Purpose-led Digital Transformation (DX)

I joined Sojitz in 2002, and I was first assigned to the Finance Department. After working in finance, I gained experience in many different departments and fields, and I have continued working in business divisions for two-thirds of my career. During my 15 years engaged in the coal and iron ore trading and investment business, I had the opportunity to go on assignment to work in Brazil, China, and Singapore.

Over the years, I have seen the rapid rise of digitization in the metals and minerals business and other fields with the conversion of analog business processes and information into digital formats in line with rapid shifts to the external business environment. With the shift to digitization, information management has become critical to ensure careful management and accurate communication of our corporate and client information. I consider this digitization period the start of my digital transformation journey.

As the digital landscape rapidly evolves, Sojitz has adopted a digital strategy based on the motto “Digital in All,” which is outlined in Medium-term Management Plan 2026. We are currently in the process of further developing this strategy as it forms the basis for integrating digital technologies into all Sojitz’s business. When I worked in the business divisions, I understood the importance of leveraging digital tools in our business, but I was unsure how to begin implementing DX.

However, Sojitz’s DX-Expert Training Program* was a turning point for me. My understanding of how to leverage digital tools changed after completing this training. The program comprises four levels: entry, basic, experienced, and expert. I decided to put my skills to the test with expert-level training in business design. The goal of the training was to create a digital transformation solution to be implemented into an actual business in the course of six months. During the training, I created hypotheses and repeated verification tests. The program was certainly tough, but unlike other training programs, I could draw directly on my current business projects. Not only was the training highly relevant with clear practical applications, but also afforded an interesting opportunity to reassess some of my business projects from a new perspective.

I took away one lesson in particular from the DX-Expert Training Program. When we talk about DX, we tend to get distracted by the most innovative technologies and tools, or the means, but DX is a means to an end. This results in constraining talks of how DX fits into our current duties or business model. Rather, it is most important to first consider what the type of solution you want to provide to your clients and to society. If you take this solution-first approach, it leads to more expansive and creative DX solutions. So first, you must decide what kind of issue you want to resolve and then establish a detailed image of the future outcome you wish to achieve. I believe that the DX process begins with this solutions-based approach and then involves finding, selecting, and creating the right technologies in line with this objective.

When I was assigned as general manager of the Digital Business Development Department this year, I had concerns about meeting the expectations of the role. Could I effectively lead the Digital Business Department? However, Sojitz encouraged me to apply my DX training and try my hand at generating revenue in the digital field. I soon realized the offer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make an impact. Today, I am working alongside the Digital Business Development Department on around 40 projects. We have been able to rapidly create new solutions, and in turn, create new value thanks to the efforts of each member of the department.

At present, we are working on a project that involves development of a technology that allows users to create 360-degree panoramic scans of secondhand vehicles. This technology enables vehicle inspectors to use machines to assess and create digital visualizations of vehicles and auto parts, instead of relying on the naked eye. I think we can utilize technology to solve the difficulties of converting from human- to machine-based inspections and to improve transparency in vehicle tests.

We are also developing an agricultural platform that supports farmers in Thailand. Through this platform, we aim to acquire data to visualize famers’ crop varieties and quantities, best times to sow and harvest, and expected revenue. In turn, the platform will share farmers’ information with retailers, financial institutions, insurance companies, and manufacturers of farming equipment. This farming data is important to agricultural companies and stakeholders as they can use it to create and provide products and services that improve efficiency in Thai farming. We hope the business will develop into a fully circular business model.

Personally, I believe there are important lessons to be learned from digital technologies and DX initiatives. I hope that all Sojitz employees understand how satisfying it is to leverage digital tools to improve work efficiency and transform business activities and models. Similarly, as the general manager of a digital business department, I hope to harness DX to create new business and to make DX business creation a part of Sojitz’s unique identity. The best result would be if Sojitz could become even more active in the digital industry and be an impactful company that consistently creates new products and services with DX. As a result of our DX efforts, we hope to attract a diverse range of talent who aspire to work at Sojitz. I believe these big-picture goals will drive Sojitz forward on its DX path into the future.