Cost Reduction Effect Estimated at Around 1.2 Billion Yen Annually: Sumitomo Corporation's Frontline Use of Generative AI

What results have you seen so far from introducing Copilot?

Asada As of December 2024, the time saved on operations amounts to 10,560 hours per month, and the cost savings total roughly 1.2 billion yen per year*. Rather than distributing typical "use cases" or "golden prompts" often seen in generative AI rollouts, we have pursued initiatives that encourage employees to think for themselves about how to use Copilot. To this end, we hope it can become just that – a helpful "co-pilot" or "excellent assistant."

Usage scenarios range from small everyday tasks such as summarizing emails, compiling meeting notes and brainstorming, to more advanced applications like investment and financial analysis. Nearly 2,000 people now use it daily, and as generative AI becomes more embedded in daily processes and Copilot continues to evolve, its positive effects are steadily increasing. Also, monthly active users within the company have reached 90 percent, but personally I’m not satisfied with that. Ultimately, I believe everyone who can use Copilot should be 100 percent active every month.

Why did the Sumitomo Corporation Group decide to roll out Copilot all at once?

Asada Copilot integrates with the Microsoft 365 applications we use every day, such as Teams and Outlook, allowing access to generative AI with a single click from familiar screens. On top of that, it can find necessary information from a vast amount of data stored in applications and on the cloud, making it possible to put the company’s internal knowledge to effective use. For these reasons we concluded Copilot was the optimal tool for spreading the use of generative AI to all employees of the Sumitomo Corporation Group.

After the introduction, how did you go about expanding the use of Copilot?

Asada The IT Planning & Promotion Department, which I belong to, has been taking the lead and rolling out initiatives in stages. The goal is to make Copilot something "normal," like a PC or smartphone – something every employee uses routinely without even thinking about it. Once it is that ingrained, routine work can be left to Copilot and we will be able to focus on more creative tasks – the kind of work that creates new value for society and represents the essence of Sumitomo’s business.

What challenges did the Forest Resources Business Unit face in promoting Copilot?

Muta The unit manages sustainable forestry operations and wood product supply globally, covering everything from planting, nurturing and harvesting to wood processing, and trade in wood chips and pellets for paper and fuel. The wood product business has a long history within the company, and our unit has around 50 members of varying ages, so traditional industry practices and differing IT literacy posed challenges to Copilot adoption.

Takai Amid these challenges, I personally became interested in generative AI, volunteered as a Champion and attended company-wide seminars organized by IT Planning & Promotion. Over time, I became convinced Copilot would become absolutely useful for improving unit efficiency and growth. Together with Mr. Muta – also a Champion – we began promoting Copilot internally.

What initiatives were undertaken, and what results have been achieved?

Takai To ensure no one was left behind, we have been implementing various measures aimed to raise overall IT literacy. First, in December 2024 we held two training sessions. We invited Mr. Asada to be the instructor; the first was a mandatory "basic" course for all members, and the second was an optional "advanced" course. Participation in the advanced course was also high. As we explained concrete ways of using Copilot and let members try it out for themselves, many were impressed by the capabilities.

Muta Some members were initially resistant to the use of digital tools, but hands-on experience demonstrated their utility and simplicity, with people commenting: "This is useful for my work" and "It’s easier than I thought it would be." These efforts seem to have created a positive atmosphere encouraging Copilot use. We then divided the members into several groups and conducted group work to discuss ways of using Copilot. At the unit-wide retreat we held in March 2025, each group presented the results of its discussions.

Takai Ideas included summarizing contracts, subscription materials and improving customer information sharing and search efficiency. Specifically, our unit handles many long-term contracts, which tend to be quite thick. Members suggested having Copilot extract necessary clauses and compare old and new contracts upon renewal to extract differences. Other ideas involved summarizing industry publications, and sharing and storing business trip or meeting notes to streamline searching.

Muta The retreat was invaluable, and we gained numerous insights. We have now set up a "DX Working Group" made up of members who played a central role at the retreat and are working on implementing each idea. We currently meet approximately once every two weeks to develop rules for building a unit-wide database – when, where and how to store information. While full-scale operation is still in the future, many individuals already use Copilot daily.

How are you personally using Copilot, and how do you hope to expand adoption further within the unit?

Takai For example, in my daily work I have Copilot summarize the large number of emails I receive so I can grasp the gist, and it also helps me draft replies. That frees up a bit of time. In particular, comparing contracts and analyzing financial statements: tasks that used to take hours can now be done in about 30 seconds. This makes time management much easier, allowing me to devote more time to customer interactions or to start on things I’d always wanted to do. We’re seeing a lot of benefits.

Muta In my case, I use it to read and analyze industry journal data to get an initial grasp of industries or products and generate hypotheses. As its use spreads further within the unit, I expect smoother information sharing, accumulation of data and a faster process for coming up with new business ideas. Together with Ms. Takai, I want to continue our efforts so we can quickly realize the DX Working Group’s proposals.