Figure 1-1-3-1 Information and communications system supporting the "kotozukuri" cycle model POS and sales management systems

(Source) MIC "Condition Survey on Kotozukuri Trend and ICT Cooperation" (2013)

kuri.

Even in the manufacturing industry’s monozukuri (creation of goods), adding values other than those for functions of goods upon their exchange (sale or purchase) or creating mechanisms or processes to produce values upon customers’ use of goods, may represent kotozukuri.

### b. Kotozukuri and ICT

## (a) Changes in ICT infrastructure

In the 1980s when the focus was shifting from general-purpose computers to personal computers, general-purpose computers were still processing mainstay business operations, with technologies used mainly for replacing human labor.

Later, ICT shifted to a client server age. In that age, enterprises generally acquired domains to use email and open homepages. As the Internet diffused as an open network, systems linking enterprises spread to help expand e-commerce not only for sales but also for procurement. The objective of the introduction of technologies then was to computerize and network all operations to innovate the entire business process.

A social ICT age started in 2010. The objective of the introduction of technologies in this age may be to comprehensively support human intelligent operations or cooperation between humans. The key to success for enterprises is whether they can use social media to create more open places and continuously produce new values together with various stakeholders. In this age, it is important for buyers and sellers, or consumers and enterprises, to sympathize with each other, go in the same direction and co-create new values. The base for such efforts is information and communications infrastructure as an open platform.

### c. Directions of future ICT kotozukuri

The past spread of kotozukuri, ICT evolution supporting the spread and the recent trends lead us to find two major future directions.

In the first direction, kotozukuri to create mechanisms for producing values within and between enterprises will develop into more open processes where diverse stakeholders will be involved. In the second direction, values for the use and experiences will be increased further.

The kotozukuri mechanism to create social values and the kotozukuri process to produce new values through customers' use of goods will be integrated to develop a cycle model for various individuals and organizations to repeat the creation, exchange and use of values. As indicated by Figure 1-1-3-1, kotozukuri as a value cycle model will be supported by open platforms for cooperation between various people and ICT based on Big Data to be collected and accumulated.

### d. MIC initiative — Discussions at ITC kotozukuri panel —

In March 2013, the MIC launched an ICT kotozukuri panel under the ICT Growth Strategy Meeting. Under the common recognition that ICT kotozukuri means building new businesses or mechanisms to utilize ICT from the viewpoint of users for creating higher added value, the panel has discussed the direction of promoting ICT kotozukuri to build a society where data produces new values for sustainable growth through new innovations in the "social," "business" and "user" areas.

### (2) Business operations changing under new ICT trends a. 020 trends

(a) 020 outline

O2O indicates a series of mechanisms and initiatives where “online” Internet shops and social media cooper-