Case Study: Eliminating 'Understanding Gaps' Caused by Language Differences and Drastically Reducing Meeting Minutes Preparation Time — How Nishimatsu Construction's New Business Division Transformed International Meetings with 'CoeFont Interpreter'

CoeFont Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shogo Hayakawa) has announced a case study in which the Regional Environmental Solutions Division of Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter 'Nishimatsu Construction') has introduced the multilingual real-time translation service 'CoeFont Interpreter' for business negotiations and meetings with overseas companies.

The Regional Environmental Solutions Division of Nishimatsu Construction is a department dedicated to creating new businesses in urban development, environment, and energy sectors, including initiatives that address regional challenges and renewable energy projects. As international discussions have increased, two major challenges emerged: disparities in meeting comprehension due to varying language proficiency among participants, and the significant burden of preparing meeting minutes, which sometimes took nearly two hours for a one-hour meeting.

The key factor in selecting CoeFont Interpreter after evaluating multiple services was 'the immediate generation of summaries upon meeting completion.' This press release introduces the background of the introduction and the changes observed on-site through an interview with Mr. Kota Horii from the Regional Environmental Solutions Division.

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[Case Study] Eliminating 'Understanding Gaps' Caused by Language Differences and Drastically Reducing Meeting Minutes Preparation Time — How Nishimatsu Construction's New Business Division Transformed International Meetings with 'CoeFont Interpreter'

[Key Points of Nishimatsu Construction's Implementation]

Resolved the issue of comprehension disparities in large international meetings where participants have varying language proficiency

Selected CoeFont Interpreter after comparing multiple services, with the decisive factor being the speed of summary minutes generation immediately after meeting completion

Dramatically reduced time spent on meeting minutes preparation, which previously took nearly two hours for a one-hour meeting. In many cases, understanding the content is now completed solely through the summary

Reduced time required for post-meeting follow-ups and catch-ups, making it easier to align understanding levels among participants

Mr. Kota Horii, Regional Environmental Solutions Division, Environmental and Urban Development Headquarters, Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd.

'Understanding Gaps' Caused by Language Differences — Fragmentation Occurring in Every Meeting

-- Please tell us about your area of responsibility, Mr. Horii.

Horii: I belong to the Regional Environmental Solutions Division, which is essentially a new business unit. Our goal is not direct construction contracting, but rather creating new businesses in urban development, environmental, and energy fields that contribute to solving regional issues. Although we refer broadly to urban development and environmental/energy fields, the scope of our business areas is actually quite wide.

-- As international discussions have increased, what challenges were you facing?

Horii: When holding face-to-face or online meetings with overseas counterparts, differences in participants' language proficiency meant that some could understand smoothly in real time, while others struggled to keep up. In meetings with multiple participants, comprehension levels inevitably varied.

Previously, there was no established practice of assigning dedicated interpreters, so English-proficient employees would cover the gaps. However, this often led to faster-understanding participants driving the conversation, resulting in other team members needing to catch up after the meeting.

'Different from Other Tools' — The Deciding Factor Was Instant Summary Generation

-- How did you first learn about CoeFont Interpreter?

Horii: We were introduced to it by our internal DX promotion department. After the introduction, I didn't decide immediately; I personally tested several similar services and conducted internal comparative evaluations of multiple options.

-- What was the deciding factor in choosing CoeFont Interpreter?

Horii: The biggest deciding factor was the speed at which meeting summaries and minutes are generated the moment the meeting ends. There are other tools that provide transcription only, but the fact that summaries are generated immediately after the meeting ends was a significant differentiator.

Previously used tools required cumbersome setup and had insufficient minute-generation functions, so they didn't gain much traction. CoeFont Interpreter, on the other hand, was easy to start using, and the quality of the summaries was practical and usable, so adoption was quick.

The Burden of 'Two Hours of Minutes for a One-Hour Meeting' Has Disappeared

-- How burdensome was meeting minutes preparation before implementation?

Horii: Since we use different formats depending on importance, it's not uniform, but when aiming for a detailed document, I felt it often took at least as much time as the meeting itself — sometimes even longer.

-- How has it changed after introducing CoeFont Interpreter?

Horii: In most cases, the generated minutes allow full comprehension through the summary section alone. We only refer back to the full transcription when detailed verification is needed, enabling a natural two-step verification process. Additionally, when creating internal reports after meetings, the minutes can be used directly as material, significantly reducing work time.

-- How has it changed after introducing CoeFont Interpreter?

Horii: In most cases, the generated minutes allow full comprehension through the summary section alone. We only refer back to the full transcription when detailed verification is needed, enabling a natural two-step verification process. Additionally, when creating internal reports after meetings, the minutes can be used directly as material, significantly reducing work time.

A Shift to 'A State Where Everyone Can Understand'

-- After implementation, how has the way meetings are conducted changed?

Horii: The biggest change is that the overall comprehension level of participants has improved. Each person can now grasp the content in real time according to their own understanding level and contribute to discussions, making the meetings themselves more productive and substantial.

Additionally, even for employees who can understand English almost without difficulty, the ability to cross-check their own understanding with the tool's translation provides a valuable double-check benefit.

-- How did the other party react?

Horii: In face-to-face meetings, when the other party knows we're using a translation tool, they tend to speak naturally without pausing. They seem to sense that our comprehension speed has improved, resulting in a better conversational flow.

-- In what types of companies or situations do you think this could be useful?

Horii: I believe it can be widely applied across various industries and organizations for any international meeting with multiple participants having differing language abilities, to align everyone's understanding level. Also, where recording is permitted, it's convenient for real-time understanding of presenters' content at overseas industry events, and the output can be directly used as material for minutes and reports.