Comdec Inc. is well known for its YouTube channel "kintone Geinin" (kintone Entertainer).
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Ise, Mie Prefecture, the company operates under the vision of "energizing Japan with IT from Ise." It supports businesses nationwide with implementing cloud services such as kintone, installing IT equipment, building and maintaining networks, and developing systems. It also runs Comdec Lab, a media site where readers can learn about business improvement through about 600 articles and 250 videos.
The company used Kanal-WEB to build a My Page for its own customers.
We spoke with Sata, the "kintone Geinin," about how the company uses Kanal-WEB.
YouTube: "kintone Management Channel"
Challenges Before Implementation: Strengthening Customer Touchpoints and Information Delivery
[Challenge 1] Strengthening communication with customers
The company had been providing information to customers via Chatwork and LINE WORKS, but felt there were issues with the quality of communication.
Chat tools are effective for exchanging messages, but the company could not accurately tell which information customers were interested in or how well they were putting it to use. This raised a concern: "Are we really providing value to our customers?"
Strongly recognizing the need for a member site (My Page) with an activity history feature as a more effective and reliable way to deliver information, the company began searching for a new approach.
[Challenge 2] A service that could deliver the ideal UI/UX
The company manages its customers in kintone, and was looking for a service highly compatible with kintone that met the following requirements.
- Able to deliver the ideal UI/UX
- Includes an activity history feature
- Enhances the brand image
However, finding a service that met these requirements proved difficult. Then, at Cybozu Days 2023, they discovered Kanal-WEB.
Setting "an intuitive UI like Netflix" as their ideal, they researched their current challenges and the features they needed, and laid out the characteristics of and differences between each service, including Kanal-WEB, in a spreadsheet.
This document was also shared with bitRiver and served as an important guideline for the direction of the project. What made a particularly strong impression on the bitRiver representative was a note written in large letters with a powerful phrase: "UI is everything." That single phrase sums up how much the company valued usability and visual appeal above all else when selecting a system.
Deciding Factors
[Deciding Factor 1] Delivering the ideal UI/UX and enhancing the brand image
In addition to the essential activity history feature, the company valued the following points.
- The freedom to customize needed to achieve their ideal UI/UX
- A custom domain connection that helps enhance their brand image
With other systems, service-side constraints made it impossible to express their own identity, but Kanal-WEB solved this problem.
In terms of customizability, a major strength is the ability to fine-tune every detail freely using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
In addition, the custom domain connection option lets them offer their own service seamlessly, without customers being aware of Kanal-WEB.
The deciding factor was that, together, these features made it possible to build an information-sharing platform with an intuitive UI that embodies their brand and serves as a touchpoint with customers.
[Deciding Factor 2] A flat fee, even as membership grows
Another deciding factor was the flat-rate pricing.
Because the fee stays the same even as the number of members grows, the company also valued being able to expand its business without worrying about operating costs.
"The peace of mind of being able to welcome new members without worrying about cost is a huge advantage," says Sata.
With other systems that charge on a usage basis, costs climb as membership grows, making long-term operating costs a concern.
For companies aiming to grow, "being able to run operations with peace of mind, without worrying about the number of members" is an important factor in maximizing profit.
Results: CRM Analysis Using Activity History Data
Establishing a dedicated platform for customers
The member site has gone beyond being a simple place to share information and now plays an important role as a tool that supports sales activities.
Information sharing used to start from chat messages, but with Kanal-WEB, the company has built a platform that connects it with its customers.
Analyzing customer insights with activity history data
The activity history feature visualizes page view history within Kanal-WEB, enabling data analysis based on actual behavior. The person in charge of the implementation commented, "We use it as a CRM extension service for kintone."
The company uses this data as "key data for measuring and improving KPIs across the entire team." As a result, the quality of customer service has risen, along with team performance.
But the company has its sights set even further. Going forward, it aims to analyze its accumulated activity history data more deeply, understand each customer's interests and behavior patterns, and deliver even more refined services.
Future Outlook
Toward a place where customers connect with each other and create new value
Looking ahead, the company aims to evolve the member site from "a place where the company and its customers connect" into "a place where customers connect with each other and create new value".
"Building a platform where customers interact with each other and expand their business possibilities is exactly what we are aiming for as our next step," says Sata.
This is expected to take the site beyond a simple information-sharing space and foster a community where collaboration and co-creation between companies can emerge.
Implementing Kanal-WEB did more than simply update a system. It delivered major results by raising the company's brand value and transforming the customer experience into something deeper.
The company is expected to continue making the most of Kanal-WEB's design and functionality to further evolve an attractive platform that stays close to its customers.
Public profiles that customers enter on their My Page can be viewed by other users. When a customer is interested in another company, Comdec matches the two customers.
Try It with the Actual Screens
Try all features free for 30 days.