In recent years, as digital transformation has been emphasized in all industrial fields, “DX (Digital Transformation)” has attracted attention, and an increasing number of companies are working to promote DX.
However, since the number of DX human resources is still small and it is difficult to secure them, a new issue of “lack of human resources who are responsible for DX” has become apparent.
Some corporate decision makers may be thinking of developing DX human resources within the company to solve the problem.
However, there must be many people who do not know how to develop DX human resources.
Therefore, this time, we will explain how to develop DX human resources with points, and also introduce examples of initiatives at companies.
Table of contents
- What is DX human resources?
- Six aptitudes required for DX human resources
- Six roles of DX human resources
- 3 benefits of developing DX human resources in companies
- ① You can create a system for promoting DX
- (2) System consistency can be maintained
- (3) Build an optimized system
- 4 steps to develop DX human resources
- (1) Find out who is suitable for DX
- ②Learning methodology and mindset through classroom lectures
- ③ Acquire the ability to execute through OJT
- ④ Build a network
- 3 points to develop DX human resources
- ① Creating an environment for DX human resource development
- ② Practice agile development
- (3) Improving employee digital literacy
- 3 services for DX human resource development
- Aidemy BUSINESS
- Jissen! DX
- Digital Growth Academia
- 5 examples of DX human resource development initiatives
- Cultivating DX Human Resources at Corporate Universities-Daikin Industries, Ltd.
- Launching a specialized organization to develop DX human resources-SoftBank Corp.
- Working to Improve Employee Digital Literacy-Mizuho Financial Group
- Cultivating business skills at the same time – Obayashi Corporation
- In-house production of digital technology – NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS
- summary
What is DX human resources?
DX human resources represent “human resources who understand the importance of data, appropriately combine it with digital technology, and can work to transform the company” , and are necessary for companies to promote DX.
The “Guidelines for Promoting Digital Transformation ” announced by METI cites securing DX human resources as a system development for promoting DX, and specifically defines the following human resources.
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Six aptitudes required for DX human resources
IPA (Information Processing Promotion Agency) cites six aptitudes as hypotheses about the qualities of DX human resources.
| aptitude | Overview |
| Creativity for an uncertain future | Attitude to tackle new fields and take on challenges, and problem-setting ability |
| Adaptability/flexible response | Ability to change direction according to changing circumstances without being overwhelmed by plans |
| Ability to involve outsiders and different types of people | Receptiveness to actively engage with the outside world and lead to personal growth |
| Attitude/thoughts when failing | Seeing failure as a process of growth, attitude to move forward without fear of failure |
| Motivational/Meaningfulness | Self-initiative to clarify issues on one’s own and see them positively |
| Breakthrough power in case of emergency | Ability to find ways and demonstrate leadership even in difficult situations |
Regardless of the industry, what is commonly required is the ability to respond flexibly .
Other aptitudes vary in importance depending on the industry. For example, uncertain creativity is a sought-after aptitude for business designers, but not for engineers.
Six roles of DX human resources
IPA (Information Technology Promotion Agency) defines six industries and their roles as “DX promotion human resources image”.
| Personnel designation order | Role of Human Resources |
| producer | A leader who leads the realization of DX and digital business |
| business designer | Planning, proposal and promotion of DX and digital business |
| Architect | Designing systems for DX and digital business |
| Data Scientist /IT Engineer | Well-versed in digital technology and data analysis related to DX |
| UX designer | Responsible for system user design related to DX and digital business |
| engineer/programmer | Responsible for the implementation and infrastructure of digital systems other than the above |
3 benefits of developing DX human resources in companies
There are three benefits to developing DX human resources in companies.
- You can create a system for promoting DX
- maintain system consistency
- Build optimized systems
① You can create a system for promoting DX
DX human resources are indispensable for promoting DX in companies.
