Forval Selected for Shimonoseki City's First DX Project: "FY2025 Support for DX for Small and Medium Enterprises"

Forval Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Masanori Nakajima; hereinafter referred to as "Forval") is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the contract for the "FY2025 Support for DX for Small and Medium Enterprises" project implemented by Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Background and Objectives of the Project Award

Amidst continuous significant changes in the socio-economic environment, the importance of improving productivity and creating new value through digital technologies such as ICT and AI is increasing. Particularly as labor shortages become more severe, promoting DX to improve operational efficiency and strengthen competitiveness has become a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small businesses.

In Shimonoseki City, the need for DX is growing due to structural issues such as a declining working-age population, an aging workforce, operational siloing due to small team management, business operations centered on paper and verbal communication, and delays in information sharing. On the other hand, management issues and the status of digital utilization vary greatly by industry, requiring detailed, individualized support rather than uniform assistance.

Based on this situation, Forval, through this project, will clarify the first step towards DX with support tailored to each company's current situation, leading to improved operational efficiency, responses to labor shortages, and the creation of new added value. Furthermore, by creating model cases and expanding their application, we aim to promote digital transformation for all companies in the city, raise awareness of DX, and advance highly effective DX support.

Specific Initiatives by Forval in this Project

Through these initiatives, we will build a foundation for sustainable DX within companies and promote digital transformation and increased awareness across all companies in the city.

Comment from the Shimonoseki City Industry Promotion Department, Industry Promotion Division

Small and medium-sized enterprises in Shimonoseki City are facing severe management challenges, including labor shortages. It is an urgent task for them to work on improving operational efficiency and productivity by utilizing digital technologies such as ICT and AI, and to create new added value by promoting new business and business expansion.

In this project, we will take a proactive approach to acquiring DX knowledge and promoting initiatives, as well as provide continuous human-centered support.

We expect this project to lead to the promotion of digital transformation and increased awareness of DX for all companies in Shimonoseki City.

About Forval Co., Ltd.

Forval Co., Ltd. (TSE Standard: 8275) focuses on providing consulting services that support SMEs and small businesses. The company offers management support services in five fields: "Information and Communications," "Overseas," "Environment," "Human Resources and Education," and "Entrepreneurship and Business Succession." Through its unique "Corporate Doctor (Next-Generation Management Consultant)" model, Forval provides integrated support from visualizing management issues to proposing improvements and supporting their implementation, offering high-value-added services that contribute to improving corporate value, such as promoting ESG management, human capital management, and DX/GX.

Furthermore, under its regional revitalization strategy "F-Japan Initiative," Forval promotes the creation and expansion of regional co-creation models in collaboration with local governments, private companies, educational institutions, and financial institutions.

Company Overview Company Name: Forval Co., Ltd. Representative: Masanori Nakajima, President and Representative Director Established: September 18, 1980 Location: Aoyama Oval Building 14F, 5-52-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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