The business environment of the energy industry is forecast to undergo major changes going forward. For Idemitsu to continue to grow, proactively applying digital transformation (DX) to all business processes, enhancing operational sophistication, and continuously providing services that meet new needs will be essential. Based on this understanding, we outlined a basic policy of accelerating our business platform for 2030 and are promoting initiatives to accelerate DX.
We established the Digital Transformation Department in January 2020 and began multiple on-site investigations and in-house education programs to foster a corporate culture. We consolidated BPR functions carried out across multiple departments in July 2021, and the Digital & BPR Department (currently Digital ＆ ICT Department) works to create more social and customer value and accelerate the enhancement of employee experience.

The Digital & BPR Department (currently Digital ＆ ICT Department) uses data to connect all internal and external value provision and focuses on creating a digital business base.
We have secured both highly specialized DX personnel for value maximization and a dynamic organizational structure that facilitates the implementation and promotion of DX.

To promote the transformation of operating processes across the Company, we launched multiple on-site investigations from April 2020 to help create synergies between divisions and contribute to overall optimization. After confirming the results, we have been making steady progress, including conducting trial runs.
In addition, since the emergency declaration due to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, over 90% of the entire company’s employees (excluding the Manufacturing & Technology Department) have been working from home. In terms of DX, we are using more web meetings, going paperless, and utilizing an electronic approval system, and employees have become more aware that workstyles have significantly changed. As of September 2021, departments with occupations that can be done remotely have maintained an in-office attendance rate of less than 30%.
We held online seminars for employees to create and maintain our corporate culture and are promoting activities aimed at transforming the entire company that cover a wide range of content, including the provision of explanations of the necessity of promoting DX to realizing Idemitsu’s future vision as well as internal case studies. In addition, we have been holding panel discussions with external experts.

To continue creating new customer value in existing businesses, we need new initiatives that fully leverage the Company’s assets. For example, with regard to service stations, it is not enough to simply wait for customers to come to fill their tanks, we need to send out information and transform these facilities into places that offer new experiences. With our apollostation network acting as a one-stop shop for a new era of enriching local residents’ lives, we will leverage our accumulated data and realize services tailored to each customer in order to provide optimal services at the best time to meet diverse customer needs, such as solving locally unique issues.

One aim of digital transformation is to create completely new businesses that contribute to local communities. However, Idemitsu cannot accomplish this by itself. We plan to promote business initiatives through collaboration with companies that have strengths in many different fields, such as healthcare, housing, food, and education. In 2020, we participated in the SmartCityX project for the creation of smart cities through inter-company collaboration.