The news that Hachinohe City has opened a “Digitalization/DX Support Center” offering accompaniment-based support for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) signals a new trend in regional digitalization. At the same time, cases where prefectural governments collaborate with municipalities to promote DX are also drawing attention.
These moves are not just administrative services. For business owners, they provide excellent material for considering how to leverage external resources when faced with IT investment decisions.
This article analyzes local government DX support measures from the perspective of “accompaniment-based support” and explains the essential points business owners should grasp.
What “Accompaniment” Really Means
The use of the term “accompaniment-based support” stems from the realization that traditional “consulting” or “training” methods have failed to advance digitalization among regional SMEs.
In the past, many support measures involved an expert giving a few hours of advice and then leaving. However, this left business owners unsure of what to do or how to proceed on the ground.
The distinctive feature of Hachinohe City’s initiative is that it is not merely a consultation desk; it involves understanding each company’s actual situation and providing support while accompanying them. This is a crucial approach that prevents IT adoption from falling into a “void of purpose.”
The Role of Accompaniment in Filling the Void of Purpose
Many SMEs have a vague sense that they “need to do DX somehow,” but lack a defined specific purpose. Introducing tools in this state only results in systems that go unused.
The essence of accompaniment-based support lies in the process of clarifying the purpose—”Why is digitalization necessary?”—together with the business owner. Government experts help define the purpose of IT by drawing out the business owner’s own thoughts.
A New Model for Promoting Local Government DX
The other piece of news—”Establishing a prefecture-led DX promotion system”—points in the same direction. This model, where the prefecture exchanges opinions with municipalities and promotes DX based on a joint declaration, applies the concept of “accompaniment” to inter-municipal relationships.
Dispatching ICT advisors and offering support through diverse menus are structurally similar to accompaniment-based support for SMEs. In other words, there is a growing consensus that in regional digitalization, “accompaniment”—which draws out an organization’s capabilities—is indispensable, rather than just introducing tools.
Key Points for Business Owners
There is much business owners can learn from these news stories. First, it is important to choose an “accompaniment-based” partner for your own company’s digitalization. Select a partner who will accompany you, not just a vendor who installs a system and walks away.
Specifically, criteria for judgment include whether they offer follow-up support after implementation and propose regular meetings with management. Also, prioritize the process of aligning your company’s management challenges with the purpose of IT, rather than simply relying on subsidies.
Breaking Free from “Borrowed Management”
IT adoption reliant on subsidies often leads to “borrowed management.” Systems that fall into disuse once the subsidy ends, or cases where the effects cannot be measured, are all too common.
Accompaniment-based support has the potential to solve this problem. By having an expert accompany them, business owners can embed IT as a genuine management resource, rather than a “borrowed” tool.
Concrete Example: From Subsidies to Accompaniment
For example, consider a manufacturing SME that uses a subsidy to introduce accounting software. With conventional support, the usage after implementation was often not followed up, and many companies ended up reverting to Excel.
However, with accompaniment-based support, the expert can work with the business owner after implementation to think about “Why is this software necessary?” and “What data should be used and how?”, thereby establishing the system’s use. This significantly changes the ROI of the IT investment.
Actions Business Owners Should Take
Initiatives like Hachinohe City’s Support Center are spreading nationwide. As a business owner, first investigate what support measures are available in your region.
When utilizing support, it is crucial to view it not just as “consultation,” but as leveraging a “partner who accompanies you.” Rather than outsourcing everything to an expert, adopt an attitude of sharing your company’s management challenges and working together to find solutions.
Defining the Purpose of IT
Ultimately, it is the business owner who defines the purpose of IT. Accompaniment-based support helps with that process; it does not decide for you.
What role should IT play in your company’s business strategy? Facing this question is the first step toward successful digitalization. Use regional DX support measures as an opportunity to think about this question.
Hachinohe City’s initiative presents a new model for regional SMEs to grow by leveraging IT. Business owners should view this trend as an opportunity and a good chance to review their own IT strategies.
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