The goal is to relax the mind of the customer and the independence of the storyteller's mind.

• Food, Beverage & Lodging

Monogatari Corporation, Inc.
It was established in 1949 as an oden shop "Shubou Genji".
Since then, we have always been committed to providing our customers with the best smiles and heartfelt energy.
We operate our stores with the desire to make our customers feel truly relaxed.

 

What prompted you to introduce learningBOX?

It was an exhibition (Education IT Solution EXPO), wasn't it?
The original purpose of participating in the exhibition was to experience various systems and gather information to confirm whether the system we are currently using really matches our company and the trends of the times. We also wanted to see if we could use the Web for our promotional examinations. The main issue was the cost and time required for a paper-based test, which requires people to come from all over the country to our offices in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka for a one- to two-hour test. The main objective was to reduce the transportation cost and time required for the test.

What kind of effect have you seen since the introduction of learningBOX?

We have received a great deal of feedback from the stores that they are now able to handle the promotional exams on the web, which has been very helpful. I can take the promotion test on the web at the store for 2 hours and then go straight into my shift. I think it was worth it! I think it was worth it. Also, being able to operate the exam on a familiar PC at my own store seems to make a difference in terms of a sense of tension. It seems to reduce not only the physical aspect but also the psychological load, which is an unexpected benefit.
We conducted the promotion test just a few days ago and received the results the same evening. That made it a lot easier, work-wise, to move right on to the next action!

You mentioned that the exhibition was the catalyst for your decision, but could you tell us what made you choose learningBOX over many other companies that offer e-learning services?

As we looked around the exhibition booths, we were looking for a system that would meet all of our needs, including cost and ease of use, but we were having trouble finding one... and then we happened to come across Tatsuno-san. I was looking for a system that would include everything I was looking for... and then I happened to come across Tatsuno's system, which I found to be quite inexpensive. It was also significant that the system is not only used for testing, but also has various functions as standard. I am thinking that eventually I would like to use it not only for promotional exams, but also as a learning tool. Just when I was thinking that there was nothing to be gained from this exhibition...it was a great encounter. (laughs)

Thank you! Which parts of the system did you find particularly user-friendly?

When creating a test, it is very nice that there are 12 (currently 13) different types of questions available.
With learningBOX, you have a format of questions that you can pinpoint when you want to test your knowledge here! In learningBOX, there are question types that can be used to pinpoint the test when you want to test your knowledge of a particular area. If there were only four types of questions, it would be necessary to think of different ways to test knowledge for each of the four types of questions. However, learningBOX is very easy to create questions because it can be both written and filled-in questions. The other point is that it is multi-device compatible. The number of examinees is increasing every year, and not only employees but also partners (part-timers) can take the exam for promotion. The role of "position partner" allows part-time employees to become store managers, assistant managers, and managers. This makes it very important to be able to take the exam on a smartphone or tablet.
We had about 150 partner participants in the recent promotion exam, and they were able to take the exam in their own familiar environment and on their smartphones, without having to come to our offices in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, etc. ... It really helped not only the participants but also us, who no longer have to go to the office as an examiner.

Was there any resistance from your staff to taking the promotion exam at your personal terminal?

The smartphone is his own, which he uses on a daily basis, and before taking the promotion test, he had it tested to make sure it worked as it would in the actual test, so there were no major problems. The most recent promotion exam was completed without any problems. Thank you very much.

Now you are introducing learningBOX not only to the promotion examinations of directly managed stores, but also to the franchise department.

Yes, it seems that the FC division has decided to introduce this system. Basically, we use it for the promotion test of our directly managed stores, but the FC division has the same problem. That's where the learningBOX comes in. The fact that you can take the test and learn in your usual environment is really strong. The fact that you can take the test again and again until you reach a passing score is also very important.

I got the impression that you put a lot of effort into in-house training.

I don't think of it in terms of education...actually, I don't think of it in terms of 'education' so much.
Our company's management philosophy is "Smile & Sexy," and our management philosophy is about people living their lives as human beings, as they would like to be. People who want to live their lives in their own way have taken the trouble to choose our company. I believe that the fundamental philosophy of the people who have chosen to come to our company is their desire to "let their individuality shine through. As a result, I feel that this desire is connected to the education of our employees.

We also insist on feedback on the content of the course results. The results of each course are entrusted to the participant's superior, and only the pass/fail results are submitted to the participant himself/herself. The questions are divided into sections on management philosophy, food hygiene, compliance, and training of subordinates, and the score rate for each section is calculated. The score rate for each section is calculated, and we request superiors to focus on the sections where the participants were weak.

Can you tell us how you plan to use learningBOX in the future?

I'm currently thinking about using it as a learning tool, not just for promotional exams. I believe there is a feature called "Buggy Notes" and I'm thinking of using this feature as a study tool.
We hope to supplement your learning with features such as "bug-eating notes" as a tool to help you learn what the manual says and to check what you have studied.

What do you value most in training new employees and partners?

I think it's about not giving up on individual potential.
I don't give up, but I also don't have strange expectations, which is one of my rules.
The other person is different from you, so what you can do may not necessarily be possible for them, and vice versa. I think it's difficult to convey your thoughts to someone with 100% certainty. But I don't think you should destroy a person's potential, and you shouldn't give up on their potential.
I've gone through a lot of frustration to get to this point, though (laughs).
Our company's management philosophy, "Smile & Sexy," which I mentioned earlier, is about people living their lives as human beings, in their own way. It is a company that is very passionate about people, and the manager and assistant manager of the store who took care of me right after I joined the company told me that they were really thinking about me, educating me, and trying to nurture me. Now that I am in the position of educating others, I would like to continue the education that my seniors have given me. I would like to further accelerate human resource development by combining that desire with the IT technology learningBOX.

postscript

How did you like this case study?

I was impressed by Mr. Kawada's passion for human resource development and for each and every one of his staff members. The company shines through the success of each individual. We are proud that learningBOX can be of help in such a thought, and we will continue to support you in the future!

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with us.

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