KSW modernizes comms with self-hosted Mattermost, protecting sensitive data & accelerating response times by 30%

Kokusai Software Co. Ltd. (KSW) is a systems integrator and Mattermost partner that helps customers like Toshiba, Hitachi, and Sony with business systems development, cloud infrastructure construction, and operational support. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Fuchu, Tokyo, KSW has 240 employees who work out of two different offices.  

Shattering communication silos & moving away from email 

To best serve its customers, KSW requires tightknit coordination among team members. The company had primarily been using email and phone calls to communicate; some projects utilized various chat tools and file-sharing services. 

“Since these tools were scattered across different platforms, delays in information sharing and overlooked messages were common,” explains Masahiko Takahashi. “Our main challenge was communication delays in project management and customer support.” 

The rise of remote work only compounded these problems. 

“It became difficult to share information quickly through emails and phone calls,” Takahashi continues. “If we didn’t address this issue, delays and errors in operations would increase, potentially impacting customer satisfaction.”   

Choosing self-hosted Mattermost for data security & flexible deployment choice 

The KSW team began searching for a modern communication solution that would enable them to collaborate securely in real time from any location while keeping sensitive data safe. Shortly thereafter, they started narrowing down their requirements.  

“The must-have criteria for selection included on-premises support, high security, and flexible customization,” Takahashi says. “As for nice-to-haves, we focused on ease of system integration, a wide range of integrations, and a user-friendly UI.”   

After researching several open source chat tools on community forums and IT-related websites, KSW ultimately came across Mattermost, the secure collaboration platform built for mission-critical work.  

“Mattermost met all of our requirements and provided more operational flexibility than other tools, which led to our decision to choose it,” he says. “We were particularly attracted to Mattermost’s security features and the ability to deploy it in an on-premises environment. After conducting a trial implementation, we referred to official documentation and case studies before deciding to adopt the solution fully.” 

Accelerating digital transformation internally & externally while improving response speed by 30% 

By enhancing real-time communication between teams and making it more efficient to share information, Mattermost has enabled KSW to move further in its digital transformation journey. Looking ahead, the consultancy plans to continue to promote the secure collaboration platform externally to drive digital transformation for its customers as well. 

“The internal implementation went relatively smoothly, taking about two months from setting up the test environment to full-scale operation,” Takahashi explains. “For external client deployments, we provided customized configurations and training based on their requirements; it takes approximately three months for adoption to be fully established.”  

Internally, KSW uses Mattermost for project management, IT support, and technical knowledge sharing. With Mattermost powering collaboration, the organization has enabled faster information sharing between teams, improved operational efficiency with reduced manual work, and improved security with enhanced data management capabilities through on-premises deployment. 

“One major impact was the improvement in emergency response communication, which significantly sped up our responses to customer inquiries and ultimately enhanced customer satisfaction,” Takahashi continues. “We are still collecting quantitative ROI data, but since implementation, our response speed has improved by approximately 30% and email communications have been reduced by more than 50%. Mattermost has significantly contributed to improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.” 

Looking ahead, KSW plans to explore Mattermost Copilot to unlock AI-driven automated response functions and is also looking to integrate more tools with the platform to increase operational efficiency even more. 

“We recommend Mattermost to organizations that prioritize security and require on-premises deployment,” Takahashi concludes. “Mattermost offers high customizability and can accommodate various business scenarios, making it a valuable tool across a wide range of industries.”