Interview
Please introduce your company’s business and its key characteristics.
Our company is called Sawayaka Co., Ltd., and we operate a family restaurant chain called “Sumiyaki Restaurant Sawayaka” exclusively within Shizuoka Prefecture. All our restaurants are directly managed, and we currently have 34 locations in the prefecture, with a workforce of just under 2,000 employees. We are a restaurant business in our 47th year since establishment.
What led you to consider implementing the help desk service for handling inquiries from restaurants regarding ICT equipment, as well as coordination with manufacturers and vendors?
The head office’s information systems staff, who had been solely responsible for these tasks, was set to leave the company. However, there was no successor within the company to take over the role, so we needed to find an outsourcing partner.
Additionally, with less than a month remaining until the employee’s departure, we required a service provider that could quickly start operations.
First, we conducted extensive information gathering through online search engines. As we delved deeper, we narrowed down our options to companies with a proven track record of providing the services we required. Among the multiple candidates we shortlisted, one was GulfNet.
What challenges did you face when considering the implementation?
Our previous staff member had been focused on troubleshooting communication device issues at our restaurants, always responding to immediate problems as they arose. However, since we were restructuring our system, we wanted to shift towards preventing issues before they occur and planning for future needs—this kind of forward-looking system design and development became a key challenge.
That said, the most immediate concern was the tight deadline. We needed to ensure a smooth transition of duties without disrupting restaurant operations. There were also concerns and uncertainties about switching from a familiar in-house staff member to an entirely external partner. To ease these organizational anxieties, we took various measures.
What were your selection criteria, and what made you decide to implement GulfNet’s service?
This applies not only to GulfNet but to all our business partners—how much they genuinely care is a crucial criterion for us.
We, Sawayaka, are facing challenges. We need partners who ask themselves, “How can we help?” and “What methods are available?”—even if that means relying on external experts when necessary. We seek partners who share our mission rather than just providing a service.
In this regard, GulfNet understood our situation from a specialist’s perspective and shared our sense of urgency. They also proactively communicated with us, saying things like, “This part may be challenging,” and “We will handle it at this pace.” Their response speed and level of engagement aligned well with us, which was the deciding factor.
What benefits have you seen from implementing this service?
Previously, even in urgent situations, employees hesitated to contact our IT staff on weekends or late at night. Now, we can reach out 24/7, 365 days a year whenever we encounter an issue.
Having full-time support availability is a significant advantage for our restaurants.
Help Desk Inquiry Handling System After Implementation
What feedback have you received from employees after implementation?
[Head Office]
If we had an internal IT department, we would have had to manage its labor as well. However, now that the IT function is external, we no longer need to manage it internally.
When problems arise, they are handled without the head office needing to take action, which is incredibly valuable in terms of efficiency and reducing mental burden.
[Restaurants]
We’ve frequently heard that the help desk staff provides excellent support, and surprisingly, employees adapted to the new system very smoothly. This was initially a major concern, but thanks to GulfNet, the transition was easier than expected.
Of course, at first, there were some issues, such as “I couldn’t reach them” or “I didn’t know how to contact them”, but by providing regular feedback in monthly meetings, these problems were gradually resolved.
What were the challenges or key takeaways from implementing the service?
Since we were outsourcing work previously done in-house, we needed to share all necessary information in advance. Given the short deadline, preparing everything in time was somewhat challenging.
However, through discussions with GulfNet, we identified gaps in our knowledge and recognized what we needed to improve, which was a valuable insight.
What are your future goals, and what do you expect from GulfNet moving forward?
The areas that GulfNet currently handles are running smoothly, which gives us peace of mind. They also keep records of all interactions, allowing us to analyze past data and make informed decisions for future improvements.
In today’s rapidly evolving ICT landscape, we are focused on reducing labor burdens at both our head office and restaurants. While technology is not the only solution, we believe that automation and systemization can improve efficiency and maximize human value. Ultimately, this aligns with Sawayaka’s mission to deliver value to customers.
Given this, we hope GulfNet will continue working with us to identify what truly matters for Sawayaka and lead the development of our IT infrastructure accordingly.
