The increased prominence of emerging markets, and the need for new innovation in response to industry regulations such as carbon restrictions are fueling the global competition.

NRI industry experts provide practical consultation for the formulation of business strategies in emerging markets, and they establish systems to implement the strategies and achieve cross-business innovation. We do not just propose plans; NRI carries out plans together with our clients until they achieve their targets.

Consulting Areas

Differentiation strategies to enter the vehicle electronics business

NRI supports domestic and overseas automakers and parts manufacturers as well as electronics manufacturers that are shifting from consumer electronics to in-vehicle devices.

Increased awareness on environmental protection has shone a light on the importance of electronics in automobiles. It is harder for the auto industry to efficiently develop and produce in-vehicle electronic devices, as technologies have become more complex. The systems and relationships surrounding the production processes need to be considered from a new angle.

We work to formulate differentiation strategies using advanced in-vehicle technologies, establish the organization structure that implements the strategies, and prepare the development structure, including:

• Differentiation strategy using probe data and vehicle information data
• Securing competitiveness in anti-collision functions and related technologies
• The form of architecture and the development structure of vehicle-integrated control and automated driving

Establishment of a new business model in the energy equipment market overseas

For energy-related facilities, it is essential to create comprehensive business models by considering the performance of the equipment, including design, construction, and after-sales services while identifying the entire profit, including the one during operation.

In today’s global competition, creating business model that maximizes profit in the entire value chain rooted in each region is key to success.

NRI supports clients’ decision-making flows and works together with them to develop those business models that will maximize profits.

Omni-directional reform in the production system industry

NRI offers omni-directional consulting services to equipment manufacturers to create organizations, functions, and business strategies using existing technologies rather than being exclusively devoted to technological advancement.

• Sales and channel reform suitable for the local market
• Development of a stock-type (service-type) business model
• Functional and organizational reform to create reverse innovation

NRI has industry experts who understand technologies and markets further downstream and focus on providing consultation services using hands-on study and analysis. We provide our clients with a wide range of support, including redefining their core competencies, planning company-wide strategic concepts that form winning patterns, recombining portfolios, and developing new businesses with a view to collaborating with external companies.

Consulting Area

Structure and portfolio reform under global strategies

As global industry structures are changing, it is important to recombine portfolios with a view to partnership with other companies.

NRI offers support beyond the conventional framework. We support evaluation of current business situations, including market environment and the company's competitiveness, creation of the concept of company-wide reform, promotion of the feasible framework, and finally, establishment of the new system.

Business domain development, adaptation and modification

Trying to fix failing projects is usually an uphill battle. NRI understands the business cycle and volatility of a project and can advise robust business structures on how to endure changes in the transitional business environment.

Preparation of new business domain is the key. Many firms suffer from "Not-Invented-Here" syndrome, sticking to in-house technology that may reduce the success rate of new projects. NRI's methodology focuses on macro-trends and core competencies, creates new business hypotheses based on the analysis, and tests / modifies them according to real market experience. We can assist your new business development, including ways to use outside resources.

The global auto industry has a major issue with business deployment to fast-growing emerging markets, on top of the existing challenges to promote green energy and sustainability.

NRI automotive group deploys consultants in Japan, U.S., Europe, China, India, and ASEAN countries with insights and analysis of unique local market conditions to support clients with on-the-ground research. NRI leverages its network of governments, universities, and research institutions worldwide to remain current on the latest policies and technology trends. Taking advantage of an abundance of consultants with science backgrounds, we regularly bring future perspective to the automotive industry based on our deep knowledge of technology. We use this accumulated knowledge to provide complete support along the supply chain of the automotive industry, from the formulation to the implementation of plans using the cross-sectional cooperative structure. Our support covers business and engineering strategies, rule-making strategies that influence policy, marketing, development outsourcing, local procurement, and dealer management; and after-business strategies, to name a few.

Consulting Areas

Business strategy in the automotive industry and the auto parts industry

Recently the auto industry has moved towards regional specialization of technology development, with different regions having different strengths. For example, China, India, and ASEAN specialize in development of peripheral industries (materials, parts, production equipment), with automotive IT mostly in the U.S., and advanced safety technologies in Europe. Therefore, it has become necessary to seek the resources of vehicle production across the world, and the Japanese auto industry has had to deploy manufacturing functions on a global scale.

NRI does not just provide marketing research and support; we support the entire business strategy for auto and auto-parts manufacturers to stay competitive in the global market, ranging from supply chain establishment and business collaboration to role allocation between headquarters and overseas offices.

Technology strategies including next-generation vehicles, self-driving and materials

Today’s automotive industry focuses on the development of environmental and safety technologies represented by sustainable electric powertrains and self-driving interfaces. These technologies require advanced control technologies and their prominence further accelerates computerization of cars. At the same time, new players from the electrical industry are bringing the "logic of the electronics industry" to the automotive industry, including shorter development cycles and horizontal division of labor (meaning dispersing work tasks to different types of specialists). This will have a great impact on the structure of the industry.

NRI values the attitude of understanding the application of emerging technologies before speaking about the business. For example, for the electric powertrain field, NRI established a system to discuss, review and make proposals for the entire value chain including systems, batteries, components and materials. This system allows us to regularly study and analyze the future perspective of powertrain on a global scale, supporting the establishment of clients' visions as well as the formulation of business strategy.

Dealer management reform in markets of emerging countries

The auto market structure is shifting from the demand for the first vehicles to the demand for substitute vehicles. Manufacturers also need to operate with the dealers and emphasize the retention of existing customers. However, as many dealers are established quickly to catch up with the rapid growth of the market, there is a lack of service capabilities and poor insight of the industry causing serious problems.

NRI conducts a project in China for reforming dealer services in cooperation with several manufacturers of consumer vehicles. In addition to the development of service programs in emerging countries and providing customer service training, we promote deployment of the "Japanese-style dealer services," in which results are thoroughly visualized and managed.

Planning and promotion of group strategies for automotive and parts businesses

The mission of automotive manufacturers is to support the sustainable development of society through the development of attractive, sustainable vehicles. In that sense, the needs for sustainable practices, safety, comfort, and convenience will increase. However, it is important to note that there are declining trends towards lower prices as a result of the rise of emerging markets. Accordingly, technology development in vehicles will become so bloated and complex that the supply of management resources for manufacturers is not only constrained but forced to run businesses beyond their capability.

NRI proposes group strategies that work beyond the boundaries of individual departments for the entire organization. The strategies should be based on total optimization, but also provide customers with steadfast support to reach a consensus of each company.

In the global marketplace, companies are targeting international growth to a more diverse spectrum of countries, and so has become necessary to identify strong supporting strategies and implement after-deployment restructuring plans. NRI provides thorough support for your global business expansion tailored to your target market destinations.

Consulting Areas

Global deployment and restructuring

International deployment of business has become commonplace, and these markets are now more diversified. In order to target new markets you have to consider the capabilities of your organization, along with the compatibility to the strategies and the appeal of the market.

Many companies have promoted business deployment via various approaches, including through wholly owned subsidiaries, investment subsidiaries or through joint ventures. Now, it is time to review the winning strategies for global expansion, including the capital policies.

NRI provides consistent support in selecting target destinations, entering those markets, and conducting restructuring.

Alliance execution support in market destinations

Consumer goods and services is distinct in that functions need to be adjusted to local customs and differing regional business practices. In many cases, partnerships are needed with companies that have experience in the target regions to provide necessary functions.

These partnerships can specify the expectations and functions needed, and can build consensus in accordance with those expectations. NRI supports establishing a feasible system of operations ranging from the formulation of alliance strategies to the provision of FA functions, including basic agreement and terms negotiations.

Both domestically and globally, the medical device and pharmaceutical business is a unique market environment. Advanced management capability is required, in addition to a deep understanding of the industry. NRI provides this deep understanding, through various consultation services, to legacy and new entrants. We help establish management strategies based on the results of many years of study of social security systems and the extensive understanding of characteristics of international market sectors.

