Meidensha Corporation's Equipment Factory Addresses Technical Succession Challenges through 'Systematized Gratitude and Recognition'
Key facts
- Meidensha Corporation's Equipment Factory Addresses Technical Succession Challenges through 'Systematized Gratitude and Recognition'
- Unipos Inc. has expanded the implementation of its peer-to-peer recognition tool, 'Unipos,' at Meidensha Corporation's equipment factory from 140 to approximately 650 employees. Following successful improvements in operational efficiency and eNPS during the pilot phase, the expansion aims to accelerate technical knowledge transfer and boost organizational engagement across the entire facility.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: May 22, 2026
Direct answer
Unipos Inc. has expanded the implementation of its peer-to-peer recognition tool, 'Unipos,' at Meidensha Corporation's equipment factory from 140 to approximately 650 employees. Following successful improvements in operational efficiency and eNPS during the pilot phase, the expansion aims to accelerate technical knowledge transfer and boost organizational engagement across the entire facility.
- Citation
- Meidensha Corporation's Equipment Factory Addresses Technical Succession Challenges through 'Systematized Gratitude and Recognition' (May 22, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- May 22, 2026
Unipos Inc. has expanded the implementation of its peer-to-peer recognition tool, 'Unipos,' at Meidensha Corporation's equipment factory from 140 to approximately 650 employees. Following successful improvements in operational efficiency and eNPS during the pilot phase, the expansion aims to accelerate technical knowledge transfer and boost organizational engagement across the entire facility.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 00:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 21, 2026 at 16:02
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 21, 2026 at 16:24 (22 min after Collected)
Unipos Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo), which provides solutions to unlock the potential of people and organizations, announced that Meidensha Corporation's equipment factory has expanded the use of 'Unipos'—a tool for employees to send small amounts of points with messages of gratitude—from 140 staff members in its computer system unit to approximately 650 across the entire factory.
The factory initially implemented the tool as a pilot program to address challenges such as the difficulty of passing on non-manualized tacit knowledge and fostering intergenerational communication. After confirming concrete results within one year, including operational improvements driven by knowledge sharing and an increase in employee engagement scores (eNPS), the facility decided to expand the implementation to the entire factory to further accelerate technical knowledge transfer.
Background of the Expansion: The Difficulty of Non-Manualized 'Technical Succession'
Currently, Japanese manufacturing is facing urgent challenges regarding technical succession due to labor shortages and the retirement of skilled workers. At this factory, where maintenance is required for infrastructure products delivered over 30 years ago, the transfer of tacit knowledge, such as 'tricks' and 'intuition' that cannot be documented, is a lifeline for business continuity.
However, traditional knowledge-sharing mechanisms like manualization and DX efforts have not been sufficient to overcome barriers such as intergenerational communication issues (e.g., 'it's hard to ask busy veterans for advice') or a lack of incentive to share expertise.
Therefore, a different approach to support knowledge transfer was needed.
Results of the Pilot Phase: Operational Improvements and Quantitative Gains in One Year
Within the computer system unit, 140 people participated in the pilot program to solve these issues. Following improvements in operational flow and workplace atmosphere, the factory decided to scale up.
Error resolution by a different team member after seeing a post
When a system error occurred, an employee received a message of appreciation via Unipos for sharing the solution. Another employee who saw the post later commented, 'Thanks to that post, I was able to resolve the same error.' This is an example of good practices that used to be confined to the individuals involved being visualized through Unipos, helping other teams. The goal of technical succession is moving closer to achievement through the spread of positive communication.
Lowering the 'Embarrassment Barrier' and Activating Direct Communication
Previously, there was a tendency to feel awkward about expressing gratitude or praise in the unit. However, the introduction of Unipos acted as a trigger for communication. By lowering the psychological hurdle through digital tools, there are now more frequent direct, verbal 'thank-yous,' leading to a noticeably brighter workplace atmosphere.
