Send Takkyubin packages directly from Teams while working remotely. Providing the delivery DX solution demanded by the times in collaboration with Yamato Transport (Part 1)

As more companies adopt remote work and telecommuting, the need to ship business-related packages from "non-office locations" like home is increasing. However, using traditional delivery services often leads to problems like "not having a shipping label on hand" or "the hassle of writing labels or covering expenses out of pocket."

To solve these problems, Dentsu Inc. and Yamato Transport Co ., Ltd. are providing a solution that allows business professionals to easily ship Takkyubin parcels using Microsoft Teams from locations outside the office. They are currently conducting a proof-of-concept experiment ahead of full-scale solution deployment. We spoke with Mr. Fukushi Shimizu and Mr. Norimasa Sato from Dentsu, who were involved in developing this project.

No shipping labels or expense advances needed. Easily ship work packages from home or on the go

Q. Dentsu Inc. recently announced it will provide a "solution for easily sending Takkyubin parcels from Teams" with Yamato Transport. Could you explain the solution's overview and key features?

Shimizu: In a nutshell, it's a solution that allows business professionals to easily send work-related packages from home or on the go, outside the office. Its key feature is leveraging Microsoft Teams, Microsoft's groupware, to simplify shipping procedures. Users can complete the process just by entering information on their smartphone or computer, eliminating the need to handwrite shipping labels. Entering the recipient's information in Teams generates a dedicated QR code. Presenting this code at the nearest convenience store or Yamato Transport office allows immediate shipment.

Sato: So, this eliminates the need to fill out shipping labels at the convenience store register or make a special trip to the office just to send a package. Since shipping costs are billed to the company in bulk, the hassle of individuals paying upfront and later claiming reimbursement as expenses is eliminated. For departments like administration managing Takkyubin usage, the benefit is centralized data management of usage patterns. This eliminates the need to manually allocate expenses to departments based on paper slips or compile totals, potentially leading to improved productivity.

Designed as a solution to meet diverse work styles and productivity needs, accessible to a wide range of users

Q. What was the background and process behind creating this solution?

Shimizu: After the pandemic, remote and hybrid work became widespread, yet there were no delivery services specifically designed for people working outside the office. Workstyles were changing, but delivery services hadn't kept pace. Yamato Transport initially shared this challenge with us.

Yamato Transport representatives also heard from acquaintances that "when sending product samples to the office while working from home, they had to cover the expenses out of pocket and get reimbursed at the end of the month."

Consequently, as Yamato Transport explored various solutions to address this issue, they reached out to us during the stage of accurately identifying societal needs and determining how to make the service more accessible for companies and their employees.

Q. What were the challenges and key innovations in actually building this solution?

Sato: For this project, we were responsible for everything from the business plan to driving the proof-of-concept testing. For the system development portion, our group company, Dentsu International Information Services Inc. (ISID), provided technical support. Furthermore, members from Dentsu Inc. and ISID formed an operational secretariat to support companies in implementing this solution.

Collaborating with Yamato Transport to create a single business model like this was a new endeavor for us as well. The key challenge was effectively engaging the diverse talent within the Dentsu Group. We listened carefully to staff across Dentsu Inc.'s internal departments and persistently communicated the project's significance and benefits, which ultimately enabled us to secure cooperation from various group members.

Shimizu: Generally, departments like General Affairs or Purchasing tend to oversee the delivery services employees use. However, we believed that to increase this solution's presence, it was crucial to make it useful for a broader range of organizations and departments. The pandemic also significantly heightened demand for diverse work styles and productivity improvements. Therefore, we focused on designing a solution that would appeal to business units and departments like Human Resources, while also highlighting these benefits.

New Value Co-Created with Yamato Transport, a Key Provider of Logistics as Social Infrastructure

Q. This solution was released at the end of January 2023. How has the response been since then?

Shimizu: We've received inquiries from far more companies than we anticipated, expressing interest in implementing it. A wide range of organizations are considering it, including industries we hadn't initially considered.

Sato: We are currently still in the proof-of-concept phase, gathering user feedback. Based on this, we plan to make various improvements and adjustments before launching the solution in earnest.

We consider Takkyubin to be an essential infrastructure deeply embedded in Japanese daily life, with significant societal impact. By adding new value to this Takkyubin service, we can contribute to solving various social challenges. We intend to continue evolving our solutions with this perspective in mind.

"Teams" for Takkyubin is a solution born in response to the diversification of work styles, including the spread of remote work, and the demands of the times. In the second part, we will hear about important points in business development learned through the project with Yamato Transport.

※1 Microsoft, Microsoft Teams, and Teams are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
※2 "Takkyubin" is a registered trademark of Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd.
※3 A hybrid work style combining traditional office-based work with telework/remote work from home or shared offices.