Consulting Areas

Health technology assessment (HTA)

Due to increasing medical expenses, adoption of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of medical policies is becoming commonplace around the world. The British government was among the first in the world to adopt HTA, and while it’s argued to be a hurdle for new drug approval, it serves as a basis for lowering drug prices. In order to protect the values of their own products, pharmaceutical companies have to establish a system to respond to HTA.

NRI conducts intensive studies globally, evaluating infrastructure and system using our expert analysis. Using our results from these studies, NRI provides consulting services to pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment manufacturers around the world in order to provide organizational measures for HTA introduction, as well as to the actual evaluation operations.

Business and growth strategies for the pharmaceutical industry

Pharmaceutical companies around the world have suffered from significant sales volume decline due to the expiration of large-scale drug patents. Industry leaders have successfully used collaboration and M&A to renew their pipelines. NRI supports pharmaceutical firms around the world in addressing critical business themes such as sales and cost structure reforms, lifecycle management of existing products, and overseas market development.

Business and growth strategies for the medical device (equipment and materials) industry

The medical device market is expected to grow to the $47 billion mark worldwide by 2018, attracting attention from investors due to the generally higher profitability. However, while the market is attractive, it needs to innovate amid the drastic changes in the market environment, such as an aging global population, increase in chronic diseases, and expansion of demand in emerging countries.

The medical device industry is complicated, with legacy competition rules created by industry leaders and a unique cost structure that other manufacturing industries have difficulty comprehending. Deep industry understanding on management strategies for innovation is needed in order to develop sustainable business growth.

Through consistent support across the corporate structure, NRI redesigns organizations to match the uniqueness of the business segment and supports formulation and execution of measures to enhance competitiveness of our clients.

Projects NRI is Involved in the Healthcare and Welfare Fields

• Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry: Promotion of Internationalization of Medical Equipment and Services
• Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare: Study on the Policies of Facilitating the Foundation of Future Nursing Care Services
• Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Promotion of the Information Platform for Home Medical Care and Nursing Care

More and more energy and infrastructure companies are looking for new opportunities particularly in ASEAN and the Americas. In these markets, the localization of people and management are keys to building and sustaining growth, and this globalization exists on a shorter timeline.

NRI provides support for organizations in this new harsh environment, providing unique solutions ranging from management reform for public sector organizations to global strategy development for private sector businesses.

Consulting Areas

Global strategies for heavy electric machinery and trading companies

Investment opportunities for infrastructure projects, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and energy and resource development, are rapidly expanding as competition increases. In order to move forward as global players, companies are required to concurrently promote strategies for expansion of business scales, micro-level risk management, and reform of global human resources.

These strategies are executed while evolving business models from manufacturing to EPC, and from EPC to investment or after-sales services. In cooperation with locations in China, ASEAN, India, Russia, and the Americas, NRI supports managing portfolios of market entry strategies and business investment, as well as planning and creating global management systems in order to achieve global strategies, from conception to implementation.

Policy planning support for energy, environment, resources, and recycling

Regulations have a strong impact on the formation of energy markets, particularly on a company’s competitiveness. Energy regulations are consistently being updated, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty. To address this uncertainty, companies are required to adjust their decisions in line with the latest conditions and to address issues in cooperation with the public sector.

While liaising between public and private sectors, NRI supports the development of policies and business strategies, the execution of systems and measures, and the realization of plans with a precise view to future trends and changing societies and markets.

Projects NRI is Involved in the Environment and Energy Fields

• Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry: Administrative Office (PMO) for the Rare Earth R&D Assistant Project
• Agency for Natural Resources and Energy: Study on the Top Runner Program for Building Materials Providers
• Agency for Natural Resources and Energy: Development of Guidelines for Incentive Demand Response (DR)
• NEDO: Feasibility Study on the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM)

The transportation and logistics sectors are facing various challenges, including the globalization of the economy and global deregulation.

NRI supports private transportation, logistics firms, and government offices with the establishment and implementation of strategies, promoting business model reforms.

Consulting Areas

Restructuring of the Transportation and Logistics Industries

Major industry changes are steadily occurring in transportation and logistics, including the progress of airline liberalization, the rise of LCCs, and growing competition among airlines, railways, and highway buses over high-speed transportation services. All of this is leading to rapid evolution of the industry.

Meanwhile, leading manufacturers are further deepening and expanding their supply chains. In order to respond to these trends, the logistics industry is also restructuring beyond the boundaries of traditional business types and categories.

NRI provides consistent restructuring support, from formulation and execution to establishment of strategies through creation of growth tactics, along with support for M&A.

Overseas expansion

In Asian emerging markets, improvement of social infrastructures such as railways, airports, harbors, and roads are often far behind the comparative economic growth of the region. Although improvement in infrastructure in these countries is a matter of urgency, it requires significant budget. Accordingly, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) has been gradually introduced to use private operators as a means of funding.

NRI supports overseas business expansion, including the formulation of business models and strategies of alliances with local partners, with a perspective of PPP.

Japan's population has been falling and the number of households will likely peak around the year 2020.

The housing industry is most affected by the decline in population and the number of households. As a decline is expected in new housing starts, the conventional business structure of the market needs to be shifted to a form that can deal with remodeling and distribution of existing houses. In addition, launching businesses in the markets in Asia and emerging countries is also an important issue as demand is expected to expand in these countries in contrast to the Japanese market.

Due to the "market industrialization" where the market fluctuates in a cyclical fashion along with maturity of domestic economy and society, the real estate industry has more diverse and complex investment schemes and market players. For the real estate industry, enhancing real estate value through maintenance and management has never been more important, in addition to the conventional investment in new real estate. It is also necessary to take on the challenge of global expansion, utilizing the world's best construction techniques in Japan and urban development expertise.

NRI has been gaining thorough understanding of the industry structure and business practices unique to Japan to accumulate extensive consulting experience. We offer a wide range of support from company-wide strategies that ensure a winning pattern to respond to the changing environment, from recombination of portfolios and individual business strategies to the planning and execution of new businesses.

Consulting Areas

Overseas expansion of housing and real estate companies

As the domestic market is weakening, capturing growth of overseas markets centered on Asia has become an important issue to continue to improve corporate values. In particular, the housing and real estate businesses are strongly affected by the local climate, culture, law and regulations, industry structure and business practices. Therefore, understanding in the characteristics of the business environment in the target market is necessary when expanding business in overseas. Partnership with local companies is also essential.

NRI supports clients in various business stages in cooperation with overseas business locations with a central base in Asia, including analysis on business environment of target markets, selection of alliance partners and negotiation with them.

Structural Reform of Domestic Business

Companies in the housing and real estate industry are faced with the necessity of reforming business structures and portfolios for its domestic businesses in order to resolve the business structure that is dependent on new housing starts and to respond to the changes in the real estate business resulting from the market industrialization.

However, it is not easy to overcome the business model that has long been used. The structural reform can be difficult because the housing and real estate businesses in particular have a large profit per one opportunity or project, and the management structure and framework have already matured.

NRI supports group restructuring, organizational reform, sales reform, business reform, and system development in order to make sure efficient business operations are associated with strategy alternation. We not only support organizational structure and system development but also provide services to establish new organizations, to systems in place, and to foster the next generation management and other human resources.

Development of new businesses in the housing and real estate industries / Entry of other industries into the housing and real estate industries

As the domestic market is weakening, development of new businesses is one of the big challenges. An increasing number of companies launch new businesses in cooperation with other industries, such as the energy sector and the ICT sector. On the other hand, an increasing number of companies from other industries such as energy, ICT, electrical, and automobile are also entering the housing and real estate markets.

NRI provides a wide range of support in new business development including planning and implementation of new businesses and concepts, and business alliance with players from other industries.

Although the ICT and media industries have brought about drastic changes to society with digitalization, the Internet, and mobile phones, it is now time for them to step into the next phase. To overcome the maturity and fierce competition of the domestic market, companies need to work on the development of new services, review of earning structure, restructuring of organizations and systems through industry restructuring, development of overseas markets, and active entry into peripheral areas or upper layers.

Under these circumstances, companies are more aware of the risk of losing the competition with global companies and other industries if they only have the conventional marketing and growth strategies that focus on controlling unit prices, capturing new subscribers, and updating technology generations.

