized team. This initiative identifies customers' current operational status and challenges, facilitating the introduction of optimal AI agents or generative AI products tailored specifically for their needs. The focus is on a technology-neutral approach — ensuring businesses receive personalized technology that aligns with their specific requirements for effective deployment.

Key Features of the Advanced FDE

1. Support in Business Domains: By analyzing business processes and models, SHIFT offers design and proposals for the use cases of AI agents and generative AI. This transition is supported from the initial implementation through to ongoing management and improvement, aiming to enhance productivity, reduce indirect operational costs, and standardize business quality.
2. Support in Development Domains: The organizing framework for AI-powered system development is established, ensuring thorough guidance from requirement definition to testing phases. Since SHIFT is adept in high-quality and efficient AI-driven development methodologies, they are uniquely positioned to offer comprehensive support, maximizing the potential benefits of AI within development teams.

Free AI Maturity Assessment Campaign

To commemorate the launch of Advanced FDE, SHIFT is also initiating a free AI-driven development maturity assessment campaign available from January 21 until March 31, 2026.

Campaign Details

The assessment involves direct engagement with clients and utilizes proprietary evaluation criteria to determine the maturity level of AI-powered development, culminating in a detailed report. The diagnosis explores four main dimensions:

• - Technology: Analyzing the readiness of development environments, CI/CD practices, and the modernity of technology stacks.
• - Process: Evaluating the suitability of development rules, guidelines for prompts, and AI review frameworks.
• - Organization: Investigating training programs, knowledge-sharing cultures, and AI proficiency levels.
• - Governance: Focusing on risk management, security measures, and establishing ROI metrics within AI use.

For participation, interested clients can register through SHIFT’s contact page.

About SHIFT Inc.

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, SHIFT has consistently offered quality assurance and testing services across various sectors, including enterprise-critical systems in finance, e-commerce websites, and mobile applications. Today, SHIFT is committed to creating a resource-efficient society and tackling all IT-related business challenges — from system planning and development to operations, security, and marketing, combined with progressing digital transformation efforts.