[Manufacturing DX Survey] Members of the 'Genba Choho Kaizen-bu' Practice DX in More Than Twice the Business Areas of General Companies

As Digital Transformation (DX) in the manufacturing industry shifts from 'whether to introduce it' to 'how widely to practice it and how deeply to utilize it,' a significant gap in the speed and depth of DX implementation is emerging, largely dependent on the personnel involved and their environment. Cimtops Corporation (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kazuyuki Okuhata), provider of Japan's No. 1 frontline form digitalization platform 'i-Reporter,' conducted a comparative survey on DX advancement. The survey targeted 63 members of its user community, 'Genba Choho Kaizen-bu,' and 111 manufacturing DX personnel from general companies.

As a result, it became clear that community members are practicing digitalization in core areas of frontline DX—such as 'recording and managing manufacturing/production daily reports' and 'data dashboarding and visualization'—at a rate approximately 2 to 2.5 times higher than that of general companies. Furthermore, across almost all categories regarding those who feel the effects of DX, community members outnumbered respondents from general companies.

On the other hand, only 6.3% of community members answered that their company's DX advancement was 'ahead of industry peers,' compared to a significantly higher 64.9% among general companies. It is inferred that members who are routinely exposed to use cases from other companies in the community tend to evaluate their own companies against a higher standard.

What is the 'Genba Choho Kaizen-bu'?

Established in December 2023, the 'Genba Choho Kaizen-bu' is a user community designed as a place where all i-Reporter users working on frontline DX can connect, learn from, and inspire each other. As of May 2026, it boasts participation from over 1,000 companies and more than 1,500 members. Driven by the vision of 'creating excitement and inspiration in frontline improvement,' the community routinely facilitates consultations on challenges, the sharing of utilization know-how, tips, and success stories, as well as real-life events and proposals for product improvements.

i-Reporter is a frontline form digitalization platform with a No. 1 domestic market share (*), adopted by 4,500 companies and boasting 220,000 users. Community members are a practice-oriented demographic with an exceptionally high interest in frontline DX, actively seeking to learn from others' cases and knowledge. The 'community members (n=63)' in this survey represent an assembly of these frontline personnel who proactively engage in DX.

* Fuji Chimera Research Institute, issued February 17, 2026: 'IT Investment Trends by Industry / Future Prospects of the DX Market 2026 Edition: DX Investment Volume' IV-13 Frontline Form Paperless Solutions: Market Share 46.5% (Vendor Share by Volume, FY2024)

Manufacturing DX is moving beyond the 'introduction phase' into an era that questions the 'breadth and depth of utilization'

The environment surrounding DX promotion in the manufacturing industry is changing. There is an increasing need to redefine digitalization not merely as a replacement for paper, but as a foundation for business transformation and data utilization. Through a comparison between community members and general manufacturing DX personnel, this survey clarifies the role the community plays in promoting DX.

Download this survey here: https://application.i-reporter.jp/download.research21

Survey Overview

Survey Name: Comparative Survey on DX Advancement between 'Genba Choho Kaizen-bu' Members and General Companies

Survey Method: Internet survey planned by 'Research-P®︎', a research marketing service provided by IDEATECH

Survey Period: April 7, 2026 - April 20, 2026

Valid Responses: 63 'Genba Choho Kaizen-bu' members (Community Survey), 111 manufacturing DX personnel (Mass Survey)

* Because percentages are rounded to the nearest tenth, the totals may not always equal exactly 100.

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Members of the Genba Choho Kaizen-bu practice DX in 'deep business areas' at about twice the rate of general companies in the digitalization of manufacturing daily reports.

When asked about 'business areas where digitalization is currently being tackled or has been completed' (multiple answers allowed), a clear gap emerged between community members and general companies. In the 'recording and management of manufacturing/production daily reports,' a core aspect of frontline DX, there was roughly a two-fold difference: 71.4% for community members versus 36.0% for general companies. For 'data dashboarding and visualization,' a gap of about 2.5 times emerged, with 52.4% for community members against 20.7% for general companies.

The digitalization of manufacturing daily reports is one of the more difficult business areas, where records of quality, safety, and production intertwine intricately. The result showing that the digitalization rate in this area has reached twice the average indicates that community members are pushing forward with DX into deep business areas.