SCSK expands external AI agent service through Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption

Deployment of generative AI to reduce workload, raise quality and advance daily operations

SCSK Corporation has continued to provide advanced technologies through systems and services for multiple industries, including manufacturing, industrial, and financial sectors, leveraging experience and know-how cultivated as a system integrator for the Sumitomo Corporation Group. 

In recent years, the company has served a central role in the digital strategy of Sumitomo Corporation Group by analyzing operations and proposing improvements for business transformation, as well as implementing related systems and services. In addition, that has involved the internal application of advanced digital technologies as services for external sales.

The same approach is true for generative AI, with each business unit exploring effective ways of utilization. The Corporate Information Systems Division and Cloud Service Division of SCSK have been leading internal development of generative AI to reduce workload, raise quality and advance daily operations.

Masahiro Otani, Senior Corporate Officer and General Manager, Corporate Information Systems Division, SCSK Corporation, explains the group's overall policy, saying, "Sumitomo Corporation Group is promoting DX as a solution for business issues in industry and cross-industry social issues. In the mid-term business plan launched in 2024, digital strategy is being promoted with the slogan ‘Polish with Digital, Earn with Digital.’ All employees are working towards utilization of generative AI across the entire group." 

He refers to the background of the initiative, saying, "Based on this policy, as an IT company of Sumitomo Corporation Group, we are deeply involved in DX across the entire organization, and have been conducting research on generative AI. In promoting DX with AI as a catalyst, we reviewed areas most effective for application. Daily operations were considered the best point to start promoting use in the company with generative AI and eventually transitioning that to a service for external sales.”

This began the process of integrating generative AI by the Corporate Information Systems Division, in charge of corporate IT, and the Cloud Service Division, in charge of promoting Microsoft 365 as a collaborative tool to develop cloud services for internal and customer use by the Sumitomo Corporation Group. 

Microsoft 365 Copilot selected based on affinity with collaborative tools deeply embedded in operations

The company chose Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI assistant provided by Microsoft, to promote generative AI within the company after reviewing several leading services.

Otani explains the decision for implementation was based on compatibility with Office applications and collaboration tools included in Microsoft 365. In addition, Copilot is integrated in the Microsoft 365 platform, in line with existing company regulations on internal data governance and security. Deployment of generative AI across the enterprise has a safe and secure environment since it is managed within the security and compliance framework from Microsoft.

“Ease-of-use is most important to establish generative AI within the company. We already have Microsoft 365 as our collaboration tool, and for our work products such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint Online," says Otani, emphasizing compatibility to the internal environment.

He refers to specific functional aspects that were decisive for introducing the system, adding, “Microsoft 365 Copilot is naturally tightly integrated with Microsoft products. Accessible buttons to Microsoft 365 Copilot are in both Office applications and web browsers. That makes it an accessible tool in our daily work for more sophisticated results and less workload. Generated information is ensured transparent and highly reliable in terms of security and governance. Thinking towards a company-wide deployment, and with those factors in mind, we decided to adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot.”

Toshihiro Sato, Deputy General Manager, Cloud Service Division, SCSK Corporation, who was responsible for the implementation and operation of Microsoft 365, recalls that another factor in the decision was that Sumitomo Corporation, the parent company of SCSK, had already conducted a company-wide deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot.

“Our team is responsible for operating and promoting the use of Microsoft 365, not only internally but also at Sumitomo Corporation. A working group led by the CIO was established from FY2023 for the company-wide deployment of generative AI at Sumitomo Corporation. We have been involved with the group in a range of diverse scenarios. The optimal use cases for generative AI are naturally different for each company and organization, so best practices at Sumitomo Corporation may not directly apply to our company. I believe that precedent positively influenced our adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot," says Sato.

The decision to implement Microsoft 365 Copilot proceeded and efforts began with licensing Microsoft 365 Copilot on an elective basis to users with a high interest in generative AI. As a result of early adopters working together to explore effective utilization with the Corporate Information Systems Division and Cloud Service Division, it was decided potential existed in investing resources for more creative tasks, such as strategic planning and effectiveness in business development.

Starting in spring of 2025, approximately 7,000 licenses were prepared for conducting trials with company-wide deployment in mind. Otani explains the shift from a licensing system in which the recipient pays, to one where users in departments can access without any cost as a method promoting adoption.

“A reason we are taking the lead in expanding utilization is that we provide AI services as an IT company. Our executives are considering the scope of AI daily, from the level of office work to system development. And with a view of eventual services for external sales, no one has shown any negative opinions towards the company-wide deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot,” says Otani.

Three agents were developed in about three months creating a foundation for sales as an external service with Copilot

Since the spring of 2025 the number of licenses has increased from 3,000 to 7,000, and an environment is being prepared where all employees can easily use Microsoft 365 Copilot. More than 5,000 licenses have already been distributed, and levels of attention and understanding are increasing within the company. 

In addition, a full-scale implementation has begun in earnest with Copilot Agents (AI assistants specialized for distinct tasks and purposes) using Microsoft Copilot Studio. Three agents were developed in the short period of about three months, and a foundation has been established for developing sales as an external service.

In concrete terms, with support received from Microsoft in the form of consulting and training, and with identification of tasks to apply agents, effective use cases could be conceptualized. The Cloud Service Division and other departments proposed more than ten use cases and three were eventually selected. Those agents were successfully created in the short period of about three months.

Sato explains the background behind usage of Copilot Agents. "About 80% of people thinking they are using generative AI really only use it as an extension of a search engine. I think that only a small number have learned how to write effective prompts and use them to improve work efficiency and quality.”

