ITOKI CORPORATION (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Yoshiro Hirai) has launched a new way of working "workers Style (workers Style)" on the theme of "FREE", in which maximize their own discretion and design their own way of working autonomously, with the aim of creating new value by improving organizational productivity and creativity, and achieving well-being by improving employee work engagement. A new way of working, "XORK Style (Zork Style)," has been fully launched.

ITOKI has introduced the concept of "Activity Based Working (ABW)" as a work format for XORK Style, which allows employees to work anytime, anywhere, with anyone, with a high degree of self-discipline. In addition, the company has introduced the "WELL Building Standard," a spatial quality standard based on the concept of well-being, to its office space, which keeps employees who practice active and free working styles healthy both physically and mentally. It has opened a new head office, "ITOKI TOKYO XORK," in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, which embodies the functional requirements and quality standards that support these new ways of working. On October 9, 2018, it consolidated and relocated its four locations, which had been scattered throughout Tokyo. With this new head office as the driving engine for transformation, it will promote integrated transformation of work styles, work rules, and system environments using IoT and AI, and put XORK Style into practice.

Going forward, in addition to transforming our own workstyle, we will also communicate to society the "future form of head office offices" as "workstyle reform" surrounding the labor environment progresses rapidly, and will utilize the knowledge and know-how gained from pilot experiments of new workstyles in proposing office designs to our customers.

XORK Style's work format introduces the concept of "Activity Based Working (ABW)," which allows employees to work anytime, anywhere, and with anyone with a high degree of discretion.

1-1. Implement a work style reform program together with employees on the front lines

A full-scale work style reform program was implemented with employees in the field, including workshops to raise employee awareness of new ways of working and specific training to overcome the gap between the ideal way of working and the current situation. A specialized company that provides ABW implementation consulting to global companies around the world was invited from overseas as a strategic partner.

1-2. Dedicated office space to maximize productivity and creativity for each activity

In order to create an office where employees can freely choose the location that best suits their activities, we focused on the "actions and behaviors" of "individuals" and "teams." We have created dedicated office spaces that maximize productivity and creativity for a variety of activities, such as highly concentrated work done alone, careful PC work with two people, and knowledge sharing in groups of three or more people.

1-3. Developing "Work Style Reform Applications" that utilize advanced ICT technology

Employee location information and office usage history are collected using GPS systems and indoor sensor technology and are collected as office log big data. Based on this data, a "work style transformation application" was developed for all employees to not only visualize their own activities but also encourage them to make new work habits.

1-4. Fully implement teleworking systems to increase employee mobility

In order to increase employee mobility, the company is now fully implementing the telework system that was introduced some time ago, encouraging dynamic work styles that utilize not only the office but also the surrounding environment such as home, co-working spaces, and cafes.

1-5. Implementing SFA (Sales Force Automation) primarily in the sales department

In order to support employees in autonomously and freely designing their own work styles, we have introduced Sales Force Automation (SFA), which provides navigation for the next steps toward achieving business results.

1-6. Development of a mobile IT environment and promotion of paperless operations

In principle, desktop computers and landlines that tie employees to specific locations are abolished. All employees are equipped with thin-client laptops and smartphones (tablets are also available for those who wish) as standard equipment. Similarly, we are moving to a work style and workflow that does not use paper documents.

The "WELL Building Standard," a spatial quality standard based on the concept of well-being, has been introduced to office spaces to maintain the physical and mental health of employees who practice active and free working styles.

ITOKI CORPORATION will relocate and consolidate its Tokyo office to Nihonbashi, Tokyo in the fall of 2018. By improving productivity, efficiency, and creativity, the company will embody its mission statement of "We Design Tomorrow. We Design WORK-Style." and realize work style reform in the office environment. The ITOKI Tokyo Innovation Center SYNQA (Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) will continue to be used as a space for active interaction both inside and outside the company, and to stimulate the creation of new knowledge.

ITOKI TOKYO XORK teaser site