SkillUp NeXt Builds AI Agent for GS Yuasa, Expected to Reduce IT Help Desk Man-Hours by Approximately 10,300 Hours/Year
SkillUp NeXt, a top-tier Microsoft Copilot partner, has developed an AI agent for GS Yuasa's IT help desk using Microsoft Copilot Studio. This initiative is projected to reduce IT help desk man-hours by approximately 10,300 hours annually by automating non-routine inquiries, significantly shortening response times from an average of 2 hours to 10 minutes.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 13:19 (97h 48m after Collected)
SkillUp NeXt Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shinichi Tahara; hereinafter "SkillUp NeXt"), which holds the highest-level partner certification "Microsoft Copilot" Specialization from Microsoft, supported GS Yuasa Corporation (Headquarters: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Takashi Abe; hereinafter "GS Yuasa") in developing an AI agent using Microsoft Copilot Studio.
Anticipating routine inquiry handling, the AI agent automates non-routine inquiries that were difficult for existing company-wide chatbots to handle. In IT help desk operations, the time required for a response, which previously averaged 2 hours, has been shortened to 10 minutes, with an estimated annual reduction of approximately 10,300 hours (equivalent to about 5.4 people's labor).
Interview article ▶https://www.skillupai.com/private-training/success_stories/gs-yuasa/
Background: Limitations of utilizing response history data and breaking away from reliance on individual expertise
GS Yuasa's Information Systems Department held a vast amount of inquiry response history data, but due to the mixture of old information and low searchability, re-searching information and individual confirmation were necessary. Much of the work depended on the knowledge of individual staff members, and standardizing response quality was also a challenge.
Furthermore, existing company-wide chatbots could not handle non-routine inquiries, and manual email sorting by front-desk staff put pressure on man-hours. Building a practical agent to resolve these issues became an urgent task.
Support and Development Details: Fastest development support system leveraging Copilot Studio
To automate GS Yuasa's IT help desk operations, "Microsoft Copilot Studio," a low-code tool with extremely high affinity for the Microsoft 365 environment, was adopted. By utilizing the existing usage environment as a system foundation, initial steps such as new system construction and settings were omitted, allowing for immediate development. The AI agent was speedily developed through the following process:
Fastest development support system: By utilizing Copilot Studio and cycling through prototypes and feedback in a matter of days, the entire process from requirements definition to agent construction was completed in two weeks.
Reliable implementation support: For implementation into the production environment, support was provided while explaining the procedures. Follow-up after implementation was also conducted.
Identification of organizational challenges: Through the project, "organizational challenges" such as business processes, system operations, and data structure were identified, and necessary changes for an AI-Ready organization were organized.
Results and Future Outlook: Towards "Data Structure Reform" to unleash the true value of AI
Results brought by this project:
Item | Before Introduction | After Introduction
---|---|---
Response Time | Average 2 hours | 10 minutes*
Workflow | Front-desk staff confirmed content and manually distributed to approximately 40 staff members | Handled entirely by front-desk staff using agent suggestions
Scope of Response | Individual support for Outlook/SharePoint settings, etc. | Covers approximately 70% of inquiries
Annual Reduction Hours | - | 10,281 hours (approx. 5.4 people)
Main Use | Routine tasks such as sorting work | Resource reallocation to "value-creating operations"
*Includes some manual processes currently ongoing, such as inputting response history (NotesDB).
Future Outlook: 14,000 hours reduction and roadmap for company-wide deployment
Expansion of reduction effects through additional modifications:
In addition to refining the highly-rated summarization function, the implementation of "automatic linking to manuals" and "email draft creation" is being considered. This is expected to achieve an additional reduction of approximately 4,200 hours (totaling approximately 14,500 hours).
"AI-Ready" data structure reform:
Promote the transformation to an "AI-native data structure" identified in this project. Further accelerate data consolidation into the Microsoft 365 environment, elevating it to a next-generation "data utilization platform" that supports decision-making across the entire organization.
Comment from Mr. Watanabe, Information Systems Department, GS Yuasa:
This agent construction is not just a help desk...
Anticipating routine inquiry handling, the AI agent automates non-routine inquiries that were difficult for existing company-wide chatbots to handle. In IT help desk operations, the time required for a response, which previously averaged 2 hours, has been shortened to 10 minutes, with an estimated annual reduction of approximately 10,300 hours (equivalent to about 5.4 people's labor).
Interview article ▶https://www.skillupai.com/private-training/success_stories/gs-yuasa/
Background: Limitations of utilizing response history data and breaking away from reliance on individual expertise
GS Yuasa's Information Systems Department held a vast amount of inquiry response history data, but due to the mixture of old information and low searchability, re-searching information and individual confirmation were necessary. Much of the work depended on the knowledge of individual staff members, and standardizing response quality was also a challenge.
Furthermore, existing company-wide chatbots could not handle non-routine inquiries, and manual email sorting by front-desk staff put pressure on man-hours. Building a practical agent to resolve these issues became an urgent task.
Support and Development Details: Fastest development support system leveraging Copilot Studio
To automate GS Yuasa's IT help desk operations, "Microsoft Copilot Studio," a low-code tool with extremely high affinity for the Microsoft 365 environment, was adopted. By utilizing the existing usage environment as a system foundation, initial steps such as new system construction and settings were omitted, allowing for immediate development. The AI agent was speedily developed through the following process:
Fastest development support system: By utilizing Copilot Studio and cycling through prototypes and feedback in a matter of days, the entire process from requirements definition to agent construction was completed in two weeks.
Reliable implementation support: For implementation into the production environment, support was provided while explaining the procedures. Follow-up after implementation was also conducted.
Identification of organizational challenges: Through the project, "organizational challenges" such as business processes, system operations, and data structure were identified, and necessary changes for an AI-Ready organization were organized.
Results and Future Outlook: Towards "Data Structure Reform" to unleash the true value of AI
Results brought by this project:
Item | Before Introduction | After Introduction
---|---|---
Response Time | Average 2 hours | 10 minutes*
Workflow | Front-desk staff confirmed content and manually distributed to approximately 40 staff members | Handled entirely by front-desk staff using agent suggestions
Scope of Response | Individual support for Outlook/SharePoint settings, etc. | Covers approximately 70% of inquiries
Annual Reduction Hours | - | 10,281 hours (approx. 5.4 people)
Main Use | Routine tasks such as sorting work | Resource reallocation to "value-creating operations"
*Includes some manual processes currently ongoing, such as inputting response history (NotesDB).
Future Outlook: 14,000 hours reduction and roadmap for company-wide deployment
Expansion of reduction effects through additional modifications:
In addition to refining the highly-rated summarization function, the implementation of "automatic linking to manuals" and "email draft creation" is being considered. This is expected to achieve an additional reduction of approximately 4,200 hours (totaling approximately 14,500 hours).
"AI-Ready" data structure reform:
Promote the transformation to an "AI-native data structure" identified in this project. Further accelerate data consolidation into the Microsoft 365 environment, elevating it to a next-generation "data utilization platform" that supports decision-making across the entire organization.
Comment from Mr. Watanabe, Information Systems Department, GS Yuasa:
This agent construction is not just a help desk...