NRI, in the ICT and Media Group, provides support to various clients including service providers, equipment manufacturers, government agencies, consumers, and other business operators. We promote operations on a global scale to support clients' efforts to resolve management issues as well as to disseminate information, through the knowledge of market trends, forecast of technology trends, formulation of marketing strategies, and evaluation of corporate value from various angles.

Consulting Areas

Development of new businesses and entry into upper layers in the communications and broadcast industries

Promotion of new services and expansion of business areas are on the rise responding to the maturity of the communications and broadcast industries. However, many telecommunications carriers and broadcasting companies are often constrained by the perspectives that come from existing business characteristics, such as vertically integrated business models and the economies of scale inherent to the network industry. This poses an obstacle to the cooperation and collaboration with other companies from other industries and business layers.

NRI, as the first think tank in Japan as well as one of the largest consulting organizations in Japan, captures a wide range of businesses including private companies, government agencies, and industry organizations. We support service and business development from various perspectives in providing effective measures; for example, examination of business models and cooperation with various companies and organizations, to name a few.

Development of businesses and systems in the EC and content fields

With the growing popularity of the Internet and mobile phones, the EC and content businesses are growing rapidly represented by Internet shopping and music and video distribution. These businesses are evolving into sales that are comparable to or even surpass existing sales channels and business models.

Under these circumstances, the industries will continue to face many management issues, such as development of a marketing approach that takes advantage of characteristics of the Internet and development of a new approach to Big Data technologies, and development of overseas business segments.

NRI has been involved in many projects in the fields of video clips, music, and ebooks through advanced understanding of market trends and the transmission of such information. We provide services to support business growth in various situations from development of services, creation of administrative organizations, and establishment of distribution, billing, and customer support systems.

Overseas expansion and business restructuring in the solution field

In the software and system development industry and the solution industry, many business operators struggle with handling a pile of management issues, such as maturity of the market resulting from stagnation of IT expenses in companies, decline of unit prices, aging of internal personnel, multilayered supply systems, excessive competition involving many small and medium-sized businesses, response to new technologies such as the Cloud and the Internet, and creation of new businesses.

Based on the extensive knowledge accumulated by experience in research and consulting in the field, NRI provides services to support M&As and restructuring based on the corporate value evaluations and other elements. We also support market research, formulation of marketing strategies, overseas expansion by exploring partners, HR evaluation of aging programmers and SEs, and development of their carrier paths.

The characteristics of finance businesses are that they should offer the most important social infrastructure and strategic tools for companies. They should also lead the virtualization while being a massive equipment industry, demonstrating technical superiority and accuracy. For the last few years, financial businesses have been strongly affected by the IT revolution, system changes, and trends in the flattening global market. Accordingly, an increasing number of new players have entered the market from overseas and other industries. Emergence of new financial businesses has also been prominent.

The focal point of success in future financial businesses is how quickly companies can respond to the ever-changing market, systems, and environment. They need to optimally leverage their own resources and external resources and sophisticate the method of management.

In the financial consulting field, we help financial institutions and business corporations promptly launch businesses, thoroughly prepare systems, and develop new marketing approaches ahead of the competition by utilizing the consumers' needs database and domestic and international networks accumulated over the years.

Consulting Areas

Restructuring of customer touchpoints and service innovation

While many companies take the "customer-oriented" philosophy, not many of them succeed in their services. The major reasons for this are that companies cannot cross the boundaries of existing operations and services even when they promote "customer-oriented" services, and they cannot find a good balance between the services desired by customers and their own profit as financial institutions.

NRI helps your company realize service innovation using newly developed approaches. For example, in the "customer-oriented business reform," NRI removes existing frameworks from the client's operations and redesigns their services based on customer behavior processes. Another example is the introduction of the face-to-face "personal channel" that was created utilizing IT technology. With this personal channel, clients can offer advanced high-touch services to their customers at a low cost.

Area Marketing

Even with the progress of IT, the center of the sales network of financial institutions has still been "stores". It's not easy to find the best store opening strategy that can capture changing customers' behavior processes, which are affected by the diversification of customer needs, the progress of IT, and an aging population.

NRI supports financial institutions in formulating area strategies, restructuring store allocations, and facilitating strategic deployment. We help them improve their area strategies and develop functions of new concept stores. We also help them open and relocate stores by conducting analyses and giving proposals based on detailed statistical data, with information to the street number level and a financial survey of 10,000 people; the voice of 10,000 people across the nation.

Entry into emerging countries in Asia

The global economy rebounded between 2010 and 2011, anchored by the growth of emerging countries. This revealed the difference in the rate of growth between developed and emerging countries. The presence of emerging countries has also expanded in the financial business. Even though entry into emerging counties is a critical theme, companies might spend an enormous amount of time in prior research and decision-making due to the significant differences in each country's financial systems, behavior and practices, and infrastructures.

NRI has already established networks with regulatory authorities, the central bank, local law firms, and other partners through services we provided in improving the financial capital market of emerging countries in Asia. With this network, we can help financial institutions enter the market in emerging countries or establish support systems for their business partners.

Support for financial institutions in conformity with legal systems

Trends in legal systems and policies have a great impact on financial businesses. For example, the trend of diversified SMEs financing, as an economic and regional development policy, have brought about availability of ABL and the bond markets as a means of fund raising for SMEs. Also, most recently, preparation for the introduction of the My number system has had great impact on operations and systems in financial institutions.

NRI anticipates the trends of these legal systems and policies through presentation of policy recommendations and research on overseas cases to create, for example, a template to respond to the individual number system. We support your company until the preparation for the policies and systems are reflected by operational processes, system designing, and product development.

Administration reform for realization of business strategies

In addition to the response to legal frameworks, establishing a prompt operational structure corresponding to business strategies is one of the most critical management issues in the financial industry with advanced information systemization. It can even be said that superiority and inferiority of financial institutions can be determined by how quickly they can reflect the basic policies and business strategies in their operations and information systems.

Based on the experience and knowledge as a leading vendor in the financial industry, NRI helps financial institutions conduct reform on their administration in every aspect of introduction and transition to the new operation and information systems through the design of financial business operations, preparation of training and manuals, and definition of system requirements.

In order for Japan's economy to continue to grow, creating new businesses, actively expanding them to the new market, and creating and nurturing new industries are essential. While individual companies and industries usually take the lead in such efforts, the role of the public sector has also been changing. Not only supporting and improving the efforts of individual companies and industries, the public sector is also required to play the role of a navigator who facilitates and establishes frameworks and legal systems to promote such new efforts. The typical examples are the export strategy of infrastructure systems, promotion of sixth-order industrialization, acceleration of venture, and start-ups that are all declared in the Japan Revitalization Strategies.

Based on such trends, NRI supports national and local governments in planning, establishing, and realizing highly-effective policies and strategies that well consider the positions and needs of public and private sectors, utilizing the abundance of studies and consulting experiences in both sectors. Furthermore, in order to make sure of sustained development, we support our clients in making frameworks and establishing new legal systems while providing advice to policymakers and liaising between them and industries where needed.

Consulting Area

Support on policy planning

In order to resolve various social problems such as declining birthrates and aging populations, resource and energy problems, increased risk of natural disasters, and intense international competition in the economy and industry aspects, the first step is to plan and implement policies in individual fields represented by the following categories. Using expertise and experience accumulated over the years as a think tank, NRI smoothly promotes various types of research and analysis such as policy research, case studies, system designing, policy recommendations, policy evaluation, and impact analysis. In addition, we ensure provision of customers' desired results (intellectual property, outcomes, etc.) by utilizing the network with related industries and demonstrating insight into policy needs.

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Examples of service areas:

Environmental Energy, Social Infrastructure, Regional Revitalization, Disaster Prevention, Tourism (including MICE), ICT and Community Development, Agriculture and ICT, Industry and Trade, Healthcare and Welfare, Information and Communications, Others

Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Private Finance Initiative (PFI)

As clarified in the Japan Revitalization Strategies, leveraging the power of the private sector is essential for the effective development and use of various infrastructures. Public infrastructures such as airports, roads, and water have already been considered the "infrastructure business" in the world and provide attractive business opportunities to private companies. In addition, the opening of public facilities to the private sector (PPP/PFT) has been progressing rapidly. The Japanese government has announced that they would expand the scale of PPP and PFI to the target of 12 trillion yen in the next 10 years (2013-2022). NRI supports the national and local governments in addressing these initiatives. We also support private companies in formulating business strategies to capture these opportunities.

