Tomokazu Yamakawa, Executive Officer and General Manager of DX Division, Asahi Group Japan Ltd.

Our mission is to evolve the company through DX and meet the needs of society

Asahi Group Japan, Ltd. Executive Officer and General Manager of DX Department, Tomokazu Yamakawa

■ Profile
He started his career as a systems engineer in the pharmaceutical industry, then worked in the information systems department of a pharmaceutical company for 18 years. He joined Asahi Breweries, Ltd. in December 2020 and has been in his current position since January 2022.

Asahi Group Japan was established in January 2022 to oversee the Asahi Group's business in Japan. Within this organization, General Manager Yamakawa of the DX Division is responsible for establishing the foundation for realizing DX within the company. We spoke with him about the necessity and appeal of DX, including why DX is needed now and what DX actually means.

Before joining Asahi Group Japan, I worked in the information systems department of a pharmaceutical company, but as I witnessed society changing daily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to try something new.
It was at this time that the Asahi Group approached me. Asahi deals in beverages, food, and other products that are closely related to daily life, and I felt the appeal of being a manufacturer with many points of contact with society, so I decided to work in the field of DX, where I could utilize my expertise.
As a division of Asahi Group Japan, the DX Management Department strategically oversees DX and IT-related activities for domestic companies. Utilizing the experience gained from having previously worked on the system development side, we have begun the challenge of understanding the process by which systems are created.

■ Mapping the system

The Asahi Group had between 300 and 400 systems, so we first needed to visualize the entire system, including what systems were being used and where the data was being aggregated. Based on that, we considered which functions were connected to which functions and how, whether there were any unused or overlapping functions, and what technology to use and where to start modernizing, and designed a vision for the future of the systems. We can't modernize everything at once, but we are working to change parts at a time, while being mindful of the individual connections, to get closer to our vision for the future.
It is also important to continue to consider whether the current systems will continue to be necessary in the future, taking into account changes in the times and the environment. The DX Management Department is responsible for creating the system infrastructure for the entire company, so we are working to provide a safe and secure environment while ensuring that employees feel the convenience of the systems.

Why is DX necessary now?

The DX Department at Asahi Group Japan is not just responsible for introducing digital services, but also for supporting the evolution of business operations and working styles. There are two main reasons why we are promoting DX now.
First, technological advances have been remarkable in recent years, and the barriers to using new technology are becoming lower. While coding is required to create systems, the environment is now in place where systems of a certain level can be created using natural language.
Until now, specialized departments like ours have been responsible for building all systems, but from now on, even people in business departments will be able to create their own systems. I think university students will often have opportunities to use generative AI such as Chat GPT on a daily basis. In the past, users needed programming and technical knowledge, but now we live in an age where anyone can easily perform advanced tasks. I think this is a great opportunity for employees to experience technology themselves and use it as an opportunity to consider evolving their work. The DX Management Department would like to provide an environment where employees can come into contact with many new technologies while paying close attention to security.
The second reason is that the challenges we must address are becoming more complex as the social environment undergoes major changes. For example, issues that lead to environmental destruction must be tackled across divisions and companies, involving society as a whole. We are also considering initiatives to improve delivery efficiency and reduce environmental impact by collaborating with other companies. DX is essential for these activities, playing a major role by visualizing and sharing complex situations in real time.

■Services that are close to your life

The Asahi Group has developed a wide range of products throughout its long history. We believe that it is most important to provide our customers with enjoyment by providing services that touch upon the life cycle of life. We live in a diverse age where people have different tastes and lifestyles, so I believe that being able to meet diverse needs will be an important key going forward. We want to continue providing services that provide what people want, when they want it, in a way that is in tune with their lives.

Message

We are living in a time of great change. I think there are times when it's hard to decide what the right answer is. At such times, I hope you will learn to value your own sensibilities, what you like, and what makes you feel comfortable. Being a student is especially a time when you can try out many different things, and it's an opportunity to build a foundation of sensibility. Similarly, digital services are based on the sensibilities of their creators, and are imbued with the hope that "this is the kind of world we would like to see using technology." If you're interested in technology or digital services, try them out and experience the creators' passion.

Student Newspaper April 2025 Issue by Sophia University 4rd Year Student, Himawari Shirasaka