FPT Japan Holdings' (FPT Japan) social contribution and web accessibility

2024/12/27

Please tell us about your past experiences and your current work.

Mr. MatsukawaMy career started at a digital agency, and in my previous job, I held roles such as marketing consultant and new business development at a precision machinery manufacturer. There, I secured a public project under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' IoT service creation support project, collaborating AI with security cameras to develop a security solution that captures hazardous natural phenomena, which led to my connection with FPT.

Hazardous natural phenomena refer to rip currents, which are said to account for a large majority of water accidents along Japan's coastline, and once caught in a rip current, even confident swimmers find it difficult to swim against the flow. The project was realized with the cooperation of many experts, including university professors and lifeguards dedicated to coastal safety, in addition to members proficient in technologies like AI, to enhance the visualization of hazards and hasten the response upon recognizing these hazards. I recall being greatly impressed by FPT's rapid development capabilities and high technical prowess at that time.

After joining FPT, I initially provided consulting services for clients, but about three years ago, as part of strengthening the marketing of the Japan entity, I now serve as the marketing manager.

 

Ms. KimuraI joined FPT Japan in 2022 and began working in the human resources department. In my previous job, I worked at an IT cloud vendor handling HR, payroll management, and payroll processing, and I was also involved in system implementation and customer success. I became proficient in HR tasks through that experience and wanted to be involved in the internal HR department.
After joining FPT Japan, I was involved in general HR labor management and also contributed to the promotion of digital transformation (DX) within the company, coordinating with the IT team to enhance operational efficiency. Additionally, I was involved in the department responsible for employing people with disabilities, managing and supporting employees working at indoor farms in Yokohama and Niigata.

Since last year, I have participated in projects related to diversity as a member of the Diversity & Inclusion (DEI) committee. In January of this year, the Sustainability Promotion Department under the CPO was established, and I am overseeing three pillars: employment of people with disabilities, CSR, and DEI activities as a project manager. Currently, I am working on expanding the employment of people with disabilities within the company and promoting accessibility improvements through IT tools, being involved in various employment programs for people with disabilities.

 

Mr. KumakiI joined FPT in 2014 and spent the first 2-3 years in the HR department. At that time, Japanese hiring was being initiated for the first time, and there were fewer than ten Japanese employees. Later, after gaining experience in the marketing department, I was appointed as an executive secretary, assisting executives. I still continue to handle executive secretary duties, and with one of the executives becoming the CMO, my responsibilities in marketing-related tasks have increased since last year.

 

When did you learn about web accessibility?

Mr. MatsukawaI had a basic understanding of the importance of web accessibility from my previous job as a marketing consultant for clients.
Many of my clients were global companies, and I have proposed the importance of addressing accessibility, citing cases in the US where insufficient accessibility has led to lawsuits.

Additionally, I have a friend who is an expert in accessibility, and I deepened my knowledge by following his insights.

 

Ms. KimuraI only knew about features like enlarging text or the reading function on iPhones, and it was when the accessibility tools were introduced on the FPT Japan website that I became aware of web accessibility.

In fact, I honestly hadn't realized that accessibility features were implemented on the FPT Japan website. I don’t often have opportunities to view our company’s homepage, and recently I was surprised to find out that there are features like this.

 

Mr. KumakiAs Ms. Kimura said, I was aware that accessibility features exist on smartphones, but regarding the web, I only knew that 'text size can be changed to large, medium, or small.' This year, I learned that accessibility functions were introduced on the website and recognized their importance again.

 

What prompted you to consider web accessibility compliance?

Mr. MatsukawaWe are a company headquartered in Vietnam, but when expanding our business in Japan, we must comply with domestic regulations. We considered measures with the awareness that, as of April 2024, web accessibility compliance will be mandatory due to legal amendments.

 

Did you consider addressing accessibility in your own company?

Mr. MatsukawaWe might be able to handle it internally, but we would need to involve our Vietnam-based team managing our web platform and common components. If modifications impact the entire global website, it would likely not be cost-effective.

Although there is a UX team in Vietnam, I believe their experience with accessibility compliance for Japanese companies is limited, so the priority for resolving this internally was low.

 

When introducing Uni-Web, did you compare and evaluate other accessibility tools?

