[Vision]Case Studies

The work efficiency of schedule coordination has been widely improved with an aim to further increase the number of interviews.

Vision Inc.

Mr. Takayuki Watanabe, General Manager of Corporate Planning Dept. and IR Dept.
Ms. Tomomi Shiba, Secretary of Business Promotion Office and Chief of IR Department
Ms. Mikako Yamazaki, Business Promotion Office

Vision Inc. was founded as a distributor of information and communication equipment. The company has since contributed to every scenes of information and communication.

The company has been enhancing its overseas operations for a wide variety of services. We asked the IR manager and staff, who continuously seek to reach out to institutional investors not only in Japan but also abroad, about the story behind the introduction and use of the Interview Schedule Calendar as well as the goals they would like to pursue in IR.

Could you share with us the operation issues so far?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we would often visit clients for a whole day, so we had to coordinate schedules in between visits. As a result, we often could not reply or respond smoothly. Consequently, it took a long time from schedule proposal to confirmation. We had to leave multiple dates to the securities companies to coordinate our schedules. But the dates we proposed were not available until they were confirmed, so we were experiencing challenges in schedule coordination.

Could you share with us how you came across Minsetsu?

We received an offer from Minsetsu, and around the same time we received an offer from the sell side as well. Since the trial was free, we thought we would try it for a year.

Did you compare with other services in introducing our service?

As we were also using IR support tools from other companies, we thought we would make use of each easy-to-use function wisely. For example, we use Minsetsu1 by sending the URL of the Interview Schedule Calendar2 in simultaneous e-mails after the announcement of financial results. We also use IR support tools from other companies, which are Calendar Management and Investor Database. We also use a simultaneous email distribution at a time slightly later than the sending of the Interview Schedule Calendar. We have decided to use multiple tools instead of limiting to one tool after a trial and error process in order to work effectively.

*1 Minsetsu: a free service for the companies’ IR to post a financial results briefing, make arrangements with securities companies/institutional investors, and make meeting minutes.

*2 Interview Schedule Calendar: Minsetsu System that allows you to create the interview schedule with the company’s institutional investors, share the URL with securities companies/institutional investors to make the interview arrangements easy.

Could you share with us what made you decide to apply?

Minsetsu does not have a tentative reservation function. When we send a URL, the client makes a request for the dates they are available, and we simply reply to the request. So, both the time for scheduling and lead time until schedule confirmation have been shorter. This is what made us choose Minsetsu.

Could you share with us how you are utilizing the application?

We send the URL of the Interview Schedule Calendar Calendar when we send a simultaneous e-mail at the announcement of financial results and when we reply to a direct request. Then, all we have to do is check the application in the Interview Schedule Calendar, which has really made our work a lot easier. Previously, whenever we were doing other work or visiting clients, scheduling was always on my mind. Now we can focus on one task at a time.

Could you share with us what issues have you resolved since applying the system?

The number of interviews is about 300 each year. We have seen a gradual increase in the number of interviews using the Interview Schedule Calendar, with 3 in 2019, 35 in 2020, and 30 in the first half of 2021. In the past, we had to schedule them during transportation, breaks, and short periods of time in the morning and evening. Now we can schedule at any time without worrying about time. The time required to set up interviews is reduced and the dates are finalized more quickly. That’s why our work efficiency has been greatly improved.

We no longer have to check the schedule and look for available days each time. I think the time for scheduling has reduced by about 60-70%.

Do you have any other plans you would like to do in IR in the future?

We aim to further increase the number of interviews. We will handle any possibilities for this by running the PDCA cycle. We will conduct interviews frequently enough so that institutional investors feel that our company is very lively.

We are seeking to find ways to meet with institutional investors we have not yet met, and even with those that do not know our company. We would like to effectively reach out for connections, both in Japan and abroad.

Lastly, could you share with us your expectations for Minsetsu?

It would be great if more securities companies would be added to the user base. This is because access to securities companies’ corporate access is considered a rival to some of the companies. Also, it would help to have the function to allow each institutional investor to search for the company segment of their choice.