By having employees who understand the company’s business content and existing systems take charge of DX, we will realize a system that can continue and smoothly promote DX . It is also possible to respond quickly to organizational changes and conversion to new businesses.
(2) System consistency can be maintained
If the work of promoting DX is entrusted to an external vendor company, there is a possibility that the consistency of the system will be impaired due to the technical skills and costs of the engineers. As a result, there is a risk of inadequate systems and cases where cooperation does not go well.
On the other hand, our own DX personnel who are involved in a wide range of work from planning to development and testing of new systems are extremely useful in maintaining the consistency of our internal systems.
Considering the risks caused by lack of consistency and difficulty in sharing, it would be ideal to entrust DX human resources trained in-house from planning to testing.
(3) Build an optimized system
Companies are promoting DX to improve their existing operations and develop new businesses.
Therefore, in order to maximize the effect of the new system, it is important to have human resources who understand the existing system and understand the problems involved in planning and development . This should make it easier to create a system that is suitable for on-site operations.
In order to operate the existing system efficiently and effectively bring out its features, it will be necessary to develop DX human resources within the company.
4 steps to develop DX human resources
The development of DX human resources can be configured in the following 4 steps.
- Find out who is suitable for DX
- Learning methodology and mindset through classroom lectures
- Acquire ability to execute through OJT
- build a network
(1) Find out who is suitable for DX
Just as there are pros and cons for work and positions, DX also has aptitude. Therefore, in order to develop DX human resources who can produce results, it is necessary to identify human resources suitable for DX human resources. Focusing on training qualified employees will help reduce training costs.
②Learning methodology and mindset through classroom lectures
Hands-on lectures and lectures by external lecturers are recommended for lectures . Hands-on courses refer to experiential learning and are effective in improving technical skills.
You can learn the basics of the necessary mindset in lectures by external lecturers. Regarding the promotion of DX, you can feel the reality by listening to the story from the perspective of the parties involved.
An important mindset required for DX is ” challenging to change the current situation, the ability to focus on changes and discover issues before other companies, and the involvement of surrounding and external parties . ”
③ Acquire the ability to execute through OJT
In order to develop DX human resources who can quickly come up with good ideas when necessary , it is important not only to give them knowledge through books and online learning, but also to have them gain practical experience in the field .
OJT is a method of developing human resources within a company through practical work in the workplace, and the knowledge learned in classroom lectures can be utilized.
④ Build a network
In the rapidly changing digital industry, it is necessary to constantly acquire new knowledge and technology. By building a network inside and outside the company, you can obtain the latest information efficiently.
3 points to develop DX human resources
① Creating an environment for DX human resource development
In order to develop DX human resources, it is important to build a support system by providing learning support and securing leaders . Learning support, such as support for obtaining qualifications and provision of learning tools, is essential.
We also need human resources called digital leaders who will be the driving force behind the initiative. Digital leaders are required to have a broad and deep knowledge of advanced technology, and to be able to consider what kind of technology can be used for their company.
② Practice agile development
Agile development is a development method used when developing software and systems, in which the four development processes are divided into small cycles of function units and repeated.
A finely divided cycle will make it easier for DX promotion to succeed. It also has the advantage that it is easy to respond to changes and modifications depending on the situation.
(3) Improving employee digital literacy
The purpose of DX human resource development is to promote DX throughout the company . In order to realize DX throughout the company, instead of promoting DX only in some departments, it is necessary to improve the digital literacy of each employee.
3 services for DX human resource development
We will introduce three services that support the development of DX human resources.
- Aidemy BUSINESS
- Jissen! DX
- Digital Growth Academia
Please use it as a reference.
Aidemy BUSINESS
Aidemy BUSINESS is an e-learning platform that supports DX human resource development and organization creation centered on AI and leads to business success .
It is recommended for those who are trying to start a DX project in-house, and has a wealth of learning content about DX.
In addition, a dedicated customer success will support an environment that makes it easy to develop DX human resources, such as creating the optimal learning curriculum for each and guiding other companies’ exchange meetings.
