The Challenge of SITECH Japan Pioneering the Future with eLearning Strategies

Nationwide Client Distribution Made eLearning an Essential Solution

First, could you tell us about your business and your own roles?

Mr. Ishiwata: We handle the sales and support of i-Construction-related products and solutions. Specifically, we work with dealers and partner companies to provide ICT construction machinery, surveying equipment, software, and cloud services.

Mr. Tojo: I also work in the support center, like Mr. Ishiwata, mainly supporting dealers, equipment distributors, and rental companies. Many customers are unfamiliar with the new ICT field, so we strive daily to deliver accurate information to the field.

Mr. Masunaga: I am part of the partner sales team and engage directly with end users operating machinery at construction sites. My background in fieldwork allows me to communicate effectively from their perspective. My mission is to help users leverage our products for greater convenience and disseminate their benefits more widely.

What led to the need for an eLearning system? What challenges did you face prior to implementation?

Mr. Ishiwata: Converting standard construction machinery to ICT-ready requires installing an “Earthworks (EW)*” kit. It's essential that not just our agents, but all sales, dealer, and rental company partners understand "EW."

With clients spread across Japan, we needed eLearning to educate them efficiently.

Previously, we mostly conducted in-person training at each site. The construction industry is traditionally less tech-savvy and prefers face-to-face learning. But, with the scale of travel required, we reached a physical limit. Transitioning to eLearning became a major challenge.

*Earthworks (EW) is a system developed by Trimble Inc. (SITECH Japan’s parent company) for converting construction equipment into ICT-enabled machines by installing GNSS antennas and sensors. (Reference: "EARTHWORKS | SITECH Japan Co., Ltd.")

Where was the difficulty in expanding eLearning and promoting technological understanding?

Mr. Ishiwata: We offer learningBOX-based training to equipment dealers and rental companies, but “ICT equipment” is an added value on top of what they already sell.

Accordingly, besides the original products, they must also learn about ICT technologies. Since this is a new field with clear benefits, some proactively participate, but others feel it’s less relevant to their current work, only joining because it's required.

Initially, enrollments are high but quickly drop off. To promote ongoing participation, it’s vital for our field teams to continuously follow up and integrate training into daily sales activities.

Starting Small, Scaling as Usage Grew, with Flexible Pricing

How did you know learningBOX?

Mr. Ishiwata: After researching online, we shortlisted 3–4 platforms and tested demo accounts.

What stood out?

Mr. Ishiwata: Usability was the decisive factor: being able to create materials using familiar tools like PowerPoint enabled immediate in-house development.

Also, the pay-as-you-go pricing made it easy to see costs and explain to management, even as accounts increased.

Thank you. Can you tell us about the final deciding factors?

Mr. Ishiwata: Ultimately, the low risk was critical—starting small, scaling as usage grew, with flexible pricing and overall a well-balanced solution.

Implementation to Full Operation

Was the rollout from introduction to full operation smooth?

Mr. Ishiwata: Implementation itself went well. The real challenge was building training content from scratch.

What kind of materials did you use as a basis for the actual creation of content?

Mr. Ishiwata: We started with PDFs of manuals, some provided in English by our parent company Trimble, then translated them, and also created original resources.

We updated the content whenever new questions arose, shaping the material organically.

When did actual training start?

Mr. Ishiwata: In May 2023, at the major “CSPI-EXPO” construction industry event, we did a preliminary launch. As we introduced learningBOX at the end of 2022, it only took a few months to get it running.

600 Accounts Active in a Promising Field

How do you utilize learningBOX for your business?

Mr. Ishiwata: We now offer a “High-Level Engineer Course” and “ICT Technical Support Certification” via learningBOX, mainly serving dealers, sales partners, and rental companies’ ICT staff. We have about 600 active accounts—remarkable given the niche coverage of this training.

We also fully use learningBOX for our proprietary “ICT Technical Supporter Exam.”

How is content created and updated?

Mr. Ishiwata: We add new modules as products or updates are released; currently there are about 70 content items.

How many people have passed the “ICT Technical Supporter Exam”?

You also use the “High-Level Engineer Course” for internal training?

Mr. Ishiwata: Yes. Since few employees have prior experience in this field, we require all new hires to complete the engineer course to ensure they have the same level of understanding as our partners.

Easy to Use and Satisfied with Support

What do you find easy or convenient about using learningBOX?

Mr. Ishiwata: Creating content is straightforward, thanks to being able to use familiar tools like PowerPoint.

Mr. Tojo: The built-in features for practice and assessment, like mock exams and quizzes, are really convenient. Reading PDFs alone can get tedious, but incorporating tests helps solidify learning and keeps trainees engaged.

I see. Thank you for your valuable feedback, how do you feel about learningBOX's sales and support response?

Mr. Ishiwata: We’re satisfied with the support: whenever we reach out by email, we get quick replies. It’s reassuring to know help is always available.

Lowering Travel Cost and Accelerating Regional ICT Adoption

What benefits has learningBOX brought?

Mr. Ishiwata: The clearest benefit has been reduced travel cost. Previously, two staff would travel for 2-night, 3-day trips, six to eight times a year, to run training and exams—costing about 300,000 yen per trip, or roughly 1.8 to 2.4 million yen annually.

Trials using Google Forms failed due to security issues, often forcing us to collect answers in Excel.

Now, all processes are completed online through learningBOX—no travel, no manual scoring, and no administrative headaches.

Even more significant is the ability to reach a much larger audience: several hundred candidates, an impossible scale with the old system.

So, while cost savings are impressive, the real value is extending ICT knowledge and usage opportunities to far more people.

Making ICT Construction Training Standard for All Contractors

What are your future plans for using learningBOX?

Mr. Ishiwata: We plan to expand our program for site workers, supporting the goal of making ICT standard practice in construction.

Mr. Masunaga: Recently, more workers themselves are requesting content they can use directly. We’re currently preparing new training modules.

What role do you see learningBOX playing in the future spread of i-Construction?

Mr. Ishiwata: Our focus is supporting regional contractors who often lack resources for in-house training or ICT education.

 Our content provision via learningBOX is thus extremely meaningful, and contributes to spreading ICT-enabled construction in rural areas—a core mission for our company and a major area where learningBOX delivers value.

Start Small, Start Easily with learningBOX

Do you have a message for those considering learningBOX?

Mr. Ishiwata: learningBOX significantly lowers barriers of cost and usability. We were initially unsure if it would be widely adopted, but it’s now deployed broadly across our partner network.

You don’t need large investments to start small, so for those considering it, learningBOX is a secure and reliable choice.

Thank you very much for your valuable insights!