Support on policy realization (PMO)

In order to resolve diversified and complex social issues, it is important to ensure and promote both the review and execution of policies. In accordance with the decrease in the number of government officials who are supposed to handle such matters, a part of the promotion function has been outsourced to third parties.

NRI, as a "supporter of policy realization", actively takes over such operations to contribute to the realization of various policies. We have worked in the fields of industrial development and promotion, reconstruction and community support, environment and energy, and healthcare and welfare. We will continue to function as a project management office (PMO) and support smooth implementation of operations, development, settlement of frameworks, and even formulation of new policies.

Industry Promotion and Market Development in Emerging Countries

The Japanese government implements various measures to improve infrastructure and business environment in emerging countries. These measures include funding assistance and technical cooperation such as ODA, international negotiations with developing countries, and establishment of international standards.

NRI supports clients of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), etc. in formulating economic and industrial strategies for their operations in emerging countries, establishing systems of PPP and monetary and finance, formulating master plans and providing feasibility studies for development projects in such sectors as electricity, railroads, and other infrastructures. NRI also supports overseas expansion for small and medium-sized companies to promote overseas business deployment of Japanese companies, yielding effective results for the realization of projects in emerging countries from both public and private perspectives.

Sustainability-Focused Consulting

Focusing on sustainability is becoming a higher executive priority across the global business landscape, particularly around ESG principles. Corporate accountability for social good and contribution, internally and externally, support growth in the medium and long-term.

Through NRI’s sustainability-focused consulting, we see three managerial results: competition strategy, risk hedging, and loyalty engagement. In harnessing our wealth of sustainability expertise, we support clients achieve sustainable growth.

Consulting Areas

Workstyle Reform to Improve the Value of Work

At present, “Workstyle reform” has become a management issue which all companies, regardless of business type, industry type and company size need to address. Most of the current reforms aim at “reducing long working hours”, “improving work efficiency”, “securing workforce” and “enabling flexible ways of working”.

These initiatives are needed to be achieved in the short run. However, considering the adverse effects of reforms (decrease of employee’s motivation, damage to the value of work etc.) and the shift in responsibilities that should be done by a human resource due to dissemination of AI and RPA, it is necessary to carry “Workstyle reform” to the next level in order to improve the value of work.

Support in Drafting “Ideal Working Ways” using Designing Approach

In order to improve the value of work, it is eventually essential that each and every employee change their way of doing work. Therefore, it is necessary to draft “ideal working ways”, an ideal image aimed for realizing workstyle reforms.

However, it is not easy to express “Ideal working ways”. There are many cases in where ideal working ways of the company are either not expressed adequately or expressed in too many words, thereby preventing employees from making them their own.

NRI drafts an image of “Ideal working ways” in the form of attractive images or videos as well as aims at realizing individual “Ownership” of the reforms, by designing or providing a platform for employee discussion using the drafted image.

Support for Designing and Conducting Training Programs for the Establishment of “Work-Oriented” and “Reform-Oriented” Programs with the Focus on Customer

With rapid digital transformation, it is necessary to respond to the drastically changing environment and change the ways of working. For example, GE has been working on globally deploying a work style reform called FastWorks Every day and making this customer-oriented, simple and speedy concept a core of organization culture.

The dissemination of AI and RPA may help employees in shifting their focus to more crucial and planning related tasks. However, whether “Work-oriented program” for delivering results in work and “reform-oriented program” for improving value the of work can be established in the organization depends on the competitiveness of the company.

NRI provides support in designing “Work-oriented” and “reform-oriented” programs aimed at various professions as well as in designing and conducting training for the establishment of the program to improve the value of the work of an individual based on an understanding of the company’s strategy and business model.

Support for Performance Management Reforms

A manager plays an important role in helping each employee to change their working ways. It has become essential to improve the quality and frequency of communication between superiors, subordinates, and colleagues, and encourage each and every employee to learn from each other’s experience. Thus, the traditional target management cycle has become difficult to function especially in the drastically changing environment.

NRI supports in redesigning the performance management process as well as in manager training, (providing skills and changing their way of thinking), tool introduction and system reforms.

DX1.0 and DX2.0

NRI defines digital transformation efforts in two ways.

• Digital transformation 1.0 (DX1.0): digital transformation that reforms the operational processes of an existing business.
• Digital transformation 2.0 (DX2.0): digital transformation that creates a brand-new business model using digital technology.

Digital Transformation PMO

NRI supports companies setting priorities through the digital transformation project management office by:

• Setting KPIs for PoC studies
• Measuring conditions before and after implementation
• Using analytics to develop learning models using KPI data
• Procurement
• Establish reform in day-to-day operations

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Deployment Support

RPA is one of the digital tools that is rapidly becoming more popular across industries. Its deployment requires a shorter implementation time and fewer costs than an IT system, and offers tools that people without programming experience can use. We help clients with selecting applicable operations, building a structure for development and maintenance, and creating skills.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Deployment Support

AI deployment often faces a long road to success with challenges to build a development structure and secure a budget for multiple years.

NRI assists clients confirm a corporate vision that includes the value of AI across the enterprise value chain while deploying AI to solve existing operational problems.

To Achieve Management and Operational Reforms:

NRI helps companies apply the latest ERP technology using a methodological approach to effectively solve problems in management processes and other operational challenges, as well as reform ERP systems at optimal cost.

NRI' s Approach to Building Global Management Foundations

1. Build Consensus with Various Stakeholders 

2. Formulate a Plan in a Short Timeframe Using a Template Approach 

3. Proven Track Record of Building Management Foundation with SAP S/4HANA

Global ERP Development

Companies looking to expand their business globally, particularly those in manufacturing, have a great need to integrate their operations horizontally while also vertically integrating their management, thereby achieving proper global business management.

NRI has supports its customers in their global ERP development with a focus on building global COE (Centers of Excellence) using development templates.

A unique feature of NRI’s approach is that we don’t merely introduce system development methods to our customers, but rather enable them to pursue system reforms along with management and organizational overhauls. This approach enables us to simultaneously support various measures for achieving the goals of a more global business management.

Standardization of Global Business Operations

NRI has been working alongside global companies to implement their standardization measures. True standardization requires a methodology that enables a company to independently manage and improve its operations. To do so, it’s necessary to set clear standards for its rules, organizational structure and authority, processes, and systems.

NRI provides templates and support for making the necessary evaluations while defining the values that enable a sophisticated global management operations.

How We Approach Analytics

In data analysis, most companies tend to focus on securing data scientists or utilizing cutting-edge technologies. What is sometimes neglected is linking analytics initiatives to management themes. Identifying high-impact tasks that will aid management and clarifying purpose in using analytics are both key to lead successful analytics initiates. In doing so, companies can make analytics not about practical efforts for reforming your management and business operations, rather than just R&D.

NRI helps companies maintain both a management and operational perspective. We deliver a system to dynamically support our customers in formulating analytics strategies, putting them into practice, and building organizational structures.

Formulation of Analytics Strategies

NRI helps executives form an analytics strategy that offers a competitive edge, taking into account the direction of the management strategy, potentially promising areas for analytics deployment, and current capabilities.

• Creation of Roadmaps : There are myriad themes to be considered in analytics, including its data, applications, infrastructure, human resources, market climate, and governance. Using the insights and practices that we have amassed over decades of experience, NRI assesses these factors and incorporates them into the development roadmap for analytics deployment.
• Proof of Concept (PoC) Activities: It’s important to begin practical application of analytics at an early stage in using proof of concept (PoC) studies. NRI provides consistent support throughout PoC projects, including identifying themes, analyzing data, operating trial services, running effectiveness tests, and detecting problems.