Mr. MatsukawaI searched for accessibility tools on platforms like PRTIMES and compared several companies. I don’t remember the names of the companies, but I reviewed multiple tools and contacted each company for evaluation.

 

What were the reasons for adopting Uni-Web?

Mr. MatsukawaWhile I was working on a website renewal project with our headquarters in Vietnam, I understood that there were many parts that couldn’t be changed freely from Japan, and due to the high number of pages, it was not practical to finely tune them. Additionally, when introducing Japanese tools, it was necessary to carefully verify whether they would function as intended. Therefore, I thought it would be beneficial to have sufficient time for testing, and I believe that aspect was given considerable consideration.

The main reason we chose Uniweb was that their response time after our inquiry was very quick. Also, the fact that it has been adopted by large companies and major media outlets, and that it can handle high traffic without issues, gave us peace of mind.

 

Was it difficult to gain internal consensus when introducing Uni-Web?

Mr. MatsukawaWe conducted accessibility tool testing limited to the corporate website's top page and sustainability-related pages.
During this time, I reported 'currently under testing' in the weekly FPT Japan manager meetings and to the headquarters team, while familiarizing them with the purpose and future plans to smoothly move towards actual implementation.

 

What was your impression of using Uni-Web?

Ms. KimuraI was impressed by how Uniweb accommodates details like line height and text positioning. In particular, it is remarkable that it addresses not only visual adjustments but also a variety of disabilities such as ADHD. I personally feel strongly about the importance of this in relation to disability employment, and I found it fascinating that so many configurations are possible on the web.

Additionally, the interns and employees with disabilities were surprised, saying, 'I didn't know such features existed.' Even in familiar sites, people often don't realize such tools are implemented, but it was great that they became interested after actually using it.

 

Please tell us the number of days and man-hours until you adopted Uni-Web.

Mr. MatsukawaThe implementation was instantaneous. If someone who understands it properly handles it, it is as simple as pasting the code issued by Kiva into Google Tag Manager.
I received online support for how to use it, so I was able to proceed with a good understanding.

 

What was the reaction of employees using Uni-Web in the context of employing people with disabilities?

Ms. KimuraAt FPT Japan, we conduct internships during employment, where we have individuals with disabilities actually use the accessibility tool 'Uniweb' to evaluate its usability and impressions. Since there are people with mental disabilities such as ADHD and depression, we collect evaluations tailored to each person's disability. Specifically, we ask them to operate the menu in order and review how the tool helps according to whether they have visual or mental disabilities, as well as their first impressions and ease of use.

Moreover, I believe this initiative is extremely important from the perspective of employing people with disabilities. By having interns try the tool, we demonstrate consideration as a company and show that we have an environment suitable for individuals with disabilities. Especially jobs that require Japanese language skills, such as checking emails in Japanese, reviewing documents, and inputting data in Excel, are suitable for those with disabilities, as they can work from home. At FPT Japan, we provide opportunities for employees with disabilities to showcase their abilities through such tasks and promote the utilization of talent based on internal needs.

Additionally, we are collecting feedback from individuals with disabilities about their experience with Uniweb. I believe this will help us improve accessibility and internal tools in the future. Various people with disabilities have been able to try the functions, allowing us to gather diverse samples, and I hope this feedback can also be utilized by Kiva.

 

Do you have any future goals?

Mr. MatsukawaThe website we aim for is one that clearly conveys the important messages we want our customers to understand, even amidst many stakeholders, and that this leads to recognition. Ultimately, we hope to receive many inquiries through the website.

I believe that most of our target audience does not have disabilities, but I want to create a website that is easy to use and visually accessible for everyone so that those with disabilities do not abandon their search when looking up the company while applying for jobs. Additionally, I want to aim for a site that serves as a digital channel in line with the corporate sustainability and policies.

 

Ms. KimuraAt FPT Japan, we aim to strengthen external branding and secure talent based on our Corporate Sustainability Program (CSP) policy. Our company values the philosophy of 'valuing people,' and as part of this, we have created an environment where people with disabilities can thrive. Last year, we also implemented a same-sex partner system, which allows equal benefits for same-sex partners comparable to those for heterosexual marriages, greatly advancing our diversity and inclusion efforts.

