[Event Report] Arsaga Partners Co-presents with Supporting Companies at Kumamoto City's DX Achievement Presentation

Arsaga Partners Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Chairman and CTO: Yasuaki Omata; CEO: Jumpei Watanabe; hereinafter "Arsaga Partners"), which promotes corporate DX, provided accompanying support for the "Kumamoto City SME DX Acceleration Project," organized by Kumamoto City and managed by Forval Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Masanori Nakajima; hereinafter "Forval").

We announce that we co-presented with our client, Kyushu Sanko Landmark Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Kyushu Sanko Landmark"), at the project's achievement presentation held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, to announce their past initiatives and future vision.

Outline of "Kumamoto City SME DX Acceleration Project Achievement Presentation"

This project aims to provide accompanying support for DX promotion to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kumamoto City that are working on management transformation using digital technology. On the day of the event, more than 150 participants, both in-person and online, watched the presentation, underscoring the high level of interest in regional DX.

- Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 13:30-15:30 - Venue: Kumamoto Castle Hall 2F (Civic Hall B) - Organizer: Kumamoto City (Economic Policy Division) - Operating Secretariat: Forval Co., Ltd. - Total participants: Over 150 (total of in-person and online)

Background of Support: Shifting to "Offensive DX" to Break Through On-site Limitations

Since 2024, the Kyushu Sanko Group has launched a DX project centered on selected members, steadily accumulating results in "defensive DX" (operational efficiency) such as paperless operations and automation of routine tasks. However, they faced the challenge that it was difficult to formulate a concrete roadmap from an internal perspective alone for the next stage, which involves "business growth through digital means" and "creation of new customer experiences" beyond efficiency.

To address this challenge, they utilized the framework of the "DX Acceleration Project" organized by Kumamoto City and operated by Forval and Arsaga Partners. Arsaga Partners, which had a deep understanding of the group's business through website production and other activities, participated as an external professional accompanying support.

This program started with a strong public-private collaborative support system to steer towards "offensive DX" that delves into management vision, rather than merely proposing IT tool introductions.

Achievement Presentation by Kyushu Sanko Landmark

At the presentation, the following three strategic concepts, materialized with the accompanying support of Arsaga Partners, were announced under the theme of "DX that goes beyond operational efficiency to enhance customer experience and regional value."

1. **Creation of "Group Synergy" through Data Integration** Customer information, dispersed and incompletely fragmented across 11 group companies, was integrated with a "common ID." Beyond mere data aggregation, the group declared an evolution to "data-driven management" to deeply understand each customer across the entire group and deliver optimal services to individuals.

2. **Building New Customer Touchpoints through "Small Starts"** A strategy was adopted to avoid massive initial investment by building a minimal integrated database behind the scenes while utilizing existing systems. Additionally, online acquisition of "Sakuramachi Card," which was previously only available in person, was started to directly approach potential customers such as bus users and travelers. Specific measures to revitalize purchasing in the Sakuramachi area were presented.

3. **"Wave-type" Roadmap to Realize Vision** Arsaga Partners provided support to verbalize the management's vision of "transforming the entire city of Kumamoto into a place of the best experience" and translate it into a strategy. A "wave" (three-stage step) was defined to minimize risks and proceed with small experiments and repeated verifications, and a feasible roadmap was formulated.

Panel Discussion: How to Turn Anxiety into "Excitement" in DX Promotion

In the second part, a panel discussion was held to exchange realistic opinions on the challenges faced during DX promotion and how to overcome them.

### Psychological Transformation at the Site

Kyushu Sanko Landmark spoke of a psychological change: "At first, there was a vague anxiety about how to proceed. However, as the path became clear with Arsaga Partners' careful accompanying support, the anxiety turned into excitement."

### Creating Mechanisms to Make People Want to Do It

In response to a question from the audience about the difficulty of system integration, Arsaga Partners proposed "building a 'new common platform' at a slightly removed location, rather than forcibly integrating existing data."

