With Smartsheet, Jeisys Medical Japan builds a foundation for long-term project management and significantly improves operational efficiency

Under its mission "to contribute to making ourselves, our colleagues, our customers, the industry, and even the world richer and happier," Jeisys Medical Inc. has provided cutting-edge technology in aesthetic medical devices to approximately 60 countries worldwide. Its Japanese subsidiary, Jeisys Medical Japan Co., Ltd., implemented Smartsheet in July 2023. Mr. Einosuke Arifuku from the company's Administration Division describes the background of the implementation as follows:

"It all started when I was instructed in a management meeting to 'find a new tool for project management.' We handle several large projects, but previously, we lacked a means to track overall progress. This led to cases where information wasn't reported properly or the current status was unclear without asking the person in charge."

"To change this, I was asked to find a way to consolidate projects and visualize them with Gantt charts. While adopting a new solution is often a response to problems with existing tools, we started our review before such a situation arose. Our company culture is quite flexible, so our project management methods were not standardized. The search for a new solution began with the goal of first standardizing the tools we use internally."

Key Factors in Choosing Smartsheet: "Intuitive Usability" and "High Market Adoption"

Two main requirements were set for selecting a new solution.

"The first was the ability to consolidate multiple projects into a single view. While Gantt charts are common in project management, the IT skills varied among our departments and staff. Therefore, a key condition was that the tool had to be intuitive to operate with a short learning curve. The second requirement was that it had to be a major, well-established tool. Introducing a tool with low market penetration can make it difficult to outsource work or get support when issues arise. In that regard, Smartsheet is not only widely known but was also rapidly growing its market share. Based on these points, I recommended it as the 'clear choice.'"

During the shortlisting process, a detailed comparative study with competing products was also conducted. Mr. Arifuku says he was once again convinced of Smartsheet's advantages.

"At the time, our head office in Korea was also facing the need for project management and was considering Microsoft Project (MS Project). However, MS Project is somewhat difficult to operate and takes a long time to master. In contrast, Smartsheet's UI is similar to Google Sheets, which we use daily, making it easy to learn. But it had other advantages as well. While Google Sheets is mainly for checking numbers in a tabular format, Smartsheet can create a Gantt chart with a single click. In terms of information exchange, its chat and sharing capabilities, combined with individual filter settings and detailed access controls, made it ideal for collaboration among large groups. We also used Trello, but even just from a UI perspective, it was clear that Smartsheet was better suited for managing long-term projects."

Expanding Use Cases into Maintenance and Management Operations

Since then, the company has been using Smartsheet for long-term project management. Recently, however, its range of applications has expanded. It is now also being used for progress management and information sharing in more short-term, routine operations. Mr. Yang, who works in the Business Support Office analyzing and proposing efficiency improvements for various departments, gives a specific example.

"We manage the maintenance, inspection, and repair of our delivered equipment in a file called an issue report. Previously, this was managed with Google Sheets, but since all input and updates were manual, input errors and omissions due to varying skill levels among engineers were frequent. So, starting in January 2024, we switched to Smartsheet and introduced its form feature. This has not only smoothed the input process but also helped prevent errors. Furthermore, by using Smartsheet's approval feature, we could incorporate a process for managers to review the submitted information. While we had approval processes for things like budgets and payments, the concept of approval didn't really exist in our daily workflows, so this has been a major improvement."

The approved information is then shared with the head office in Korea via Smartsheet. At this time, photos, videos, and other information are also shared, and even the necessary customs documents for shipping equipment between Japan and the head office are generated all at once.

"The ability to attach all related files also helps streamline our work. For example, when explaining the condition of a device with a video, we used to have to send the video file separately and follow up with an email each time. But with Smartsheet, we can see all the files in one place on the sheet and manage the response status collectively. While we haven't measured the exact time, I feel that the time required for managing the issue report has been reduced by roughly 30 to 50%. Since we handle nearly 1,000 issue report cases annually, the impact of making this work more efficient is immense. Smartsheet creates greater economies of scale as the number of people involved in a project increases, and the number of employees using Smartsheet has now grown to about 60, which is nearly half of our entire staff."

The implementation of Smartsheet brought more than just quantitative results. Mr. Yang emphasizes that the change in employee mindset was also significant and expressed his enthusiasm for further utilization in the future.

"Currently, my department is exploring other tasks where Smartsheet can be implemented, beyond the issue report, and we are now seeing spontaneous proposals from other departments suggesting 'we could use it for this kind of work, couldn't we?' I believe this is because employees were able to experience firsthand how much more efficient their work became. When introducing a new tool, many employees tend to feel anxious or resistant, wondering if they can master it. That's why the key is to create and promote excellent use cases from their perspective. Smartsheet is a fantastic solution, so we want to continue building on good internal examples, expand its adoption, and contribute to achieving our company's mission."