Aflac, Hitachi, and GlobalLogic Collaborate to Create a Supportive Ecosystem for Employees with Cancer
Tokyo, September 12, 2023 – Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. ("Aflac"), Hitachi, Ltd. ("Hitachi"), and GlobalLogic Japan, Ltd. ("GlobalLogic”)*1 announced a full-scale collaboration to establish a Cancer Ecosystem*2 ("Workplace Cancer Ecosystem") to provide comprehensive support for employees and their families facing societal challenges related to cancer.
The three companies have been working together since December 2022 on a project run by Hitachi as a preliminary study. Responding to Aflac's concept of "Workplace Cancer Ecosystem", the three parties used GlobalLogic's expertise in design-led digital engineering*3 to conduct interviews and workshops with employees diagnosed with cancer, to identify gaps in the existing support system. Based on their findings, the team continued to develop initiatives to put their plans into action.
Aflac, Hitachi, and GlobalLogic will accelerate this co-creation responsible for verifying the feasibility of each idea toward the establishment of the "Workplace Cancer Ecosystem" that accompanies employees who have been diagnosed with cancer, providing support throughout their journey.
*1 GlobalLogic Japan: The Japanese subsidiary of GlobalLogic, a digital engineering services company headquartered in Silicon Valley, which was acquired by Hitachi, Ltd. in July 2021.
*2 A mechanism for various stakeholders to cooperate and collaborate to comprehensively resolve societal issues related to cancer.
*3 GlobalLogic's design-led digital engineering: GlobalLogic’s unique way to explore innovation ideas that satisfy users’ desirability, business viability, and technical feasibility through design thinking, and to realize the ideas with digital technologies in an agile way.
Photos of Preliminary Idea Workshops
Background of Co-creation
One out of two Japanese individuals will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime*4. Providing support and resources to employees battling cancer is a vital responsibility as workplaces form a significant part of one's adult life. This assistance not only helps employees maintain their preferred lifestyle during their fight against cancer but also reduces turnover and temporary leave due to the disease, ensuring a stable workforce.
According to a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, approximately 57.4% of the respondents*5 stated that "it is difficult to balance work and cancer treatment”. Due to insufficient healthcare support provided by their company, low awareness and utilization of the current resources in place, support for patients in the workplace is a significant challenge.
*4 Source: Center Information Service, National Cancer Center, Japan.(https://www.ncc.go.jp/en/publication_report/index.html)
*5 Source: Cabinet Office (https://survey.gov-online.go.jp/r01/r01-gantaisaku/index.html)
Aflac has formulated a mid-term management strategy (2022-2024) *6 under the slogan "Aflac VISION2024" toward their 50th anniversary of operations in Japan, with the aim of becoming the leading company that creates a “Living in your own way” ecosystem. To implement one of the strategies (“Creating a living in your own way ecosystem”), Aflac is building a "Cancer Ecosystem" to comprehensively resolve societal issues related to cancer through collaboration with various stakeholders including workplaces, schools, patient groups, NPOs, corporations, and government organizations.
Hitachi partners with customers to use Lumada*7 technology for global social innovation, fostering collaboration with diverse partners to address various societal issues. As a collaborative project that integrates Aflac's "Cancer Ecosystem" and Hitachi’s Lumada ecosystem, the three companies will establish a "Workplace Cancer Ecosystem," in which companies will provide comprehensive, mid- to long-term support for employees with cancer at Hitachi's workplace.
*6 Aflac’s web site: Medium-term management strategy for leaping forward to become the leading company in creating “Living in your own way.” (2022-2024) https://www.aflac.co.jp/corp/value/strategy/
*7 Lumada is Hitachi’s advanced digital solutions, services, and technologies for turning data into insights to drive digital innovation.
Overview of Previous Initiatives
The three companies conducted a preliminary study, using Hitachi's employee base as a field to understand the current issues in the workplace. Combined with insights from Aflac, a pioneer in cancer insurance and the longest-standing insurance company aiding patients diagnosed with cancer in Japan, the team examined the functions required for the "Workplace Cancer Ecosystem" and the stakeholders that should be engaged. Hitachi’s and GlobalLogic’s experience and expertise in advanced case studies and methods for creating new services based on design thinking provided the team with the resources to develop feasible initiatives to put their findings into a plan.
Hitachi employees, including those who have been diagnosed with cancer, were interviewed to identify gaps between expectation and reality when it came to cancer experience, health awareness, and utilization of internal systems. Based on the results, Aflac, Hitachi, and GlobalLogic gathered at Lumada Innovation Hub Tokyo*8, Hitachi's co-creation base, and held several workshops to discuss “ideal state" ideas. Using GlobalLogic's design thinking, the team created a survivor journey of personas derived from various employee surveys, while referencing details of current internal systems provided to employees. In addition, the team identified issues that had not been considered sufficiently from the perspective of the end user (employees), and discussed 20 ideas to resolve the issues.
*8 Hitachi's co-creation base which activates value creation by connecting cross-industry stakeholders and deploying their knowledge and ideas to stimulate value creation.
Future Roadmap
Based on the 20 ideas derived from the preliminary project, the three parties will strive for the implementation and deployment within Hitachi's workplace, while also progressing with the refinement and validation of ideas with an eye towards scaling these initiatives to other companies, areas, and the society. With a goal to achieve the "Workplace Cancer Ecosystem" by the year 2024, the three parties will design and implement a platform, contributing to the enhancement of employee well-being as part of their corporate efforts.
Aflac's website on “Creating living in your own way ecosystem strategy”
https://www.aflac.co.jp/corp/value/cancer_ecosystem.html
Hitachi's website for finance solutions
https://www.hitachi.com/products/it/finance/index.html
About Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd.
Aflac started operations in Japan in 1974 as the first company to provide cancer insurance in Japan, based on the founding principle of the “need to lift the financial burden of cancer patients and their families.”. Since then, Aflac has been practicing CSV management to create value that can be shared with society (“Shared Value”) based on the founding principle, and the core values, or purpose, expressed in "The Aflac Way," "Corporate Philosophy," and "Brand Promise."
In a business environment that has changed dramatically over time, we continue to strive to meet the expectations of our stakeholders such as customers, employees, business partners, shareholders, and society by creating new value to resolve societal issues.
We will continue to pursue purpose and create economic value by ensuring that we inherit the tangible and intangible assets that we have built up with all stakeholders. By continuing to create new value that can be shared with society, we will leap forward to become the leading company creating “Living in your own way.” For more information, please visit the Aflac website at https://www.aflac.co.jp/.
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of “Digital Systems & Services” - supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” - contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” - connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.
About GlobalLogic Inc.
GlobalLogic (www.globallogic.com) is a leader in digital engineering. We help brands across the globe design and build innovative products, platforms, and digital experiences for the modern world. By integrating experience design, complex engineering, and data expertise – we help our clients imagine what's possible and accelerate their transition into tomorrow's digital businesses. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic operates design studios and engineering centers around the world, extending our deep expertise to customers in the automotive, communications, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, media and entertainment, semiconductor, and technology industries. GlobalLogic is a Hitachi Group Company operating under Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), which contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through data and technology as the Social Innovation Business.