For Companies Saying 'We Don't Know Where to Start': monoDuki LLC Launches AI and Digital Utilization Support for SMEs in Kagoshima Prefecture

monoDuki LLC (Headquarters: Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture; Representative: Shotaro Murakami; hereinafter 'monoDuki') will begin offering business improvement support utilizing AI and digital tools for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kagoshima Prefecture that are considering applying for the FY2026 'Kagoshima SME DX Promotion Project Cost Subsidy', for which the prefecture has recently started accepting applications.

Through this support, they will help companies from the initial stages of 'We don't know if we can use the subsidy' or 'We don't know what AI and digital tools can do', working together to organize current business operations and specify the details of the initiatives.

■ Cases of Approx. 80% Reduction in Man-Hours for Target Tasks in the Construction and Surveying Fields

To date, monoDuki has provided support in organizing business operations and utilizing digital, AI, and cloud technologies for fields prone to labor shortages and the heavy burdens of recording, reporting, and handovers, such as welfare, agriculture, construction and surveying, and educational institutions.

In site DX support for the construction and surveying fields, they organized the flow of daily recording, reporting, photo management, and form creation, building a system that connects on-site input with administrative processing. In the targeted tasks, there is a case where the man-hours for both on-site staff and the administrative side were reduced by approximately 80%.

Based on these achievements, this new support program will assist SMEs in Kagoshima Prefecture from the 'We don't know where to start' stage, covering business organization, AI/digital utilization, and internal adoption.

* The above are results from targeted tasks in individual cases and do not guarantee similar outcomes.

■ About the FY2026 'Kagoshima SME DX Promotion Project Cost Subsidy'

The FY2026 'Kagoshima SME DX Promotion Project Cost Subsidy' is a system that supports a portion of the costs when SMEs in Kagoshima Prefecture engage in initiatives such as introducing digital technologies or developing human resources capable of utilizing digital tools internally.

According to information published by Kagoshima Prefecture, eligible recipients are SMEs with business locations within Kagoshima Prefecture, the subsidy rate is up to two-thirds of eligible expenses, and the maximum subsidy amount is set at 4 million yen.

For details on application procedures and eligible expenses, please refer to the official information published by Kagoshima Prefecture and the secretariat.

Dedicated Website for the 'Kagoshima SME DX Promotion Project Cost Subsidy': https://r8dx-kagoshima.pref.kagoshima.lg.jp/

■ You Can Consult Us About Worries Like These

When hearing about AI and digital utilization, many people imagine the implementation of large-scale systems.
However, for SMEs, the important thing is first to review the tasks in daily operations that are taking up too much time.

For example, you can consult us starting from concerns such as:

- We don't know if we can use the subsidy.
- We don't know what we can achieve with AI or digital tools.
- It takes time to create daily reports and other documentation.
- It takes time to find information managed on paper or in spreadsheet software.
- Information is scattered across photos, chats, phone calls, and verbal confirmations.
- We are repeatedly inputting and checking the same content.
- The number of tasks where 'you won't know unless you ask that specific person' is increasing.
- Transcription and confirmation between the field and the office occur frequently.
- Even if a new system is introduced, we are worried about whether it will be used on-site.
- We don't know where to start, and discussions have stalled internally.

At monoDuki, rather than introducing a large system from the start, we first organize the flow of work on-site and then choose the necessary methods. We do not eliminate all existing paper or verbal confirmations, but rather work together to organize what to keep and what to change.

■ What monoDuki Supports

1. Organizing Current Work

First, we organize the daily workflow and tasks that are consuming time.

For example, we check the following:

- Which tasks are taking time?
- Where is each piece of information located?
- Is the same content being inputted multiple times?
- Is time being spent on confirmations and reporting?
- Are there tasks that only specific individuals understand?
- Which tasks could be easily handled by AI or digital tools?

Before introducing new tools, we first clarify 'which tasks should be made easier'.

2. Formatting Records, Reports, and Handovers for Later Use

In the field, information can be divided among paper, photos, spreadsheet software, chats, phone calls, and verbal confirmations.

At monoDuki, we do not simply digitize this information; we organize it into a format that can be used later for report creation, handovers, reviews, and improvement decisions.

For example, the following initiatives can be considered:

- Reducing the time required to create daily and other reports.
- Creating a flow where information inputted once on-site does not need to be re-inputted by the office side.
- Making internal information easier to find.
- Streamlining inquiry responses.
- Managing paper records digitally.
- Utilizing cloud services already in use within the company.
- Using generative AI to streamline document creation and information organization.

The important thing is not to introduce trendy tools, but to create a usable system that fits current operations.

3. Employees dayly