Jissen! DX
Jissen! DX is an online school specializing in DX that provides practical learning.
You can take a wide variety of courses, from the basic operation of IT tools to skills that are useful in your work. In addition, you can search and study the themes you care about and the issues you want to learn with pinpoint accuracy.
Because you can learn systematically, it is attractive that you can “practice” in the workplace from the day you learn, rather than just acquiring knowledge.
Digital Growth Academia
Digital Growth Academia is a human resource development service that aims to develop both people who create digital and people who use digital.
We aim to quickly develop DX human resources and quickly create DX effects by providing consistent support, from the formulation of the content of how to develop human resources to escort consulting to realize DX. increase.
It is attractive that there are 6 service areas and certification preparation courses that share knowledge and wisdom extracted from the site of DX execution.
5 examples of DX human resource development initiatives
Cultivating DX Human Resources at Corporate Universities-Daikin Industries, Ltd.
Daikin Industries, Ltd. is working to develop DX human resources, aiming for the image of DX human resources who are “innovators who have expertise, think and act, involve stakeholders, and can make full use of AI and IoT technology .” Therefore, we opened the “Daikin Information Technology University” as an in-house course .
This makes it possible to provide educational programs linked to corporate strategies . In addition, we are aiming to transform the entire company by building an acceptance system that can make use of highly skilled DX human resources.
Launching a specialized organization to develop DX human resources-SoftBank Corp.
The image of DX human resources advocated by SoftBank Corp. emphasizes “skills to create and commercialize new business schemes” .
In 2017, we established the DX Headquarters as a specialized organization for solving social issues .
An organization centered on employees who were active in sales because they are highly conscious of sales and costs, which are important in launching a new business. Characterized by configuration .
The organization is also focusing on human resource development to strengthen the capabilities necessary to create new businesses . In-house training in 2017 achieved a 93% satisfaction rate.
The high level of satisfaction is due to the continuous consideration of ” what knowledge is necessary for DX” conducted by the DX headquarters at the same time as training DX . In addition, the company attaches great importance to the attitude of continuing to take on challenges without fear of failure .
Working to Improve Employee Digital Literacy-Mizuho Financial Group
Mizuho Financial Group aims to “transform to next-generation finance” and is working to bring about innovation in business and society by utilizing digital technology .
For that reason, we have focused not only on developing DX human resources who will take on specialized positions, but also on improving the digital literacy of all employees . The program offers a combination of classroom learning and hands-on practice .
In addition, we are promoting collaboration with external companies based on the idea that “I want you to bring the knowledge you have gained from experiencing the DX site back to your workplace and grow as a leader in promoting DX .”
Cultivating business skills at the same time – Obayashi Corporation
At Obayashi Corporation, a human resource development program was held with the aim of improving the digital literacy of employees. In the construction industry, we are working on digitalization because we have problems with working hours, a decrease in the number of workers, and individuality.
Since we have employees of a wide range of generations, we have defined what kind of human resources we want to be for each generation and for each role, and then carry out training. In addition to how to use the tools, we also have a mindset that makes employees aware of how to finish efficiently.
We aim to understand digital technology, improve productivity, transform business models, and create new businesses.
In-house production of digital technology – NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS
NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS is working to improve the digital skills of all employees. In system development, we have introduced “low-code development tools” so that development can be done without relying on external vendors.
“Low-code development tools” are tools that allow you to develop apps without programming. Since we were able to build an environment for development within the division, we were able to complete everything from development to implementation in-house.
summary
DX human resources are indispensable for companies to promote DX.
Now that the shortage of DX human resources is a major issue, an increasing number of companies are developing DX human resources in-house.
While thinking about “what is necessary to develop DX human resources,” let’s try to develop DX human resources by holding down the points introduced in this article.
If you develop DX human resources as a company and promote DX, you can expect to create new value.
