Achieve efficiency and cost reduction in manual creation operations by building a framework for standardization and in-house/outsource.

TechnoPro Holdings, Inc. Overview

・Established: April 2012

・Capital: 6,929,669,600 yen

Number of Employees: 24,956 people
(As of the end of June 2020, consolidated group)

Business Overview: Management and operation of group companies including TechnoPro Co., Ltd., which provides research and development in various technical fields and product development.

 Services Utilized

- Manual Creation

- Development of Guidelines

・Manual creation support (outsourcing)

Background

The TechnoPro Group operates the largest scale technical staffing service in Japan, with over 20,000 engineers and researchers in technical dispatch.

After various M&A and corporate integrations, in 2014, we reorganized the business companies under our holding company, TechnoPro Holdings, into the current structure. However, at that time, the internal systems and portal sites had not yet been unified.

Therefore, Mr. Adachi, in charge of the information systems, has taken the lead, and the information systems department has been advancing the unification of systems. However, the organization and unification of manuals that were managed and operated separately by each company has also emerged as a significant challenge.

In November 2016, we received a request from the project manager to standardize the internal manuals related to office procedures and system operations, and we have been providing support for manual-related tasks until July 2020.

The TechnoPro Group welcomes about 3,000 new employees each year, and efforts have been made to improve internal manuals to enable a large number of personnel to work efficiently.

There are already over 300 manuals created by various companies, and it seems that improvements have been made internally over the course of more than a year, but there were the following challenges regarding quality and structure.

Manual Quality Issues

- Due to the lack of description of the purpose and positioning of the business, employees' understanding of their work is insufficient, leading to many mistakes and inquiries.

- The manuals have inconsistent layouts, content, and writing styles.

・When the person in charge is busy, there is variability in the quality of the completed manual.

Challenges in Structure/Workflow

Due to system revisions and the introduction of new systems, there may be more than 30 revisions occurring in a month, which can concentrate the workload on the responsible personnel.

Due to the fact that manual-related tasks are assigned to specific individuals, even if others are available, they cannot assist.

Solutions of Human Science

Since there were challenges in both quality and structure, we proposed the establishment of a system and workflow that can be continuously created and operated, along with improvements to the manual.

1) Design of Manual Improvement Policy

2) Establishment of Manual Creation System and Workflow

3) Implementation of manual improvements through outsourcing

Process until Improvement Implementation

First, visualize the issues of the manual through a current situation analysis (December 2016 - January 2017)

Conducted a manual evaluation by two evaluators. Analyzed and evaluated the manual from the perspectives of "user-friendliness" and "manageability from the creator's viewpoint," visualizing the current issues and the ideal state of the manual.

At the briefing, not only the business representatives but also the executive officers participated, and by forming a consensus among all stakeholders regarding future improvement policies, we were able to proceed smoothly with subsequent initiatives.

Verification and Optimization through Pilot Project (February to March 2017)

Based on the agreed policy, we implemented the improvement of one manual as a pilot. By actually progressing the project, we verified whether there were any issues with the policy and established a model manual and manual creation guidelines. Through the pilot project, we optimized for mass production, which can prevent significant rework in later stages.

Workflow Design (April 2017 - June 2017)

Through the session, we visualized the current manual creation workflow and its challenges. We organized what should be done in-house and what can be outsourced regarding the previously individualized manual creation tasks, clarifying the division of roles.

Manual Improvement Implementation (July 2017 - Present)

We have begun improving the entire manual in accordance with the guidelines and new workflows. We have completed the major improvements to the manual and are currently addressing the creation and updates of new manuals as needed.

Effects of Implementation

By establishing a framework for standardization and outsourcing, we have achieved efficiency in manual creation tasks and cost reduction.

In the past, we were overwhelmed with the creation of manuals that arose unexpectedly due to internal system revisions and policy changes, making it difficult to control quality and deadlines. However, by establishing a framework for standardization and outsourcing, we have been able to create and operate manuals of a certain quality in a short period of time.

Initially, the main focus was on outsourcing the creation to human sciences, but now, considering the balance between internal workload and costs, manuals that require new creation or significant revisions are outsourced, while small revisions are handled in-house by the responsible departments. This division of roles has been established and continues to operate. By standardizing the process, the increase in options for outsourcing has ultimately led to improved efficiency and cost reduction in manual creation tasks.

Since we have had a long relationship, we appreciate that you have gained an understanding of our business and systems, allowing you to create manuals of target quality within a limited timeframe with minimal input.

Evaluation of Human Science Co., Ltd.

"We rely on you as a point of contact for consulting on internal manual management and operations."

Our relationship began with the process from manual evaluation to standardization, and now we are not only an outsourcing partner for manual creation but also a consulting resource for various needs related to internal manuals. For example, we have been addressing the ever-changing internal needs in collaboration with Human Science, such as multilingual manuals for over 1,000 foreign employees, support for video manuals, and consideration of implementing a manual management system.

Business manuals are not a one-time creation; they need to be continuously improved and operated. Therefore, we look forward to your support as a manual professional that contributes to our business improvement in the future.

Related Services

Creation of Manuals and User Guides