Implementation of Analytics

A major part of implementing analytics is the use of cutting-edge technology to make the best use of new analytics data. NRI helps companies to utilize data obtained from IoT/sensing technology and to leverage efficient, sophisticated data processing methods using AI technology, based on expertise in adopting advanced IT solutions. NRI consultants also have the experience to grasp a company’s data and IT structures to best implement data analytics practices seamlessly with minimal business interruption.

Building of Analytics Systems

Designing of Analytics Systems: NRI will study and apprehend a company’s current situation from various viewpoints to support in the design of a system that maximizes the power of analytics

Operation of Analytics Systems: Running a specialized organization requires close communication with your business units. Linking together the output generated by these experts with various backgrounds, including data scientists and engineers, is essential for augmenting the effects of your analytics efforts. NRI serves as a hub for these experts and provide powerful support in running specialized organizations.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) Reform

NRI’s approach to supply chain value creation and planning involves diagnosing the state of a company’s current supply chain, considering its products’ features with their desired growth markets, logistical features, and all other relevant details. NRI collaborates with clients in assembling a comprehensive reform plan encompassing all functions, from new product development to after-sales services.

Supply Chain Design

NRI uses digital solutions to visualize the customer’s supply chain and then determine the optimal solution for its existing model, based on current supply chain requirements and performance results data. We also design ideal versions of supply chain networks that elicit maximum value by simulating multiple scenarios such as alternate distribution sites changes in site capabilities.

Product Lifestyle Management (PLM) Reforms

In manufacturing, PLM is a powerful factor in determining the functional requirements for the various processes in a company’s supply chain. Frontloading the product development process and establishing an optimal development process based on product value has become somewhat unavoidable in today’s global market.

NRI begins with analyzing product development processes and finds ways of boosting business value. We support companies making these reforms with the necessary digital technology and system-related measures.

Formation of S&OP Processes

Many companies undertake planning and inventory visualization projects as part of their global efforts to upgrade their planning. Some even build full-fledged processes covering demand-forecasting, formulating supply-and-demand plans and optimizing their inventories. However, even the most prepared companies are at risk of losing advantages if they fail to reform these processes to changing markets.

NRI supports companies facing this situation by equipping them with the ability to achieve reforms based on their own methodologies. By analyzing their PSI situation, NRI helps companies create the optimal planning and performance monitoring features, develop functions for monitoring production-related and logistical changes occurring in the market as well as internally shifts, and developing a holistic S&OP process.

Procurement Reforms

Process Reforms: During times of market volatility or economic fluctuation, companies look to modify their procurement processes by cutting costs in order to preserve competitiveness. Companies often realize during this evaluation period that they may not be working with ideal procurement partners. NRI supports this evaluation process, assisting companies gain an advantage in their procurement. For directly procured materials, we create new processes for generating performance indicators and running simulations that are coordinated with PLM processes. For indirectly procured materials, we help carry out organizational and process-related reforms that not only reduce costs but also enable such reductions to continue indefinitely.

Direct Material Procurement Process Reforms : In the manufacturing industry, 60% to 80% of costs come from directly procured materials. Reforming the procurement process for such materials, therefore directly ties into improving a company’s cost competitiveness. NRI supports companies in implementing methodology-based data analysis and process reforms to link their new product information and procurement information within their design and development process.

Indirect Material Procurement Process Reforms : Managing material procurement in an integrated, cross-functional manner faces considerable challenges. In assessing these challenges, it is difficult to judge whether material costs can be reduced through in-house efforts as these items and services customarily grow more expensive. NRI helps companies diagnose their cost cutting and to achieve a “quick win” by curbing costs in a short timeframe. During this reform process, we also help companies build the systems and processes they need to create their own sustainable low-cost operations.

Logistics Reforms:

As companies expand their businesses globally, following a resolute methodology for analyzing and visualizing their networks and building a material handling process system for global distribution is a crucial element. NRI helps companies visualize their distribution sites and map out which logistics-related factors are truly essential, which boosts productivity and optimizes inventory.

Logistics Digitization

Once distribution site conditions are visualized and the right methodology is established, the next step is to ensure that the sites are efficient and offer greater value through digitization.

Establishing on-site reforms that involves systematic automation, labor-saving operations, and the use of big data is crucial. NRI helps with the digitalization of operations and formation and implementation of measures in line with on-site situations.

Business Innovation

Companies are recently taking various initiatives towards innovation through business planning contests and acceleration programs with venture companies and are undergoing an unprecedented innovation boom. However, it cannot be strongly said that many Japanese companies seem to be delivering innovative results. Each company’s aim for innovation is unclear, they do not possess the know-how to quantify business hypothesis and a shortage of resources required for innovation is an obstacle for innovation promotion. NRI supports in overcoming these obstacles and promotes the co-creation of innovation with customers who has used NRI digital resources.

Support for Formulating and Implementing Innovation Strategy

Companies are recently taking various initiatives towards the realization of innovation through design thinking workshop, business planning contests, matching events, accelerator programs and venture capital (CVC). However, many cases show that Japanese companies are only imitating the methodologies (How) of Silicon Valley whose innovation eco-system has been structured without thinking about their own aims and strategies (Why), which is an essential element. NRI provides support in formulating “Innovation Strategy” and obtaining “Results” from an “Image”, which explains the process considering goal to achieve through innovation, method as well as the pre-requisites for effective implementation.

Support in Quantifying Business hypothesis

Many companies are facing challenges in the “creation of business hypothesis”, which has become a bottleneck in innovation promotion. The creation of business hypothesis is originally based on strong incentive (enthusiasm of doing something). However, such strong incentive cannot be seen in major companies. It may be seen either in those who are already running their businesses or who wish to leave major companies to start their business. The certain methodologies such as deductive and inductive approach are needed to quantify business hypothesis in the company. A deductive approach is a syllogistic method that includes confirming market needs, identifying latent markets and issues, and conceptualzing achievable business models. Meanwhile, inductive approach refers to collection of various ideas through “collaboration with venture companies that can provide service with our company” and choosing an idea to draw a conclusion. This approach is used by Silicon Valley to develop new ideas one after another. Whereas, most of the major Japanese companies find it difficult to proceed further due to lack of “Certainty”. Therefore, it is important to combine inductive approach of Silicon Valley with the deductive approach. NRI supports the design and execution of the process through both deductive and inductive approach.

Innovative mind study

In order to promote the innovation, it is necessary to hire those resources who are inclined towards innovation. The skill set required for innovation includes “Value creation skills (creativity for innovation)” and “Value achieving skills (accountability for realizing innovation)”. Major companies have various resources with strong “value achieving skills” but only 5-10% resources with strong “value creation skills”. NRI has developed a mechanism called “Innovative mind study” which measures “Value creation skills” and “Value achieving skills” of an individual. The identification of “Value creation skills” and “Value achieving skills” of an individual through “Innovative mind study” is very important for appointing appropriate resources for the innovation.

M&A and Group Restructuring-Related Human Resources Consulting

During instances of M&A, it is vital for companies to identify a proper HR management system for change management, as well as to secure and train talent for your integrated management. If building a new HR system in conjunction with a group restructuring, communicating efficiently with new and existing employees and potentially labor unions will be even more important.

NRI provides holistic solutions for HR management challenges in the times of M&A and group restructuring. Our expertise extends beyond to HR system integration to staff awareness management and new culture and value creation.

Optimizing Human Resources Allocation

For companies seeking to expand their business globally, securing personnel who can manage their numerous overseas locations is an urgent need. NRI helps global enterprises find their ideal human resource allocation, with a focus on creating “missions, visions, and values”, developing standardized evaluation formats, and setting internal pay criteria according to market remuneration standards by country and industry type as key domains for platform building.

Corporate Governance Reforms (The cases for Japanese Companies only)

Companies tend to comply with Japan’s Corporate Governance Code in one of two very different ways. Some regard this governance as the perfect opportunity for general management reforms, undertaking comprehensive inspections of various management systems to enhance their medium- and long-term corporate value. However, others view this trend as one aspect of legal compliance, seeking to take only the minimum disclosure actions required under the Code.

Sustainable growth, as demanded by a company’s investors and other stakeholders, means continually enhancing and creating corporate value over the medium- and long-term.