He continues, "There is the possibility of creating new burdens with the need to learn advanced prompt writing skills for reducing workloads and that itself could hinder use of generative AI. We decided that Copilot Agents, supporting autonomous daily operations, would be effective in terms of deployment and retention across the company.”

Sato also says, "Given that we are considering Copilot as an external sales service, we decided the effective approach was rapidly creating an AI agent, producing results, and then over time making improvements and did so for three agents over three months. We selected use cases based on the theme of raising work quality and time-based productivity, targeting young employees to mid-level managers with relatively high workloads."

The agents cover the three scenarios of "reviewing proposals," "sharing information from staff," and "understanding staff activities." They were created to contribute to the operational efficiency of both staff and managers. Miki Fukuda, Manager, Section 4, Cloud Service Dept 1, Cloud Service Division, SCSK Corporation, who is responsible for establishing and promoting use of Microsoft 365 Copilot, says that advice from Microsoft provided many "insights" when creating the agents.

“We realized in the field that if results do not meet expectations, usage will stop. We had repeated discussions, including those with Microsoft, about the type of data to include in Copilot Agents and how to generate output along the lines of expected results," says Fukuda.

The agents handling proposal reviews were built for three purposes during proposal creation covering self-review, supervisor review, idea generation and organization. We have been able to shorten working time and improve the quality of proposals for both staff and managers when using different agents for different purposes.

Fukuda is pleased with the new agents, saying, “Creating separate agents for each phase was based on advice from Microsoft, and I feel that has made the agents more effective.”

Sato says that this effort has made him "realize" that in some cases business processes themselves need to be reconsidered to make effective use of the Copilot Agents.

Sato explains the possibilities and practical use cases of Copilot Agents. “We found that data from Teams chats and Teams meetings cannot be used effectively unless they are linked to individual tasks by Microsoft 365 Copilot. We believe that this realization will become a great business chance for external sales.”

“As a result of the three months of development, some agents achieved positive results, while others had issues noted in feedback from the field. When proposing external sales services, including examples of failures as well as positive results are welcomed. We would like to provide more practical products by including reference to both successes and failures as part of providing practical external sales services," he continues with a notable strategic viewpoint for the development of external sales.

Copilot Agents as everyday tools for all employees in the future

In creating Copilot Agents in the short period of three months that have assisted solving business issues, the company has gained a solid feeling for the full deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot. AI is seen as "a technology with the power to unlock potential in people and organizations.” In the near future all departments are expected to actively use Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Koji Kasori, General Manager, IT Infrastructure Planning Department, Corporate Information Systems Division, SCSK Corporation, who is responsible for the development and operation of the communications infrastructure centered on Microsoft 365, including networks, security, and endpoints, along with the entire internal IT infrastructure, evaluates the implementation of Copilot as an effective opportunity for corporate department personnel to use generative AI.

Kasori points out the varying receptions to generative AI among different company departments. He says, “Engineers and technical salespeople in business divisions may be able to think how AI can improve their own productivity and applying it to their business. However, corporate divisions unfamiliar with IT often struggle to find effective ways to utilize it.”

He continues outlining future prospects saying, "We have provided an environment in this initiative where even employees without high IT literacy can easily strive towards success through repetition of basic knowledge, for example, through multiple information sessions. As we continue with promotion of Microsoft 365 Copilot, increasing use in the corporate division to achieve performance to 1.1 months, instead of the standard 1 month of work, can compensate for the growing shortage of workers.”

Creating essential value in "human growth" and "organizational evolution" through use of AI going beyond simple improvements of operational efficiency

SCSK held a contest sponsored by Microsoft in 2024 to promote the utilization of Microsoft 365 Copilot. As company-wide deployment is taking place in 2025, an even larger contest is planned in the same year for September.

“Only around 100 applicants submitted due to the short notice period last year, but we have asked the winners to become active as influencers and participate as lecturers in information sessions and roundtable discussions for beginners. We hope to announce the contest earlier this year so more people can participate. We also expect to receive practical and innovative ideas from those in our corporate division," says Sato.

Based on these results, efforts will continue company-wide for the deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Otani says that it is important to foster a corporate culture where it is commonplace to work with Microsoft 365 Copilot.

“We are currently running trials of the company-wide deployment, continuing to promote Microsoft 365 Copilot so that it is positioned as a common tool for all employees at SCSK," says Otani.

Sato feels that there is solid potential with Copilot Agents, and he hopes to develop more using accumulated in-house experience and knowledge to solve a range of corporate business issues.

“There is a mixture currently of people who can and who cannot use Copilot, so our team is working together to support all employees, and create agents using Microsoft 365 Copilot," he says. Furthermore, we would like to use Azure OpenAI Service (AOAI) to create agents for areas not covered by Microsoft 365 Copilot and offer our agents in the agent store," says Sato.

The use of agents is not limited to only improving operational efficiency with Copilot at SCSK, but also pursuing essential value in "human growth" and "organizational evolution.” Rather than focusing on only learning how to write prompts, SCSK has built a system to realize the “desired goals” of employees, providing a glimpse into the future of co-creation with people and AI. 

The company will maintain its efforts with generative AI in order to become a service provider of agents, as part of the AI-first business transformation and Agentic AI world proposed by Microsoft.

Kasori comments, "In order to have corporate departments regularly use AI, it is important to incorporate agents into daily operations. Now that we have taken the first steps towards this goal, we will continue leveraging use of agents into the future.”

Microsoft will continue supporting the efforts of SCSK in establishing its leadership in business and providing innovative solutions ahead of its competitors using technology driven by generative AI.