Personnel Allocation Optimization AI "Skill Puzzle" Significantly Enhances Skill Management Functions

In manufacturing and logistics settings, while "Skill Maps" (competency management charts) are maintained to comply with quality certifications like ISO and FSSC, they are often treated as mere formalities that deviate from actual on-site conditions. Furthermore, the reliance on skilled technicians (the "personalization" of skills) and the breakdown of skill transfer have become serious risks threatening the competitiveness and business continuity of Japanese manufacturing.

Hutzper Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka, Osaka Prefecture; Representative Director and CEO: Hiroshi Onishi), a provider of AI systems for the manufacturing industry, will officially release a new version of its personnel allocation optimization AI, "Skill Puzzle," on April 1, 2026, featuring significantly enhanced skill management functions. Concurrently, the company is introducing a new "Skill Management Standalone Plan" for companies that do not require personnel allocation features, and will conduct a free one-month trial campaign for the first 20 companies to apply.

Background of the Feature Addition Our company has received numerous comments from personnel in manufacturing and logistics, such as, "We have a competency management chart, but it only exists for audits," and "We only grasp who has which skills based on gut feeling on the shop floor."

In response to this feedback, Skill Puzzle aims to be a foundation where skill data can be utilized for on-site operations and human resource development, rather than just for daily personnel allocation efficiency, leading to the addition of the "Skill Management Function."

Main Functions Added and Enhanced

[Table Content] - Skill Map (Competency Management Chart): Centrally manages proficiency levels quantitatively. Visualizes the gap between target and actual numbers of skilled personnel and automatically issues alerts for personalization risks. Can be used as documentation for ISO/FSSC audits. - Education History Management: Records all skill acquisition and change history. Allows users to check changes in skill levels over time via graphs, supporting the improvement of education plan accuracy. - Qualification Management: Centrally manages qualification acquisition status. Automatically issues expiration alerts for qualifications nearing their end date, reducing compliance risks. - Visualization of Personalization and Technical Loss Risks: Graphs skills and qualifications by age, team, and attribute. Identifies processes skewed toward veteran staff to grasp future skill loss risks early.

We will continue to expand functions that support dynamic skill management.

New Plan: Standalone Use of Skill Management Functions Now Available In line with this feature addition, we are launching a standalone skill management plan to meet the needs of those who say, "I don't need personnel allocation features, but I want to introduce skill and competency management."

This allows customers with the following needs to utilize Skill Puzzle: - Those who want to start by digitizing and organizing competency management charts for ISO or FSSC audit compliance. - Those who already use existing systems for personnel allocation but are looking for a visualization tool for skill management and human resource development. - Those who want to grasp personalization risks and the status of multi-skilled workers as management indicators. *Pricing varies depending on company size and number of users. Please contact us for details.

Information on the Free Trial Campaign for the First 20 Companies To coincide with this feature enhancement and the launch of the new plan, we are conducting a trial campaign where the first 20 companies can try the "Skill Management Function" for free for one month.

If you are considering digitizing competency management charts, visualizing personalization risks, or centrally managing qualification and education history, please take this opportunity to contact us.

*Please contact us via the URL below. Details regarding eligibility and scope will be provided individually.

[Link: Details and Inquiries Here]

Support for Existing Users All customers currently using Skill Puzzle can use these new features as a standard update at no additional cost. By combining them with the existing personnel allocation and shift functions, consistent data utilization becomes possible, from daily on-site operations to medium-to-long-term human resource strategies.

Main Use Cases - Preparation and evidence submission of competency management charts for quality audits such as ISO 9001 and FSSC 22000. - Quantitatively grasping the dependency on skilled technicians (personalization risk) and reflecting it in successor development plans. - Using data to understand the multi-skilling status of young, mid-career, and veteran staff to optimize education investment. - Monitoring skill sufficiency rates and human resource risks at the management level across multiple factories and locations. - Realizing data-driven on-site management by linking personnel allocation plans with skill data.

[Note] This release contains forward-looking statements. These are based on judgments and assumptions at the current time and may differ from actual results.