ExaWizards has developed a service for automatically creating shift schedules using AI and behavioral psychology, “SECOM KANTAN (easy) Shift Schedule”, the first of its kind in Japan

– Contributing to improved productivity in the restaurant business and
retail industry by combining store management know-how and AI technology –

SECOM Trust Systems Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Keiji Hayashi), a group company in the BPO & ICT services of SECOM Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, President: Yasuo Nakayama) has jointly developed a service for automatically creating shift schedules, “SECOM KANTAN (easy) Shift Schedule”, with two AI functions, an AI-based function for automatically creating shift schedules, and an AI-based recommendation function using AI and behavioral psychology, for the first time in Japan, together with YOSHINOYA Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Yasutaka Kawamura), which has expertise in operating restaurant chains, and ExaWizards Inc. as an AI start-up (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Ko Ishiyama). The service will be launched from September this year.

For store managers in the restaurant business and retail industry with many staff members including part-timers, creating shifts that take into consideration various factors has been a great burden as it is difficult to standardize and improve efficiency. Accompanied by difficulties in securing staff due to the decrease in the workforce and the diversification of work styles, the burden has been increasing even further.

To solve these issues, SECOM, which has expertise in using AI to create shift schedules automatically for security guards and nurses and long experience in operations, YOSHINOYA, which has deep know-how in operating restaurant stores, and ExaWizards, which has AI-based HR operation support technology and results, have jointly developed this new service using AI and behavioral psychology for the first time in Japan. The behavioral psychology part has been supervised by a social psychologist, Ikutaro Masaki (Project Researcher, Center for Research and Development of Higher Education, The University of Tokyo).

In this service, the AI automatically creates the shift schedule based on requests from staff first. Next, based on feature analysis results according to behavioral psychology and the results of past support shifts, the AI recommends the most suitable candidate for the shift where there is a staff shortage. With these functions, the time and labor required to create and coordinate the shift schedule, human errors, and the physical and psychological burdens on managers can be reduced, freeing up managers to focus on store management and improvement in service quality.

Based on the ANSHIN (safe and secure) Platform, SECOM aims to provide detailed and seamless services to relieve the anxieties and problems for each person. This service, combining the knowledge of SECOM in providing safety and security 24/7/365, the wealth of store management know-how of YOSHINOYA, and the latest technology of ExaWizards, supports efficient business management in various stores in the restaurant business and retail industry and also contributes to work-style reform and improvement in productivity in society.

Features of SECOM KANTAN (easy) Shift Schedule

１．AI-based function for automatically creating shift schedules using the know-how of SECOM and YOSHINOYA

By utilizing SECOM’s AI-based shift schedule automatic creation technology and YOSHINOYA’s store management know-how, this function can respond to diverse work styles including shifts for peak seasons and short-time shifts unique to the restaurant business and retail industry. Also, as the daily shift schedule shows job categories such as kitchen and floor and time zones, the details of the shift can be checked at a glance.

２．Staff can input and check the shift at any time, from anywhere.

Staff can register their shift requests by using a PC, tablet, or smartphone. Also, the registered contents, shift schedules, and shifts with a staff shortage can be checked at any time.

３．Function for staff coordination (support) with other stores

Based on the shift schedules automatically created by AI, a list of days, time zones, stores, roles and other items with a shortage of staff is displayed. Managers can easily identify a shift with a shortage of staff, while staff can apply by smartphone, etc. to work on such shifts.

４．Japan’s first AI-based recommendation function

The features such as characteristics and preferences of each staff are analyzed by preliminarily conducting a questionnaire developed based on the store management know-how of YOSHINOYA and behavioral psychology. The AI developed by ExaWizards extracts candidate staff to assist a shift with a shortage of staff based on the features, working conditions, and support results and presents them along with advice on how best to request staff in line with their features. Thanks to the learning function of this AI, the recommendation accuracy increases as results are accumulated.

 

Image of SECOM KANTAN (easy) Shift Schedule

Profile of each company

Company name: SECOM Co., Ltd.

Address: 1-5-1, Jingumae Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Founded: July 1962

Representative Director & President: Yasuo Nakayama

Business: Establishing a social system industry to realize a safe, secure, pleasant and convenient society by delivering various services centered on security

URL: https://www.secom.co.jp/

 

Company name: SECOM Trust Systems Co., Ltd.

Address: SECOM Headquarters Bldg. 4F, 1-5-1, Jingumae Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Founded: August 1985

Representative Director & President: Keiji Hayashi

Business: Development of the information service business with core services for information security, business continuity planning, and measures for large-scale disasters, to deliver safety and security to society

URL: https://www.secomtrust.net/

 

Company name: YOSHINOYA Co., Ltd.

Address: Daiwa Rivergate 18 F, 36-2 Nihonbashihakozakicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Founded: March 2014

Representative Director & President: Yasutaka Kawamura

Business: Operation of beef bowl fast food chain YOSHINOYA in Japan and development of the franchise business

URL: https://www.yoshinoya.com/

 

Profile of ExaWizards Inc.

Company name: ExaWizards Inc.

Address: 5F, Sumitomo Hamamatsucho Bldg., Hamamatsu-cho 1-18-16, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Founded: February 2016

Representative: Representative Director & President: Ko Ishiyama

Business: Development of AI-enabled services for industrial innovation and solving social problems

URL: https://exawizards.com/