This activity is not limited to improving a company’s performance. Only those companies that gain their stakeholders’ confidence by disclosing the systems involved in their corporate governance while solving various social problems, will be able to continue existing in our society as true value-creating enterprises.

With developments like the revisions to the Company Act and the recent enforcement of the Corporate Governance Code, corporate management has reached a turning point. NRI has a proven track record of supporting governance reforms at numerous companies in this pivotal time.

Devising Customer Strategies, Reforming Points of Customer Contact

Many companies are working to transform their points of customer contact with an eye toward 10-20 years down the road. They are engaging in proof of concept (PoC) activities to test digitization, omni-channel strategies, AI, big data and other CRM and marketing technologies, and becoming “platformers” that provide a range of products and services in customers’ everyday lives.

NRI provides support at every step, from developing a customer strategy that serves as the vision for various efforts to reforming points of customer contact.

Customer Experience (CX) Concept Development and Promotion Support

A growing number of companies are engaging in customer experience management to identify customer expectations, deliver experiences that meet or exceed such expectations, and enhance their loyalty.

NRI offers comprehensive support in customer experience management, from defining a company’s unique CX, and identifying the function and roles necessary for companywide implementation, to creating a framework for all employees to understand, experience and carry out CX.

Support for Points of Customer Contact, Touchpoints and Channels

We offer support specific to individual points of customer contact, touchpoints, and channels. We perform diagnostics to identify challenges, develop the next concept for each channel, plan for systems setup and updates, carry out operational reforms, propose and implement inter-channel tie-ups, and propose and implement omni-channel strategies.

Marketing-related Consulting

We provide the following marketing consulting services:

• Marketing research and STP (segmentation, targeting and positioning) proposal based on said research
• Marketing 4P (product, price, promotion and place) strategy development
• CRM concept and implementation support
• Data analytics-linked marketing strategy proposal and policy promotion
• Loyalty program-related support

NRI specialists include consultants who provide marketing-related support to various industries; consultants with expert knowledge of different industries; and consultants specialized in analytics and marketing-related systems and other functions.

Group Business Management/Group Restructuring

NRI provides support for designing strategic functional arrangement and organizational structure, group cooperation, as well as a redesign of group management and restructuring based on a new or reviewed/reformulated group management strategy. As we coordinate with external experts, we establish group designs coordinated and agreed upon with the group companies and support projects and procedures involving the group companies. We provide support until restructuring is executed smoothly.

Holding Company’s Structural Transition/Review

There is a growing number of companies considering a transition to a holding company structure leading to further growth, with strategies such as separation of management and execution, expansion of business lines including M&A and creation of new business lines. The number of companies considering a review of the structure and mechanism of holding companies is also increasing. Based on the growth strategy of the group, NRI provides support for the transition to a holding company structure through assigning functions, organizations, schemes, group governance, etc. Additionally, NRI provides total support for transition to a holding company structure based on a grand design, which includes detailed design of organization, systems, business, support for practical procedures including legal, accounting, tax, etc. as well as PMO support for the implementation of the entire project. For a review of the holding company structure, we also review the system of group restructuring and corporate management.

Business Integration

In the case of organizational integration and mergers, there are instances where the expected synergy is not achieved or disrupted altogether. This happens if a proper analysis is not conducted and there is lack of communication with the management of the company. NRI summarizes and reviews the issues in the company's policies related to conflicts of interest and supports the formulation of integrated policies and master plans to form the foundation of business integration. Additionally, we provide PMO support for overall project management based on the master plan, and support for examining individual subcommittees established based on the integration policy.

Group Business Management/Governance

When reviewing the mid- to long-term management strategy and restructuring of operations/information systems, the current corporate management and governance mechanisms may become incompatible with the current landscape. Corporate management and governance should be optimized in accordance with changes in group management policies. In order to make group management effective, NRI reviews the management unit and management core as per the group strategy and supports the design of PDCA management process/rules, KPI definitions, review of investment and withdrawal rules. Additionally, we help develop the platform for determining responsibility/authority, structure of meetings, evaluating performance, and restructuring of information systems necessary to carry out group management.

Business Reforms and Development of Shared Services

In order to carry out group management, it is necessary to develop a system that integrates the group’s business and its information system infrastructure to enable efficient and effective operations. NRI conducts fact-based research and analysis through business surveys that focus on work items as well as activities, supporting the creation of a balanced business reform plan. Also, shared service centers are being re-examined as foundation of group management to not just improve efficiency but also improve the quality of operations, strengthen governance and share knowledge. NRI provides support for concrete design as well as implementation of structure improvement, including transfer of business and personnel from the group companies.

Your vision is our mission.

NRI Financial Solutions, a core business of NRI, provides consulting and managed services to meet our clients' needs and move the market forward.

Our state-of-the-art and research-driven insights provide a deep understanding of the operational issues facing financial services firms, helping us provide the best solutions to ensure our clients are able to make more insightful decisions every day.

Global IBOR Solution for asset management firms

T-STAR/GV, a global IBOR (Investment Book of Record * ) solution enables asset management firms to accelerate their global business development by accurately providing IBOR to front office in real-time. It integrates transaction data from multiple global locations and creates balance data by operating 24/7 and seamlessly links data among global operation hubs.

With T-STAR/GV, fund managers can make investment decision more quickly and precisely using integrated data, regardless of the location and the number of the office.

With T-STAR/GV, asset management firms can grasp an accurate, real-time and consolidated view of balance and accounting information across multiple locations around the world. It meets the needs of quantitative investing funds. In addition, the solution continually improves the overall efficiency of your back-office operations (post-trade, fund position control, cash control) across locations while maintaining a high quality of service and minimizing operational risk. .

Clients

Japanese and Non-Japanese asset managers, Asset owners

Features

1. Establishing a global operations platform by sharing up-to-date transaction and position data 

T-STAR/GV centralizes transaction data from each location in real-time and, through a globally integrated portfolio and cash management process, providing the most up-to-date position/cash data from the operations section of each office to be utilized in investment decisions. As a result, the asset managers can increase their operational efficiency, report based of portfolio needs, centrally conduct risk management and compliance check. .

2. Improving overall efficiency through business process standardization

As IBOR provides balance data to front office, fund managers no longer have to manage it with EUC. During implementation, NRI designs and builds a comprehensive business process geared toward improving overall efficiency from a global perspective. The solution always provide accurate portfolio and cash data by connecting data from multiple back office and custodians and reconciling automatically. In addition, it enables firms to see consistently and efficiently improved business processes as the entire operations of all portfolio, assets and hubs can be visualized.

3. Global system management service

The NRI data center supports system operations management 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The nationally appraised and ISO 20000-certified NRI systems operation service provides a secure business platform to meet client needs..

4. Global standard architecture

NRI adopts a three-tier system of databases, business logic, and web applications, to achieve growth through business expansion. We make use of globally standardized technology, including high-performance platforms and message processing to ensure a high level of independence among components..

How it works

• Aggregating information in one central database, which ensures that the most up-to-date information is used for all processes and that complex business matters can be managed with flexibility throughout every location. With T-STAR-GV's integrated management of references, transactions, and balances data, there is no need to conduct additional work to maintain data consistency between locations..
• T-STAR/GV efficiently and seamlessly coordinates with the T-STAR suite, NRI's total solution for asset management companies. Clients also have the option of a fully optimized service based on NRI's total solution.

Functions

* This solution is component based design and it is possible to provide not only specific functions but also as a total solution.

Attribution management

• Fund attribution, instrument attribution (including issuer and rating), access control, user management, data management
• Data such as index, benchmark, rate, exchange rate, market price, corporate action can be managed
• Cleansing function for attribute information from various data vendors

Trade management

• Stock and bond trading, foreign exchange, NDF, futures, as well as every type of transaction entry
• Automatic trade matching (Omgeo's Central Trade Manager and TradeSuite)
• Transaction record upload using Excel

Settlement management

• Sending instructions for spot, exchange, futures (SWIFT MT54x, MT304, 202, 210)
• Monitoring of transaction statuses (sending instructions/unsent instructions)
• Capturing execution data in SWIFT format from outsourced firms and custodians （MT54x, 304, 300）

Portfolio management

• IBOR balance management including real-time balance, valuation and all positions. NAV management and realized profit/loss are available.
• Unrealized gains and losses, forex forward valuation, futures valuation, calculation of accrued interest on bonds, etc.
• Sophisticated reconciliation function using SWIFT etc. (for custodians and accounting system etc.)

