DIGITAL X

The "White Paper on the Information Service Industry," which began publication in 1986, has provided recommendations based on the latest themes for information service providers that undertake the development of corporate information systems. The "White Paper on the Information Service Industry 2021" proposes the role of information service providers in digital transformation (DX). Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid advancement of DX occurring worldwide, it is expected that the roles required from information service providers by user companies will change as we move from the current pandemic to the post-COVID era, necessitating the establishment of a new relationship between the two. This document conducted a survey and interviews targeting member companies of the Japan Information Service Industry Association (JISA), which is the industry organization for information service providers. Based on the results, it assesses the impact of the pandemic on the information service industry and introduces case studies of advanced companies that are tackling transformation. Furthermore, it suggests the direction that information service providers should take in the future, whether to remain in traditional contract development, transform their own business models, promote DX for user companies, or engage in co-creation with users to tackle DX.

Many people may have questions such as "What is DX?", "Why DX now?", "What does digital mean?", and "Is it relevant to me?". This book broadly and simply explains the background of the attention on DX, its definition, and insights for implementation, aiming to resolve the seemingly "difficult" questions about DX. This book is based on the e-learning content "Basics of DX" that Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation has implemented for its group employees, and it has been generalized further. The creation of this content was led by the DX group within the Advanced Technology and Business Development Department, headed by the company's Chief Digital Officer, with full cooperation from Impress's "DIGITAL X". Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings has been proactive in DX since establishing the DX group in 2017, implementing various projects and promoting awareness activities related to DX. The company decided to publish this book with the hope of considering together with a wider audience "What kind of companies and society we aim for through DX."