The Vietnam headquarters does not have mandatory disability employment quotas like Japan, and diversity concerning nationality and disabilities is not advanced. Thus, FPT Japan is expected to serve as a leading example of diversity for the Vietnam headquarters and other overseas locations. We are an organization that can rapidly transform as a whole while promoting the employment of people with disabilities and supporting LGBTQ individuals with a sense of urgency.

The introduction of accessibility tools is one example, and we aim to make our website user-friendly and visually accessible to many stakeholders. In particular, we consider it important that the website's usability does not become a barrier for people with disabilities when checking job information or applying. This way, we hope to externally demonstrate that FPT Japan is considerate of individuals with disabilities and diverse populations, creating a trusted site among a wide audience.

Furthermore, we need to strengthen the promotion of our corporate sustainability and diversity initiatives. In Vietnam, employment of people with disabilities is not mandatory, so FPT Japan is expected to become a progressive example, leading to a deeper understanding of diversity and inclusion at the Vietnam headquarters in the future. To this end, FPT Japan plans to collaborate with headquarters to build more inclusive digital channels this year and next, expanding sustainability and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives.

In this way, we aim to accelerate and expand our initiatives, which we have progressed step by step, to secure better talent and improve our external evaluations.

 

Mr. KumakiAt FPT Japan, we established a school to support children who became orphans due to the coronavirus pandemic. This school functions as a place that provides comprehensive support not only in education but also in daily life until they become adults. The aim is to offer long-term support looking towards the future of these children and to create an environment where they can grow up safely.

Furthermore, our company actively engages in charitable activities aimed at environmental protection, such as reforestation efforts, aiming to contribute to the local community through these activities. These charitable activities are not only limited to Japan but also aim to extend to Vietnam, hoping to strengthen the ties between Japan and Vietnam.

Going forward, we aim to continue activities for children and local communities as a bridge connecting Japan and Vietnam, while also promoting further initiatives towards mutual development between the two countries.

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FPT Japan Holdings Co., Ltd.

Established: November 2005
Representative: Do Van Khac
Location: Sumitomo Realty and Development Tokyo Mita Garden Tower 33rd Floor, 3-5-19 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo
URL:https://fptsoftware.jp/about-us/fpt-japan
Business Description:

• Development of next-generation technologies such as AI, AR/VR, blockchain, IoT, and RPA
• Support for the realization of digital manufacturing in fields such as healthcare, real estate, and factories
• Consulting focused on data analysis, analytics, and digital transformation (DX)

 

FPT Japan Holdings Co., Ltd.
Director of Japan Marketing & Public Relations Division
Kazumasa Matsukawa (Photo Left)

Started his career at a digital agency and was responsible for marketing at a precision machinery manufacturer. Joined FPT based on his experience of promoting an AI project for rip current detection in collaboration with FPT. Currently serving as the marketing manager for the Japan headquarters.

 

FPT Japan Holdings Co., Ltd.
Project Manager of Corporate Sustainability Promotion Department (CSP)
Katsuhisa Kimura (Photo Right)

Worked on HR system implementation and customer success at an IT cloud vendor before joining FPT Japan in 2022. Involved in HR labor management and digital transformation (DX) promotion in the HR department. Currently serving as the project manager in the sustainability promotion department under the CPO, overseeing disability employment, CSR, and DEI activities.

 

FPT Japan Holdings Co., Ltd.
Secretary and Japan Marketing & Public Relations Division
Yoshino Kumaki (Photo Center)

Joined FPT in 2014 and worked in the HR department. After working in the marketing department, became an executive secretary. Currently continues to support as an executive secretary while also being involved in marketing-related tasks since last year.

 

《Uni-Web Implementation Site》

Uniweb has been implemented on the corporate site and sustainability site of FPT Japan Holdings Inc.

FPT Japan Corporate Information Site

By clicking on the icon, an accessibility menu appears, allowing users to switch text-to-speech features and screen contrast with just one button.

FPT Japan Corporate Information Site

 

About Uniweb

UniWeb provides web accessibility features "on the day of deployment" by simply adding a single line of code to all web services.

In order to achieve equal website services for all, we want to put users in various situations, such as those with visual impairments or those who temporarily lose the use of their hands due to injury, in a position to understand correct information through various uses such as voice reading and contrast changes.

Site:https://hellouniweb.com