Thorough Support for the "Front Lines" of SMEs Struggling with Labor Shortages: "Productivity Improvement Support Center" Opened on April 1st within the Osaka Prefectural Yorozu Support Base

The Osaka Prefectural Yorozu Support Base, operated by the Osaka Industrial Promotion Organization (located in Chuo-ku, Osaka City), opened the "Productivity Improvement Support Center" on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. This center aims to address the severe labor shortages and labor supply constraints faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small businesses by providing thorough, on-site, continuous support. The biggest feature of the "Productivity Improvement Support Center" is its "continuous on-site support, approximately 10 times," where experts directly visit the business sites, going beyond traditional counter consultations. It offers highly effective solutions, from establishing 5S (Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke - Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) to eliminate waste in operations, to automation through the introduction of AI and robots, powerfully supporting the sustainable growth of companies. Furthermore, by formulating plans with the support of this center, businesses are expected to receive additional points in the screening for the "Labor-Saving Investment Subsidy" starting around summer 2026. [Background of Establishment: Severe Labor Shortages and Barriers to "Improvement"] According to the "White Paper on Small and Medium Enterprises 2025" (※1) published by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, many companies, regardless of business scale, cite "securing human resources" and "improving productivity" as management challenges. Approximately 43.2% of medium-sized businesses, in particular, recognize this as a pressing issue, with chronic situations that are difficult to resolve on their own, such as "overtime not decreasing, people not staying" and "manual work being the norm, wanting to review but unable to start." The newly established "Productivity Improvement Support Center" primarily specializes in support aimed at reducing "labor input (number of employees × working hours)." By collaborating with existing Yorozu Support Bases, it will build a more comprehensive management support system. (※1) Source: "White Paper on Small and Medium Enterprises 2025" (Small and Medium Enterprise Agency) https://www.chusho.meti.go.jp/pamflet/hakusyo/2025/shokibo/index.html [Three Features of the Productivity Improvement Support Center] 1. Free Support There is no financial burden on businesses. However, actual expenses such as system implementation costs during execution will be borne by the businesses themselves. 2. Thorough "On-site Visit Type" Continuous Support Specialized supporters will visit the site multiple times, working together with companies to consider the optimal "next step" according to their situation and thoroughly assisting them through implementation. 3. Wide Range of Solution Proposals Based on Professional Knowledge Support for optimizing labor input will be provided using a wide range of technologies and methods, from improving the work environment through 5S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) to reducing waste, unevenness, and overburden (Muri, Mura, Muda), improving business processes, and further digitalization, automation, IoT, and AI utilization. [How to Use This Center] Name: Productivity Improvement Support Center Location: Osaka Sangyo Sozokan 2F, 1-4-5 Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, 541-0053 (within Osaka Prefectural Yorozu Support Base) Phone Number: 06-4256-3527 Email: seisansei@obda.or.jp Business Hours: Weekdays 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM [Organization Overview] Base Name: Osaka Prefectural Yorozu Support Base Operating Body: Osaka Industrial Promotion Organization Location: Osaka Sangyo Sozokan 2F, 1-4-5 Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City Business Description: Free management consultation for SMEs and small businesses to solve management challenges such as sales expansion and business improvement. Website: https://www.yorozu-osaka.jp/ Osaka Prefectural Yorozu Support Base (within Osaka Industrial Promotion Organization) TEL: 06-4256-3527 / FAX: 06-6261-5290 Email: seisansei@obda.obda.or.jp