Improved Engagement Scores and Behavioral Changes in Daily Work
Meidensha conducts company-wide engagement surveys. After implementing Unipos, the computer system unit saw improvements across all categories in just three months, with eNPS increasing by 4.8 points after one year. Notably, the metric 'I feel evaluated by my supervisor' rose by 10 points. Engineers, who are often busy and hesitant to ask for help, now find that colleagues across departments and generations are naturally stepping in to assist.
Comment from Keisuke Shioya, Factory Manager of Meidensha Equipment Factory:
'To protect advanced technical infrastructure, heartfelt communication between people is as essential as the systems themselves. I believe that the chain of appreciation and recognition through Unipos, combined with the visualization of good work, bridges the gap between veteran technical expertise and the growth of the younger generation. It will become a reliable force for the future of our factory. Nurturing this culture is the greatest investment we can make for the next generation.'
The factory initially implemented the tool as a pilot program to address challenges such as the difficulty of passing on non-manualized tacit knowledge and fostering intergenerational communication. After confirming concrete results within one year, including operational improvements driven by knowledge sharing and an increase in employee engagement scores (eNPS), the facility decided to expand the implementation to the entire factory to further accelerate technical knowledge transfer.
Background of the Expansion: The Difficulty of Non-Manualized 'Technical Succession'
Currently, Japanese manufacturing is facing urgent challenges regarding technical succession due to labor shortages and the retirement of skilled workers. At this factory, where maintenance is required for infrastructure products delivered over 30 years ago, the transfer of tacit knowledge, such as 'tricks' and 'intuition' that cannot be documented, is a lifeline for business continuity.
However, traditional knowledge-sharing mechanisms like manualization and DX efforts have not been sufficient to overcome barriers such as intergenerational communication issues (e.g., 'it's hard to ask busy veterans for advice') or a lack of incentive to share expertise.
Therefore, a different approach to support knowledge transfer was needed.
Results of the Pilot Phase: Operational Improvements and Quantitative Gains in One Year
Within the computer system unit, 140 people participated in the pilot program to solve these issues. Following improvements in operational flow and workplace atmosphere, the factory decided to scale up.
Error resolution by a different team member after seeing a post
When a system error occurred, an employee received a message of appreciation via Unipos for sharing the solution. Another employee who saw the post later commented, 'Thanks to that post, I was able to resolve the same error.' This is an example of good practices that used to be confined to the individuals involved being visualized through Unipos, helping other teams. The goal of technical succession is moving closer to achievement through the spread of positive communication.
Lowering the 'Embarrassment Barrier' and Activating Direct Communication
Previously, there was a tendency to feel awkward about expressing gratitude or praise in the unit. However, the introduction of Unipos acted as a trigger for communication. By lowering the psychological hurdle through digital tools, there are now more frequent direct, verbal 'thank-yous,' leading to a noticeably brighter workplace atmosphere.
Improved Engagement Scores and Behavioral Changes in Daily Work
Meidensha conducts company-wide engagement surveys. After implementing Unipos, the computer system unit saw improvements across all categories in just three months, with eNPS increasing by 4.8 points after one year. Notably, the metric 'I feel evaluated by my supervisor' rose by 10 points. Engineers, who are often busy and hesitant to ask for help, now find that colleagues across departments and generations are naturally stepping in to assist.
Comment from Keisuke Shioya, Factory Manager of Meidensha Equipment Factory:
'To protect advanced technical infrastructure, heartfelt communication between people is as essential as the systems themselves. I believe that the chain of appreciation and recognition through Unipos, combined with the visualization of good work, bridges the gap between veteran technical expertise and the growth of the younger generation. It will become a reliable force for the future of our factory. Nurturing this culture is the greatest investment we can make for the next generation.'
FAQ
Why did Meidensha introduce Unipos?
To address the difficulty of technical knowledge transfer due to the retirement of skilled experts and to bridge intergenerational communication gaps.
Were there any quantitative results?
Yes, eNPS improved by 4.8 points within one year of Unipos implementation.
What is the scale of employees involved?
It expanded from the initial 140 staff in the computer system unit to approximately 650 employees across the entire facility.