Utilizing animation (Vyond) to communicate "contracts" to employees in an easy-to-understand manner through e-learning
Tokyo Electron Ltd.
Legal Department Strategic Legal Group (Your affiliation as of 2022)
(From left to right) Mr. Yoshihiro Tanaka, Ms. Kanako Ichikawa, Mr. Kenji Okura
- Material Creation
- Vyond
- Improvement Measures
- : Production of internal training content
Using animation (Vyond) to convey complex contractual information clearly
Produced a series of content using pirate characters in 2021 and 2022
Customer Requests
――Please tell us how you came to request Human Science.
Mr. Tanaka: I was introduced by our HR department and had a conversation.
Referring to awareness activities such as the Ministry of Justice's Momotaro manga (Civil Code revision) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Golgo 13 (overseas safety measures), I was inquiring with 2 to 3 companies about whether content should be in the form of manga or a paper play with fewer illustrations.
――What were the reasons for placing an order with Human Science?
Mr. Tanaka: At the initial stage when we first reached out, our image of content creation was still half-baked, and we didn't know what to do.
Mr. Ichikawa: Among the various companies we spoke to, I felt that your company understood our intentions the best.
During our discussions, the impressions we received during the actual meetings were positive, such as suggestions like 'It would be better to shorten XX' and ideas given on the spot.
Mr. Tanaka: Initially, we were considering creating content in the form of manga, but we received a proposal for animation from your company.
Other vendors suggested ideas like RPG games incorporating gamification elements. However, we found that it wouldn't work well with the human resource management system we use. Although we could have used the system from the vendor who proposed the RPG game by renting it, we decided against it due to the difficulty of long-term operation.
--- Did you feel there were issues with the traditional educational content?
1) Visually easy-to-understand content
Mr. Tanaka: Our company has bases both domestically and internationally, so we utilized e-learning. Among them, contracts tend to be difficult to approach, so we believed that visually easy-to-understand content was necessary.
2) Memorable content
Mr. Ichikawa: Until now, many training videos with audio were created using PowerPoint, and there were requests from upper management that the recent educational content was boring. Since we are using employees' valuable time, they wanted the content to be memorable. Therefore, we determined that just a PowerPoint explanation was insufficient and that it needed to be made interesting.
"Now it's 'Aim for the Legal Department!'?"
Mr. Ichikawa: The use of animation, which is completely unrelated to the business of piracy that came up in discussions with your company, was our first attempt, but it has been very well received internally, and now there is an atmosphere of 'If we're going to create educational content, let's aim for the Legal Department's content' (laughs)
――Were there any concerns in progressing the project?
1) Is it within budget?
Mr. Tanaka: The primary concern was the budget. I had a rough idea of the budget, but in the case of manga, the costs are high, and I was worried about whether it was acceptable to spend that much. In the end, your company suggested Vyond animation, and I believe we were able to achieve the expected quality at a relatively low cost.
2) Will the deadline be met?
Mr. Tanaka: Additionally, there was a constraint that the delivery deadline was by the end of March. We split the delivery into two parts, receiving the Japanese version first and the English version around May.
3) The scenario was vague...
Mr. Tanaka: Initially, we created a summary of the story ourselves and submitted it to your company for discussion. However, we were unsure how to convey our image and objectives.
Mr. Ichikawa: It was my first time being involved in production, and I initially didn't understand how to read the storyboard created in Excel by your company. I also struggled to explain the storyboard to the lawyer. However, the flowchart was easy to understand.
Additionally, I was asked to choose between two ideas, A and B, but I also communicated a different idea, C, which led to changes in direction along the way, and I had to request new tasks from HS (laughs).
――It is common for discussions to evolve after presenting a certain form to the client. Your company actively provided feedback, which was very educational. There were aspects I wouldn't have noticed without your input.
Customer Feedback from Clients
-- What was the response from employees after the implementation?
Mr. Ichikawa: As a result, the participation rate was very high. Over 5,000 employees responded to the survey included at the end of the course. In the second round of content, 99.5% understood it and 98.7% found it to be a beneficial course, and the survey results exceeded expectations. There was also a free comment section, and some employees wrote comments.
――What kind of opinions were there in the free comment section?
1) Negative Opinions
Mr. Ichikawa: Regarding the first course, there was feedback that 'the animation duration is too long.' It was also pointed out that the lack of audio made it seem like the training was not being attended during work hours, leading to a request to 'include the TEL logo.'
Some people felt that the content was too basic, but I believe it was well understood as we prepared tests and included detailed explanations.
After actually implementing it, some participants felt that this training was different from before. It seems that some were confused by the drag-and-drop functionality.
Mr. Tanaka: In the second round, we improved features like drag-and-drop. We also shortened the animation duration and added audio to the characters.
2) Positive Opinions
Mr. Ichikawa: In reality, most feedback was positive, stating that it was educational and approachable. About 70-80% of people were satisfied.
Mr. Okura: The legal department initially released it in Japanese and English, but due to local requests, a Chinese version has already been created.
Mr. Ichikawa: After that, a Taiwanese version was also created. We are considering a Korean version, but there is also a possibility that the existing English version can be used, similar to Singapore.
――This time, we have imposed restrictions on the content, such as not being able to proceed until the slides are finished. What are the opinions from the participants?
Mr. Tanaka: There were no particular opinions regarding the restrictions, but there was a suggestion about whether it would be possible to watch at double speed.
-- The correction for double speed is likely possible with an update of the software being used.
Mr. Tanaka: The mandatory training period for the entire company has ended, but for new employees, we are conducting training by having them watch videos with animations, so I would like to discuss the implementation.
――Have you experienced any changes that reflect learning effects?
Mr. Ichikawa: Currently, it is difficult to clearly state which measures have brought about what effects, as we are implementing various initiatives within the legal department, not just the training videos. However, thanks to the approachable characters, I feel that the barriers of the legal department have lowered.
Speaking of changes, a common foundation has been established. In-person training on confidentiality agreements and the application of contracts can now be attended by everyone who has completed the animation training. I feel that explanations have become easier during in-person training compared to before.
Mr. Tanaka: It seems to have permeated among the employees.
Mr. Ichikawa: Nowadays, the image of the legal department is firmly associated with pirates and TEL drones (delivery machines that appear in the content).
――Are there plans to create other content in the future?
Mr. Tanaka: We have not yet decided on the third installment, but there is a possibility of considering training based on the NDA from the second installment as a company-wide training.
Mr. Ichikawa: We are also considering compiling short videos related to FAQs that involve all employees, such as general negotiation skills. "Company-wide training" will be a major element in content creation.
