Nippon Systemware Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; President: Taku Hirabayashi; hereinafter "JAST") has collaborated with Aichi Gakuin University (Location: Nisshin City, Aichi Prefecture; President: Fumiaki Kimura) to implement a project for building a new RPA tool implementation model specialized for university operations. The RPA tool adopted is Keyence Corporation's (Headquarters: Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka; President: Tetsuya Nakano; hereinafter "Keyence") RK series.

**Background**

At Aichi Gakuin University, structural issues such as increasing workload for staff due to diversified operations, personnel shortages, long working hours, and reliance on paper and Excel-based operations had become apparent. In particular, the persistence of many routine tasks was a major cause of increased workload.

Previously, the university had promoted the use of tools such as macros and Access, but challenges included the necessity of programming knowledge and the time required for operational establishment within the university.

Given these circumstances, this project adopted Keyence's RPA tool. The tool was highly evaluated for its "no programming required" feature and "free accompanying support," which significantly reduce the cost and time required for implementation and proficiency.

**Project Overview**

In this project, JAST conducted a verification of RPA applicability for tasks related to the "GAKUEN" series, a strategic university management system provided by JAST for universities.

For tasks where RPA alone had limited effectiveness, JAST and the university jointly reviewed operations to utilize the standard functions of the GAKUEN series or developed tools suitable for the specific tasks.

Furthermore, recognizing the difficulty for university staff to learn and utilize RPA alongside their daily duties, the project was promoted with JAST's system engineers, who are responsible for the development and implementation of GAKUEN, providing accompanying support. By integrally supporting everything from task inventory and operational organization to RPA scenario creation, the project enabled considerations with actual operation in mind.

**Project Results**

* Confirmed an annual operational reduction effect of over 250 hours through RPA utilization. * Confirmed that additional development costs can be suppressed by utilizing the standard functions of the GAKUEN series. * Confirmed the effectiveness of automating routine tasks in improving operational efficiency and reducing workload. * Organized directions for streamlining and standardizing operations through business process review.

**Comments from Project Participants**

● Aichi Gakuin University

Through this initiative, we were able to understand the potential for reducing workload and development costs, and to organize directions for future operational improvements. Next fiscal year, based on the results of this verification, we aim to create actual reduction effects.

Furthermore, undertaking this project at a time when field issues became clear due to the stabilization of operations in the second year after system replacement was extremely meaningful for advancing operational reviews. The ability for the university and JAST to share issues and discuss solutions on the spot, coupled with practical support based on the operation of the GAKUEN series, gave us a strong sense of accomplishment on the ground.

● JAST Project Leader

We carefully understood the on-site operations that could not be fully handled by the standard functions of the GAKUEN series and jointly reviewed operations with the university to propose optimal operations tailored to the actual situation. We will continue to provide mechanisms that lead to reduced workload.

**Future Outlook**

In fiscal year 2026, we will promote the establishment of an optimal personnel system for RPA adoption, focusing on academic affairs. From fiscal year 2027 onwards, we will expand the scope of RPA application to the entire university, including general affairs, accounting, and human resources, aiming for operational standardization and university-wide optimization.

JAST will contribute to solving issues such as increased workload for university staff, personnel shortages, long working hours, and reliance on paper and Excel-based operations by deploying the knowledge gained from this project to other universities, thereby contributing to the DX promotion of the entire university industry.

**About the "GAKUEN" Series**

The "GAKUEN" series is a strategic university management system that comprehensively supports university administrative and educational operations. Since its launch in October 1994, it has been implemented in over 450 universities and junior colleges nationwide and is used by faculty, staff, students, and guardians. It consists of the administrative system "GAKUEN RX" and the portal system "UNIVERSAL PASSPORT RX," providing comprehensive support for university operations and student life from enrollment to graduation.

Product Introduction Site: https://www.jast-gakuen.com

**About Keyence RPA Tool "AI/Navigation-equipped Business Automation RPA RK Series"**

The "RK Series" is an RPA tool designed with the concept of "anyone can use it, use it immediately."

It does not require specialized programming knowledge, and scenario creation is possible with intuitive operations by simply selecting menus. Therefore, it is used by many organizations with large administrative workloads, such as universities and local governments. Additionally, "free accompanying support" by dedicated staff can provide assistance from the initial introduction phase to university-wide deployment.

Product Introduction Site: https://www.keyence.co.jp/products/software/rpa/rk/pr/196611001.jsp

**[Contact for this matter]**

Nippon Systemware Co., Ltd. GAKUEN Business Division, Contact: Nojima, Okano TEL: 06-4560-1030 Mail: g-event@jast.co.jp URL: https://www.jast-gakuen.com/

▼Nippon Systemware Co., Ltd. Corporate Information https://www.jast.jp/

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