Our company places the highest priority on creating mechanisms that transform the "hassle" imposed on the field into a "desire" to participate by feeling the benefits. This demonstrated that the key to DX success lies more in "human motivation" than in technology.

Summary: Maximizing the "Value of the Regional Economic Zone" Using Digital Technology

Through this initiative, Arsaga Partners strongly reaffirmed that the essence of DX is not merely the introduction of IT tools, but "transforming the very way business is done based on digital technology."

By connecting group companies' services with a single ID and delivering the best experience to customers, we will maximize the value of Kumamoto's regional economic zone. Arsaga Partners will continue to strongly support the pioneering challenges of the Kyushu Sanko Group as a partner rooted in the region.

In addition, by leveraging the knowledge gained from this project, we will continue to promote DX for all companies supporting regional economies across Japan, including Kumamoto, with reliable technical capabilities and strategic accompanying support.

**[Related Past Press Releases on this Matter]**

- Arsaga Partners and Forval Co., Ltd. form a business alliance to promote DX management in Kumamoto Prefecture - Arsaga Partners Kumamoto Branch signs location agreement with Kumamoto City for business expansion - Arsaga Partners' Web Marketer speaks at Kumamoto City's "Web Shop Seminar 'Learning Web Advertising from Scratch'" - Arsaga Partners Vice President Maeno speaks at Kumamoto City's "SME DX Acceleration Seminar"

**■ About Forval Co., Ltd.**

Forval (Capital: 4,150 million yen, [Securities Code: 8275]), a group of "corporate doctors (next-generation management consultants)" who visualize and support ESG management with an accompanying approach, specializes in five fields for small and medium-sized enterprises: "Information and Communication," "Overseas," "Environment," "Human Resources and Education," and "Entrepreneurship and Business Succession." These consulting services are their core business.

In line with the four driving forces advocated by the government – "Green," "Digital," "Vibrant Local Creation," and "Measures against Declining Birthrate" – Forval promotes the "F-Japan" concept, aiming to realize sustainable regional revitalization across Japan by collaborating with local governments, private companies, educational institutions, and financial institutions to foster DX/GX talent, who in turn revitalize local economies. Simultaneously, in recent years, they have been working on visualizing and accompanying support for ESG management, including human capital, which is increasingly gaining attention.

<Company Overview> Company Name: Forval Co., Ltd. Representative: Masanori Nakajima, President and Representative Director Established: September 18, 1980 Location: Aoyama Oval Building 14F, 5-52-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo *For details, please refer to the website.

**■ About Kyushu Sanko Landmark Co., Ltd.**

Kyushu Sanko Landmark operates "SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto," a landmark in Kumamoto, and develops real estate, parking, terminal operations, card and point businesses, among others, as a Kyushu Sanko Group company. They are responsible for regional revitalization through property management and town management.

Representative: Shinji Watanabe, President and Representative Director Location: SAKURA MACHI Kumamoto B1F, 3-10 Sakuramachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture HP: https://www.kyusanko.co.jp/

Arsaga Partners Co., Ltd. Arsaga Partners is a comprehensive firm headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. We consistently handle DX solution businesses ranging from consulting to system development, maintenance, and operation, addressing diverse challenges across various industries and sectors.

With the mission of "delivering value with free thinking and sound logic," we utilize diverse capabilities and assets to support our clients and enhance their corporate competitiveness.

Headquarters: SAKURA Tower 5F, Shibuya Sakura Stage, 3-2 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Kumamoto Branch Shinshigai Office: TERRACE87 Building 2F, 8-7 Shinshigai, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture Heisei Office: 2-24-1 Egoshiminami-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture Fukuoka Branch: Tenjin Business Center 7F, 1-10-20 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture Kagoshima Office: JR Kagoshima Chuo Building 710・711, 1-2-10 Take, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture Representatives: Yasuaki Omata, Chairman and CTO, Jumpei Watanabe, CEO Established: January 2016 Capital: 1,434.7 million yen (including capital reserves, etc.) Number of Employees: 411 (as of end of March 2026) Business Description: One-stop DX Solution Business Web: https://www.arsaga.jp/