Cash management

• Cash forecast
• Cash in/out (past date, same date, future date) management
• Sophisticated reconciliation function using SWIFT. (for custodians and accounting system etc.)

Corporate Action

• Able to process many types of corporate action events (Stock split, merger, bonus issue, spin-offs, rights issue, cash dividends, coupon payment, redemption, etc.)
• Automatic re-generation of entitlement when there are balance changes or event changes
• Automatic matching of dividends (SWIFT MT566)
• Management of voluntary events (Rights Exercise, Dividend Re-investment Plan etc.)

Accounting processing

• ABOR balance management *
• *ABOR: Accounting Book of Record: Accounting data based on positions and projections at close of business or period.
• NAV accounting (for front-office compliance)
• Fund accounting reports for clients (by monthly, by quarterly)
• Data interface to performance calculation system

Other

• Exception management
• Online generation completion of fixed-form reports
• Dashboard function (Functions for workflow, saving search criteria, automatically preparing reports)
• Customizable screen layout for each user. Various formats.
• Flexibly converting to different formats including SWIFT, Excel, XML, and text
• Data warehouse for IBOR/ABOR transaction balance and attribute information as well as API for publishing and extracting these data

The e-AURORA comprehensive solutions suite supports all of the financial institutions' investment data needs.

With e-AURORA products and services, firms can create customized reports using various security/firm type summary data and charts, while processing vast volumes of investment data on more than 200 diagram types, which are readily available via the browser. The e-AURORA suite includes financial data terminal service e-AURORA Beacon×Qr1, e-AURORA SUPER FOCUS, an investment data analysis offering; a fund data download service, e-AURORA Fundmark/DL.

Clients

Approximately 300 financial institutions and asset management companies use the e-AURORA suite.

Features

1. e-AURORA Beacon×Qr1 (financial data terminal service)

1. Rich source of financial data for securities and fund management firms.
2. Covers various asset classes, including Japanese equities, mutual funds, foreign exchange, foreign index data, and financial news.
3. Retail department at securities firms can utilize security registration, stock comparison, charts analysis and alert function. 
4. Function to link to Excel and tablet version is available.
5. Can connect to NRI’s STAR-IV services.

2. e-AURORA SUPER FOCUS (financial information analysis service)

1. The wizard function enables users to conduct various high-level calculations, from macro-economic analysis, through investment, bonds, stocks, and CBs analysis, as well as research and verification of investment ideas.
2. Provides more than 100 processing functions needed for time series analysis.
3. Users can conduct historical analysis on the rich set of reference data available in the system that has been gathered by NRI since the 1960s.
4. NRI's rich financial information database was cultivated through professional use and contains data that meets investment analysis needs.
5. As part of the service, NRI's specialized staff will work to incorporate an existing in-house database, and will continually update and maintain one complete dataset, allowing the client to concentrate on conducting proprietary analysis.

3. e-AURORA Fundmark/DL (fund data download service)

1. Extensive fund data provides insight into trends for commonly purchased funds in Japan.
2. Can be configured for access through user's PCs.
3. Data can be easily downloaded into most commonly used spreadsheet software, further improving productivity.
4. Provides accurate daily estimated sales values for individual funds ahead of public release. 

Functions

e-AURORA Beacon×Qr1 (financial data terminal service)

e-AURORA Beacon×Qr1 is a terminal service that provides financial data on Japanese stocks, mutual funds, foreign exchange, foreign index, and financial news in real-time. Financial institutions who have a retail or fund management department as well as non-financial corporations can benefit from the solution. We provide connection to STAR services as an optional service. 

e-AURORA SUPER FOCUS (investment data analysis service)

SUPER FOCUS is a flexible data analytics platform for various investment instruments, such as stocks, bonds, corporate finance data, and economic data. Through the intuitive wizard function, clients can conduct time series analysis based on rich historical data NRI accumulated since the 1960s, using more than 100 processing functions. SUPER FOCUS also provides ongoing support for creating documents using spreadsheet and presentation software, and for creating multi-axis graphs specific to financial analysis.

e-AURORA Fundmark/DL (fund data download service)

Fundmark/DL is a data service for mutual fund research and analysis, able to analyze an extensive range of funds commonly purchased in Japan, including publically-offered mutual funds, such as unit mutual funds and international funds, and Japanese privately-offered variable annuity mutual funds. Clients can also incorporate data not impacted by performance analysis, including data pertaining to sales trends.

Senju Family

As a package.

Accumulated frontline know-how--the evolution from Operation to Development.

NRI has maintained and operated systems in Japanese companies for over 40 years.

Experienced field operation teams are the developers of our tools, based on years' of know-how--that is why the tools are filled with easy-to-see and user-friendly functions appreciated at frontlines.

Senju/DC

Senju DevOperation Conductor

Achieves DevOps in enterprise systems

Senju/EN

Senju Enterprise Navigator

Management foundation that smartly integrates a complex system management environment

Senju/SM

Senju Service Manager

Achieves operational excellence in ITIL and ISO20000(ITSMS) processes

Senju/ASM

Autonomous IT service management

Provides the optimal RPA environment using AI

Operation platform cloud service

mPLAT is a service that offers cloud-type operation management functions necessary for system operation.

Clients can conduct system operations using mPLAT service without preparing their own on-premises environment, cloud environment, or operation management platform.

With many management functions for public clouds such as AWS and Azure, this maximizes the advantages of clouds with quick operation.

Business Focus

In addition to basic functions, including monitoring and job management, this offers functions for higher operation quality such as incident control, configuration management, operation statistics, and dashboard. Automatic operation functions such as automatic calling and runbook operation as well as support services including initial establishment, maintenance management of tools, and staff training, are also offered. This reduces the burdens of system operation and creates a contribution to your primary work.

Quick Start

Connecting operation management systems or work processes that take time to establish to a cloud service built on AWS allows starting use for a short period of time and at a low cost. NRI's system operation know-how is provided as a template to achieve a proven stable operational environment.

Flexibility

In order to offer integrated operation management functions exclusive to each client, the client can freely set an optimal environment to its system. Changing the monitoring threshold or job, or contacts in case of failure events can be easily set by the client, flexibly responding to changes in the work or organization. Clients can focus on their primary work, their own system operation, as basic settings for the operation management system and work required in maintenance including upgrading versions will become unnecessary.

Solution supporting financial institutions' retail sales representatives

The Advisor Platform provides a framework of integrated tools to support goal-oriented, proposal-based sales activities.

In order to develop the best possible investment portfolio for a client, sales representatives must complete various processes, including ascertaining what assets clients possess, evaluating their ever-changing portfolios, reviewing and rebalancing these portfolios, and setting new goals based on the client's background information, such as risk appetite and investment inclination.

NRI's Advisor Platform allows sales representatives to manage all of their client's data in one place, linking information between relevant applications.

In addition, the Advisor Platform easily integrates with NRI's securities back-office systems, allowing clients to view operations information in real time.

Clients

Brokerage firms

Features

The Advisor Platform provides sales representatives with information on various types of clients and sales activity.

Financial advisors can view the information in various formats, including in a full client list.

Aggregated view of client's information

Aggregated view of client's information

The service allows clients to view comprehensive and summarized information that ranges from basic client data, such as address and age, to more detailed information necessary to provide advice, including assets under management and assets sales information.

Support for investment consulting

The Advisor Platform service also includes tools to help sales representatives create proposals, present them to clients, and allocate funds based on them.

By connecting to NRI's back-office systems, Advisor Platform allows users to check various real-time information, such as a client's assets under management.

NRI partnered with Koto-ku, Tokyo-headquartered BIPROGY Inc.. (BIPROGY) to jointly develop BANKSTAR®, an accounting system for the banking industry.

*For your business in Japan.

