en.Wedoany.com Reported - Shinya Katasaka, co-chair of the Japan Productivity Management Conference and chairman of the board of ANA Holdings, stated that business leaders must clearly distinguish between tasks suitable for AI and those for humans, and decisively implement work structure reforms. Against the backdrop of AI development profoundly changing the value of human labor, the time has come to reassess the relationship between companies and individuals, as well as between management and employees.
This view was presented in the recommendations titled "Productivity Management Practices Centered on Value Addition—A Path to Management Reform Guiding Japan into the World's Top Productivity Alliance by 2040," released by the Japan Productivity Center on May 15, 2026, and at a public symposium held the same day. The recommendations propose 11 specific measures across five dimensions: transformation of management itself, strategy clarification, industrial structure and ecosystem reform, work talent and organizational change, and strengthening of management foundations. These include that business leaders in the AI era should become Chief Innovation Officers, clarify winning strategies through the integration of domain knowledge and digital technology, promote industry restructuring and strategic collaboration, and create work environments where humans focus on generating added value.
At the symposium, Katasaka highlighted the ANA Group's medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2026-2028. The plan proposes a "Talent × DX" differentiation strategy, with core concepts of "Digital by Default" and "Human Premium"—replacing tasks that can be digitized with digital technology while maximizing human capabilities to achieve differentiation. In terms of talent strategy, the focus is on talent development and retention, evolution of teamwork and challenge, and improving employee engagement. A value-added productivity target has been set, aiming for a 30% improvement by 2030 compared to fiscal year 2018 (pre-COVID-19). Regarding DX strategy, the plan invests 270 billion yen over five years through 2030, marking the group's first large-scale investment in DX. This investment aims to establish a high-profit model through the fusion of data and knowledge, achieving approximately 200 billion yen in revenue growth and a productivity improvement equivalent to 7% of the group's workforce, targeting a reduction of about 25 billion yen in labor costs.
On the work environment in the AI era, Katasaka noted that the core of improvement is reducing working hours through AI. Managers need to break down employee tasks, clearly distinguish between AI-appropriate and human-appropriate work, and decisively implement work structure reforms. Future managers will require stronger decision-making and judgment to make correct choices among multiple proposals presented by AI and diverse talent. Regarding labor mobility, Katasaka cited the example of ANA Group dispatching 2,300 employees to 330 companies and local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that labor mobility from declining business areas to growth areas will become more active. However, smooth mobility is not easy, and managers should promote dialogue with employees to help them transition to work where they find meaning.
The recommendations offer four suggestions for workers: first, reassess learning content and methods, engaging in relearning related to higher-value-added work; second, proactively expand knowledge, skillfully use digital technology as a collaborative tool, and become protagonists in creating added value; third, actively design career plans without relying on the company; and fourth, proactively seek collaboration with diverse individuals, turning diversity into a source of innovation. Katasaka emphasized that when investing in improving employees' IT literacy, the focus should not only be "for the company" but also "for employees and society," allowing for labor mobility.
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