A New Solution for the Labor-Shortage-Stricken Hospitality Industry: Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu Builds a 'Buddycom' Operational Foundation to Maintain 'Omotenashi' Quality with Limited Staff

Science Arts Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ryutaro Hiraoka) is pleased to announce that the live communication platform for frontline workers, 'Buddycom,' has been adopted by Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu (Location: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture; Operated by: Okura Act City Hotel Management Co., Ltd.; President and CEO: Takaaki Niuai).

While the working population in the hospitality industry is expected to be 580,000 in 2025, failing to recover to pre-COVID levels (650,000 in 2019), the number of inbound foreign travelers in 2025 is reaching an all-time high, leading to a severe labor shortage. Under these circumstances, to maintain and improve service quality with limited personnel, Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu introduced Buddycom to address the structural challenges unique to high-rise hotels.

Social Challenges and Solutions in the Hospitality and Travel Industry In the hospitality and travel industry, in addition to the deepening labor shortage, tasks are becoming more diverse and complex. Hotels, in particular, require multiple departments—such as front desk, banquets, dining, and catering—to operate simultaneously while maintaining high service quality with limited staff. However, information sharing and instructions between departments tend to be personal and fragmented, increasing the burden on the front lines.

In response to this situation, establishing a communication foundation that connects the front lines in real-time and enables immediate judgment and coordination is attracting attention as a common solution for the industry.

Background of Implementation at Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu The hotel is a large-scale, high-rise hotel located in front of Hamamatsu Station, with major functions such as guest rooms, banquet halls, and dining areas spread vertically. Consequently, frequent movement between floors and inter-departmental coordination occur, creating an environment where rapid information sharing and on-site judgment directly impact overall operational efficiency and service quality.

In such an environment, communication via telephone or in-person relay often led to delays and misunderstandings, placing a burden on the staff. Therefore, the hotel introduced Buddycom as a means to connect multiple departments—front desk, banquets, dining, and catering—in real-time, allowing the front lines to coordinate immediately.

Effects of Implementation After introducing Buddycom, real-time information sharing across departments and floors became possible, streamlining instructions and confirmations that previously required vertical movement. In catering operations, in particular, the sharing of progress and staffing has become smoother, improving on-site responsiveness. In dining operations, the ability to instantly share information such as food replenishment status has led to stabilized service delivery and reduced operational burdens.

Future Developments In the future, in addition to addressing labor shortages, creating mechanisms to protect the safety and security of the front lines will become increasingly important in the hospitality and travel industry. Buddycom is evolving into a foundation that supports operational improvement, educational support, and risk response through AI analysis using voice data and visualization of on-site conditions. Furthermore, regarding customer harassment, it contributes to building a system where the organization can respond immediately by sharing anomalies on the front lines, thereby protecting staff and supporting sustainable service delivery.

Buddycom will continue to support a new era of operations as a foundation that enhances the frontline capabilities of the hospitality and travel industry and contributes to solving social issues, going beyond a mere operational efficiency tool.

About Buddycom (https://buddycom.net/) The live communication platform 'Buddycom' for frontline workers allows for simultaneous communication with multiple people, similar to a transceiver or radio, by installing the app on smartphones or tablets using internet communication networks (4G, 5G, Wi-Fi). In addition to voice, text chat, video, and location information (IoT), communication via AI-powered digital assistants is possible. It has a proven track record across various industries, including aviation, railways, construction, welfare facilities, and distribution.

About Science Arts Inc. Science Arts has the mission of 'providing future DX to frontline workers and becoming a force for a society where people can work brightly and with a smile,' and develops and sells the live communication platform 'Buddycom' that connects frontline workers. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers (now Growth) in 2021, it has achieved the No. 1 market share for five consecutive years. We aim to create a society where frontline workers can work brightly and with a smile by beautifully connecting not only staff-to-staff communication but also staff-to-customer and staff-to-AI communication.