Company Introduction

General Co., Ltd. and General Staff Co., Ltd. are specialized groups responsible for the back-office functions of Tokushinkai Medical Corporation, one of the largest dental healthcare groups in Japan. As the "heart" of the group, we have a wide range of functions, from operational management of 30 clinics nationwide, to recruitment strategies and training, human resources, labor relations, finance, accounting, and even real estate development and nursery school management.

We support an environment where professionals such as dentists, dental hygienists, dental technicians, dental assistants, and receptionists can concentrate on medical care through systematization and technology. As a leading force in the "modernization of management" in the dental industry, we play a bridge connecting cutting-edge technology to the field.

Issues before introducing generative AI

The back office department supporting one of Japan's largest dental healthcare groups faces a wide range of tasks on a daily basis. In particular, recruitment and public relations involved a heavy burden of "writing," including creating personalized recruitment emails for each candidate, writing social media posts that highlight the clinic's appeal, creating POP displays for in-clinic postings, and writing various reports.

Everyone on the team wanted to dedicate their time to developing higher-value strategies and direct communication, but in reality, their resources were being taken up by mundane tasks. There was a general feeling within the company that "we need to use AI," but in reality, it was only occasionally used as "just a search tool." The problem was that it couldn't be implemented into concrete daily operations, resulting in disparities in the level of utilization.

Effects after generative AI introduction training

The biggest takeaway from the training was that everyone was able to concretely envision "what tasks should be entrusted to AI."

The most significant improvement was seen in document creation. By adopting a method of using AI as a sounding board to solidify the structure from scratch, a task that previously took 3-4 hours was reduced to 1-1.5 hours. The time saved could then be used to delve deeper into the content.

Another unexpected application is the use of "voice input." By speaking to the AI using voice, which is significantly faster than typing, users can further refine the responses they receive. This conversational workflow allows users to work as if they had a "highly capable subordinate."

Above all, the fact that the president himself was very enthusiastic about introducing AI and gave it his support accelerated the movement throughout the organization. Our organization has a wide range of employees, from their 20s to their 70s, but regardless of age, using AI to "organize information for meeting preparations" has become commonplace, and we are getting the feeling that previously scattered pieces of knowledge are now connecting to form a coherent line.

Future outlook

Going forward, our goal is not to let the momentum gained from this training be a fleeting trend, but to establish it as a "continuously evolving and growing organizational culture" that constantly incorporates the latest AI trends into our daily work.

First, we aim to thoroughly streamline our back-office operations, and then apply the IT skills and dental practice management expertise we've honed to the medical field itself. By highly integrating IT and dental care, we aim to further reduce the burden on staff and contribute to improving the overall quality of medical care across the group.

"Using technology as a bridge to the field." General Co., Ltd. and General Staff Co., Ltd., together with AI as a powerful partner, will continue to run as a leading force in shaping the future of the dental industry.