BANKSTAR® is an open accounting system that Nihon Unisys developed for banks that have no physical branches. Similar to the firm’s open accounting system for regional banks, BankVision®, which has been implemented at seven regional banks as of March 31, 2013, BANKSTAR® combines a Windows® platform with Nihon Unisys’s open financial processing platform MIDMOST® - operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When deploying BANKSTAR® at client sites, NRI handles application development and Nihon Unisys is responsible for constructing the platform.

Clients

BANKSTAR® is primarily designed to address the needs of banks with no branches.

Features

1. Operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

Online services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. BANKSTAR® operations switch between weekday and holiday servers, ensuring maintenance can be performed without suspending services to customers.

2. Consolidated system includes only necessary functions for Japanese banking operations

In order to streamline the processes for customers, BANKSTAR® includes only traditional functions necessary to carry out banking operations, making the system extremely compact.

3. Modular application structure enables easy modification

Functions are grouped by operation (ordinary deposits, time deposits, etc.), making it possible to easily add additional operations and modify functions.

4. Comes with extensive documentation

The system comes standard with extensive documentation, ranging from an overview design document, which is necessary for development of and can be used to get an overall feel for the application, to basic design documents.

5. System configured to expand reliably

BANKSTAR® can be scaled up or scaled out to handle transactions and data volume growth. Banks currently using the system have run it with one million accounts.

Functions

The BANKSTAR® solutions package includes all the functions necessary to handle Japanese banking products and is implemented as a service after conducting an operational and system-gap analysis.

Deposits

Yen ordinary deposits, yen fixed deposits, yen separate deposits, ATM card (issuing and managing cards), issuing statements, transfers between accounts, bulk transfers, salary deposits (compatible with the Zengin format)

Financing

Card loans

Domestic foreign exchange

Telegraphic fund transfers, MT data file transfers

Connection to external systems

Integrated ATM, Zengin (RC), ANSER, CAFIS

Connection to customer channels

ATM connectivity, net banking (Internet, mobile, phone, etc.), EB connectivity

Shared

Customer management, fee management

Accounting (daily accounting), expenses, etc.

Accounting (daily accounting), expenses, settlement

Supervising authorities

Reports, Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan

BESTWAY/JJ is a solution that provides comprehensive support to account management functions for defined-contribution pension plans, including sales support functions for the front office, and account management functions for mutual fund sales at banks.

*For your business in Japan

Since the regulatory changes in December 1998, mutual fund sales at banks have grown exponentially. The bank sales channel currently accounts for 50% of the mutual funds balance, including private offerings, in Japan. NRI's BESTWAY solution for mutual fund sales at banks supported this process.

BESTWAY/JJ is a shared application services offering that provides comprehensive support for back-office functions such as attribution management, balance management, calculations for orders and execution, settlement process, and reporting management. In addition to giving users the ability to view customer information and fund data, BESTWAY/JJ offers compliance functions, account opening functions, order management, and account management functions for defined-contribution pension plans.

Optional services such as BEWTWAY/COMPASS and BESTWAY/FOCUS allow users to manage administrative tasks and sales activities on tablet devices.

In addition, users can outsource thier administrative work such as fund management conducted on BESTWAY/JJ and vendor management to NRI.

Clients

banks - including large banks, trust banks, and regional banks - use BESTWAY. In total, more than 110 companies use the suite, including asset management and life and general insurance firms, in addition to banks.

Features

End-to-end solution for mutual fund sales at banks

• BESTWAY/JJ provides total support for mutual fund sales at banks, from back-office operations focused on account management functions, to front-office operations, such as inquiries for various data and compliance checks at banks, as well as defined-contribution pension plans operations.
• Clients can get access to the solution and all related services by adding BESTWAY/JJ to NRI's BESTNet network service. The reports and resulting data created by BESTWAY/JJ are linked through dedicated servers installed at client sites.

Reducing equipment operation load by creating a central server

• Clients can access BESTWAY/JJ as a shared application through NRI's data centres.
• NRI provides maintenance and operations services.

Security

• Each user can manage customized security policies, including login password activity tracking and login timeout settings.
• The access log is provided as an audit trail.
• Authorization to access editable functions and screens can be controlled in-house and customized for each unit and job function performing the operation.

Failure resistance/disaster resistance

• BESTWAY/JJ is operated from NRI's data center, which conforms to the nation's most robust and stable safety standards outlined by the Center for Financial Industry Information Systems (FISC).
• A backup center is always ready to mirror standard functions.

Functions

Functions

• Investment trust account management
• Sales support
• Online reporting*1
• External connection file creation
• Direct database inquiry, extraction and reference service from NRI data center
• Japan Securities Depository Center-connected file creation function
• Audit trail
• Provide Fund data via e-AURORA*2
• NAV auto-receipt

*1 Reports for customers (for inquiries), in-house reports, tax reports, etc.

*2 Assuming store development option is used (optional)

Optional Functions

• Account management for defined contribution plan
• Account management for foreign domiciled funds
• Able to set up terminals at branches to view and enter information online
• Japanese ISA-compliant option
• Japanese ISA application-receiving option
• Connectivity for asset managers
• CRM for mutual fund sales (BESTWAY/FOCUS)
• Navigation for financial instruments sales (BESTWAY/COMPASS)
• Electronic customer reporting delivery service (POSTUB)
• FundWeb Service

The CXMM (Customer Experience Management Methodology) ® service is an outsourced customer survey analysis service to achieve customer-oriented business operations and CX strategies. This service covers all operations relating to customer survey analysis.

Noise mitigation

• By combining three indicators that mutually mitigate and offset the noise* that undermines the reliability of customer loyalty measurement results, we have developed and adopted a “CX indicator” that consistently produces stable results.
• 
  
• *Noise refers to the “human mindset” that prevents the measurement of customer loyalty for reasons not directly related to customer loyalty. 

Strong correlation with business performance

• This “CX indicator” has been proven to have a strong correlation with the earnings of domestic financial institutions, as demonstrated by the financial institutions that have adopted the CXMM®.

Identification of areas for improvement

• We use the expectation disconfirmation model to understand the difference between evaluations and expectations for the various values that a company provides to its customers, and conduct correlation analysis with the CX indicator to quantitatively analyze issues that should be prioritized. 

Functions

We undertake all tasks required for customer survey analysis.

Survey design

• Designing CXMM® compliant surveys

Mailed survey preparation and execution

Online survey preparation and execution

Survey results cleansing & feedback

• Cleansing of survey results data (handling exceptions such as multiple selections, cases when responses were made in duplicate through mail and online, etc.)
• Linking raw data of survey results

Cross-analytical data cleansing & integration

• Cleansing of survey results and data to be cross-analyzed (exceptions made, such as exclusion of data not covered)
• Integration of survey results and cross-analysis data

Data analysis

• Analysis of survey results and cross-analysis data
• Comparative analysis with NRI’s own CX benchmark survey

Reporting

• Preparation of materials to report analysis results

Follow-up

Sending gratuities to participants

Optional Services

• Preparation for implementation of external monitoring
• Implementation of external monitoring; collection
• External monitor rewards support

eFront is the world’s leading technology solution for alternative investment management, with recognized expertise in alternative investment management and risk management.

NRI provides comprehensive support for eFront’s implementation and helpdesk services.

Clients

Limited Partners, General Partners, Asset Services

eFront's Solutions

1. eFront Invest

Information management and analysis functions to optimize pre- and post-trade operations.

• During pre-trade operations, it enables to systematically register, manage, search and share information regarding fund selecting process. For post-trade operations, it enables to systematically manage and visually disclose fund information such as investment structure, cash flow and fund performance.

2. eFront Hosting

Hosting service for eFront Invest

•  It hosts eFront Invest with Amazon Web Service. The service includes hardware monitoring, and Disaster Recovery is available as an optional service.

3. eFront Data Intelligence

Data collection and provision service

• It collects reports submitted by General Partner, evaluates the validity and provides data.

Features

1. Systematically manages pre-trade operation with CRM and process management function
2. Makes it easy to manage cash flow and calculate fund KPIs
3. Significantly reduces monitoring and reporting burden
4. Collects fund management status data and provides the data in a format that can be easily uploaded to eFront Invest
5. Offers comprehensive helpdesk services and support as well as running test in case of solution version ups